Tombs and Turtles

On Tuesday we reached Dalyan, a town situated on a river of the same name.  We got to our hotel, well a resort actually, around 1 pm.  It was lovely but would have been much better if it hadn't been so late in the season as the bar, restaurant and pool were closed.  However, it is right on the river and somehow Atahan got us a bottle of wine and we sat on a small deck beside the water watching the tour boats going up and down the river so people could see the tombs built into the hillside.  Below are some photos from that and the weather was perfect.







Later, we walked 10 minutes to a nearby restaurant called The Pier.  The beef medallions I ordered were delicious.  The sunset was fabulous and, after it was dark, the tombs were lit up.  





Now about the tombs.  We had chartered a boat for following day for a couple of hours ($160 CAD or 4000 TL) to take us along the Dalyan river.  First, we went by Lycian tombs cut into the hillside.  The city of Kaunos is believed to have been founded by the Carians around 8th and 9th century BC.  It gradually came under Greek influence by 5th century BC and later on became a Roman center like many other ancient cities in the Asia Minor.  The settlement lasted up to 7th century AD and this Anatolian city with a complex history was a major naval trade route.  The Temple Tombs at Kaunos are unique.  The Dalyan River separates the town from these ancient temple tombs.  




From there, the skipper took us through the meandering waterways surrounded by reeds out to the Aegean and Iztuzu Beach.  The beach is a narrow spit of land, which forms a natural barrier between the fresh water delta of the Dalyan river and the Mediterranean.  It is also one of the main breeding grounds for loggerhead sea turtles.  





Once we got to the beach, Atahan convinced me to go into the water and I actually swam a tiny bit!  That was significant for me as, in all the times I have travelled to the Mediterranean, this was actually the first time I'd even thought of putting on a swimsuit or dipping even a toe in the sea, let alone my body! 




We had a leisurely ride back to the hotel dock.  That evening we went back to the same restaurant.  What we saw was amazing - a loggerhead turtle came close in the water to our riverside table.  Unfortunately, it happened so quickly I didn't get a photo.  However, it was huge (about 1 meter long with a big head).  It was just one of those special moments I won't ever forget.



In the morning, we left the coast and drove inland to Pamukkale to visit the sites there.  I cannot believe how fast the time is flying by.  I only have 4 more days before Tuesday when I will be returning home.




 

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