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The Mediterranean region of Turkey is a true eye opener--gorgeous scenery, interesting natural attractions and friendly locals--and the best way to see all this region has to offer is by joining a jeep safari. By Genevieve Richards |
 Turkey is a bit of a conundrum, really. It has been called the gateway to Asia, is sometimes classed as being in the Middle East and, at other times, lumped in along with the rest of Europe. This confusion is somewhat understandable when you consider that Turkey shares its borders with no less than eight other countries, namely: Greece and Bulgaria to the west, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran to the east, and Syria and Iraq to the south.The climate in this region is typical of the Mediterranean with hot summers, and mild winters. It is not unusual for temperatures to reach 105 degrees F (40 degrees C) plus during the summer months; and the official "season" runs from April to October so there is ample time to sample the delights of this often misunderstood and overlooked country.The jeep safari is a well-known attraction in Turkey and on any given day there can be between one and twenty jeeps per jeep Safari Company, of which there are 5 operating in the area. The jeep safari company collects its guests from the hotels each morning and then meets up at a central meeting point where each guest is allocated space in specific jeeps; this allocation depends on whether a guest is going as a driver or non-driver (some wish to drive themselves and their families, while others are more than happy to sit back and enjoy the ride, with someone else driving.) |
Tlos and Turkish Pancakes:
 Finally, in convoy (and with great fanfare and tooting of horns) the jeep safari is underway. After about a twenty-minute drive up into the "mountains" there is a short briefing session by the guide. This briefing takes place overlooking the spectacular rock tombs in the ancient city of Tlos. Tlos is not a stop of this particular tour but there is a visit to another ancient city later on the tour. The first stop on the jeep safari is to the Yakapark Trout Farm, or Belyk farm. Belyk is the Turkish name for fish and often causes much merriment, especially as the pronunciation is the same as "bolok", and as the guide will say, the trout farm has "big boloks, small boloks, and even the David Beckham golden boloks." (For the unitiated, "bolocks" is a naughty British word alluding, among other things, to a portion of the male anatomy.) |
 It is at this stop that you will probably be introduced to traditional Turkish pancakes called Gozleme. These pancakes are made of flat bread folded over various ingredients and then baked on a griddle in full view of the diners. Typical fillings include white cheese, usually sheep or goat, the delicious sweet onions grown in Turkey and parsley. After breakfast and just enough time to have a look at the fish it is then back into the jeeps and time to head off to the Saklikent Gorge.
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Saklikent: Saklikent means "hidden valley" in Turkish and this gorge is the third longest gorge in Europe at 18 km long. It was formed after an earthquake and is so steep and narrow in some places that the sun does not penetrate the water, which is absolutely freezing as a result, even in these high temperatures. There are several restaurant areas suspended above the water (river) and the whole area, although somewhat commercialized, still remains quaint and pretty.There is an opportunity to walk into the gorge along the 150 meters of wooden walkway and even further into the actual gorge. This can be rather very tricky as access is gained through icy cold, very fast flowing water. The water, however, is quite shallow in places and there is also a safety rope to hold onto while crossing. Saklikent is also the lunch stop. Although the main restaurant area is under cover and away from the river, there are several other eating areas with tables suspended over the water, and these offer a more picturesque view of the gorge and surrounding area. The restaurant offers a choice of meatballs, trout fish, pancakes or chicken kebab, all offered with salad from the self-service salad bar and included in the original price for the jeep safari, which is around £25 or $44.This stop also has the last set of proper bathrooms before the last stop of the day which at this stage is a good 5 hours away, so it is advisable to "spend a penny" here. As most of you will know, the loo situation in Turkey, as with most other Middle Eastern countries, can be somewhat dicey as the preferred style in lavatory hardware is the traditional "hole in the ground", the mere thought of which fills foreigners with horror. Saklikent, however, also has European style loos, which is a definite bonus. |
Mud Bathing: Upon leaving Saklikent there is a short drive down to the mudflats for the eagerly-awaited mud bath. Apparently, the rejuvenating powers of the mud will take ten years off your age, an idea that is usually met with much appreciation by the women in the group. The men, however, only really perk up a little when they are told its amazing healing properties also help with baldness! Needless to say, these are little "white lies" but it is such fun no-one really minds very much. |
Xanthos:After washing off in the freezing river (it runs down from the gorge!) everyone piles back into the jeeps and heads off to the ancient Lycian city of Xanthos (pronounced Santos). This was once the site of the capital city of Lycia and dates back to at least the eighth century B.C. The history of Xanthos is one of violence and barbarity: the population of Xanthos twice decided to commit mass suicide rather than submit to invading forces. It is said that the men set fire to their women, children, slaves and treasure before facing their enemies. This quite literally was a case of fighting to the death. It is possible to see an extraordinary amount of the ancient settlement amongst the "rubble" including the amphitheater which, to be fair, is hard to miss. Another feature is that of the pillar tomb; these are the oldest form of tomb and were mainly used for important townspeople. They are completely unique to Lycia and are actually two tombs in one.There are also several examples of floor mosaics from the Byzantine period but you will have to do a bit of detective work to find them. They are mostly covered by dust and difficult to see with the untrained eye. Xanthos was made famous to the Western world in the 19th century by its British discoverer Charles Fellows. Fellows arranged for all the reliefs and archeological finds of any significance transported to London where they are exhibited in the British Museum.Not only is there much to see among the ruins, but the surrounding scenery too is outstanding. The city stands atop an elevated area of the Xanthos valley where the Esen (pronounced Eshen) river flows below. The contrast between the lush greenery and the river bed is simply spectacular and almost looks as if it is not a real landscape but a painting instead. |
 From Xanthos the jeeps make their way to the next stop - Patara beach. On the way through the village before Patara it is not uncommon to see locals on their way home back from the beach, but that in itself is nothing out of the ordinary. What is, however, is the fact that more often or not whole families are loaded onto an old motorbike: mother, father, and sometimes two children. It is truly a sight to behold!Patara Baech is also known as Caretta Caretta Beach or Turtle Beach. The loggerhead sea turtles come out at night and lay their eggs in the sand, so in order to preserve these eggs we left the jeeps at the entrance to the beach and walked onto the sand. Patara is the longest beach on Turkey's coast, around twenty kilometers, and there is not a single building on the entire stretch of beach. This beach is good for swimming and even those who were not confident in the water were able to paddle as there is a huge sand shelf under the water, and it apparently extends to some seventy meters. Patara town is the birth place of St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus as we know him. Son of a wealthy family and of good education, he devoted himself to mankind and was the Bishop of Demre. Because of the assistance he rendered to those around him, St. Nicholas was known as the protector of children and sailors, and to this day the legend of Father Christmas has continued to live as vividly as ever. His tomb is in the cathedral of Demre.
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 A few words about Turkey and its people:The main tourist regions of Turkey are along the amazing 7000 km coastline: the Black Sea coast, the Aegean Sea coast (sometimes called the Turkish Riviera), and the Mediterranean Sea coast which is also known as the Turquoise coast. Traditionally, the most popular tourist region has been the Aegean coast and especially Bodrum but the Mediterranean cost too is very popular with visitors from the world over. In the Mediterranean region the most popular regions are Oludeniz (the Blue Lagoon), Fethiye and Hisaronu. Historical sites, of which there are too many to name, include: the ancient Lycian settlements of Xanthos and Tlos; the hot springs at Pammakule; the ruins at Ephesus; the Temple of Artemis which is the Seventh Wonder of the World; and the famous city of Troy. Hospitality is a cornerstone of Turkish life and this applies to friends, family and strangers alike. Not only are they gracious and generous hosts but are also very accepting of other cultures and customs--whether these are America, German, Australian or South African etc. They want all visitors to their country to enjoy their time there and to return again in the future. More importantly, however, is their wish that visitors to Turkey will return to their homeland and tell others of the Turkish spirit and hospitality. The official Turkish tourism website is at www.tourismturkey.org. I |
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| * Photo Credits: Genevieve Richards; Contributed; Patara Beach Photo by BugBog/Dick Osserman |
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© 2005 ROMAR TRAVEL GUIDES
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