My Turkish Adventure, 2002.

Arriving to Warsaw, Poland at the end of July, 2002 I had no idea how many different activities I would have. My friends bought me a ticket-package to a place called "Turkish Riviera". Waiting for the airplane at the Warsaw's Okencie International Airport I could not picture the map of the area I was about to visit.

Okencie is one of the smallest airports in the world. ( But do not say this to the Poles, because they are very proud of it, and in their minds it is the most beautiful and the largest airport.) People at the airport were pushing each other and upset; there were simply too many people traveling at the same time. Nevertheless I remained vacation-spirited and I kept smiling and happy. We boarded a plane to Antalya and left Warsaw airspace in no time. We flew over the Black Sea, over the beautiful mountains of Taurus, and over the beaches of the Mediterranean Sea. Shortly after, we landed in the city of Antalya and when the passengers exited the plane they were fascinated with its airport, a beautiful and modern, big airport that cannot be compared to that of Okencie. Antalya is not even a capital of this non European country, Turkey. The buses took us to Mediterranean city of Side, which was built on the ruins of an ancient Roman city 70Km. away. The hotel was pretty nice with a huge swimming pool in the center, and lots of flowers. Plenty of Polish people were vacationing for two weeks and more there and enjoying the swimming pool. I spent a whole day resting and getting rid of my jetlag until it was plenty enough and I needed some action. So that evening I went with my friend to see the city of Side. I stopped in the ancient city of Romans trying to catch the spirit of those old days when Latin language was spoken all over the region. Roman columns, and an amphitheatre, allover the city. It seams that Turks have no love to the ancient world. Frequently they construct the houses on the top of the Roman building. or Roman walls.  Everywhere   we look there are fragments grate incredible culture. Mark Antonius and Cleopatra possibly walked on these scattered stones of the Roman streets just 15th centuries ago? I asked myself .     We walk to the Temple of Apolin . As I walked the streets of  Side I found a gate in the stone wall, when I passed through I noticed an entire Roman city berried in the sand of the local beach. and the ruins of the ruins Roman Library,   How would you feel to have a private Roman column just in front of your house   or just on your street where you live. There are Roman stones all over the city, on the beach an as the foundations of the Turkish houses.   Side is also the city where gentle Mediterranean Climate attracts lots of tourists. The streets are full of small stores where kind Turkish salesman goes out of his mind to show you the best of his merchandise, frequently they would invite you to the store for the glass of Turkish tea.  But it is a part of Turkish culture tat the customer should bargain sometimes the price can be reduced to the minimum. They like to sell and the tourists like to buy. What can you buy?  Leather jackets, or suits, rugs hand made and gold. But again the tourist have to be careful and have knowledge of the products. Side was a beautiful life experience.  Turkey is one religion country it is Moslem. Before the sun rise in every town the songs of Holly Koran can be heard from the minaret of the local mosque sang by the  Mauzins

For more photos please click on the photo below.