Mersin Hotels
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Weekend on the Beach
Entry 10 of 11 | show all | print this entry |
The temperature on site was reaching over 43C so we decided it was time to head to the sea. We heard that it was 51 in Antalyia but at least we'd be at the sea so we could swim to cool down. This was our second to last weekend so Dan and I fancied a trip away somewhere. We had heard about this Hitite city built on the top of a volcano but given the insane temperatures, we figured a weekend at the beach would be a much better idea. We left site after work on Thursday and drove south for 3 hours. Driving through mountains makes for such a difference when compared with the topographic-free region of Konya. The temperatures dropped as we ascended this mountains to the south of Konya and finally it got "cool" at 31C. But the descent down the other side was something all together different. Every 3 miles of descent, the temperature rose 1C until it reached a stifling 41. We drove along a valley with a stunning turquoise colored river, and followed the river to the sea. Once we reached the south coast, we parked, had a drink and headed strait into the sea. Dusk had just started to cover the sky contrasted by huge semi-full moon. And there I was, floating in the bath-tub warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea, under the glow of a full moon. Absolutely glorious.
We drove for a few more miles, found a hotel and went out to explore the town. We stumbled into a small restaurant, named something ridiculous like "Café Paris" or something similar but I didn't much care because all I wanted was fish. All throughout dinner, we were subjected to the music of the neighboring nightclub. We finished dinner at 11pm and decided to explore the club next door. It looked empty on the outside but two burley bouncers opened the doors, revealing a sea of scantily clad Turkish women and a mesmerized group of Turkish men. Dan went to the bar to order gin and tonics and was served Vodka and Red Bull, which is not nearly the same thing but at least it kept us awake. Turkish women have an enchanting sense of erotic rhythm that is seemingly inherent in being Turkish. After the first round of Vodka, we had enough nerve to put our uncoordinated Western-selves on the dance floor and dance around for the next two hours. It was well past 1:30am when we wandered out of the club, expecting to be refreshed by the nighttime breeze. Instead, we were blasted by a wave of humidity that was about as stifling outside as it was inside the club. So I decided to cool off by running into the sea, fully clothed, at 2 in the morning. Dan did little to stop me and I was having a great time, skipping and splashing in the moonlight. Rarely have I felt so free, as if suddenly granted my own autonomy (and this coming from someone who hates being in water). There was something seductively inviting about the sea that night, perhaps the shallow and warm waters or the halo of moonlight but I just felt so comforted by the sea's embrace. But slightly less comfortable when Dan eventually coaxed me out of the water escorted my soggy self back to the hotel.
The spent next day on the beach, relaxing under the shade of an umbrella, swimming, snoozing and relaxing. We were the only Western people on the beach, as it looked like a resort mostly catered towards Turks. The high salinity made it easy to float so I laid on my back and subjected myself to the elements. I have a goofy tan now as a result but it was well worth it. After a decadent lunch, we thought we'd be even more decadent by renting a jet ski. The beach had some Roman Ruins (or "ruint", as the sign read) along the coast and a huge medieval castle on a tiny island about 200 m from the coast. The jet ski people told us to stay to the right, once we left the harbor. So of course, Dan opened it up and headed left, straight for the ruins. I would highly recommend visiting Roman ruins from the seat of a jet ski; it is far more pleasurable. But we got in trouble for it because as soon as we looked behind us, there was another jet ski following us, waving and madly blowing their whistle, indicating that we had gone the wrong way. Dumb tourists. There was nothing exciting to see on the other end so we just had fun driving in circles, seeing if we could make the ski flip over. It was a great way to spend the weekend and far better than spending the day in Konya.
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