Olympos

Hello! Here are pictures from my 3 days in Olympos, the tiny backpacker haven on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Please be sure to see the next post as well; I just added another section on Cappadocia. I am now in the town of Kas, about 4 hours West of Olympos. I've teamed up with a couple of Belgians and we hope to hike a historic section of the Lycian way... an ancient trade route through Turkey. The trip should take 3 days and ends near the city of Fethiye. Thank you for reading!

Olympos is a village built in a deep canyon close to a pebble beach which fronts the ruins of an Roman town dating to the 2nd century CE. This place is full of backpackers from all over the world, though it seems every other person you meet is an Ozzie! I've tried to capture the beach and the ruins, and though you may not see them here there are actually a lot of visitors. People are really cool though, this is not your normal big-spending tourist spot.

I will try to write more later, but I hope you find the pictures interesting.


New friends hanging at the beach




Photos taken from a ruined Byzantine castle on the cliff, dating to the middle ages. The Roman ruins, circa 2nd century ce


Roman theatre, now in disrepair

Roman temple

A shot of my dorm, which I shared with 3 Australians. The pension is set amid groves of orange trees.

Despite the beautiful scenery, sometimes I feel very alone way over here in a new country. I have my moments of feeling really scared about the basics- where to go, where to stay, what to eat, how to buy new soap, which bus to take, how much is a good price, and the list goes on. One night I can feel very much a part of a newfound group of friends.... and the next afternoon they've gone and suddenly I remember where I am and that I've never done anything like this before and think I must be totally crazy for doing this to myself and feel so totally alone. But then, I just say "Ok, lets stick it out a little longer and maybe I'll feel better"... just be with the feeling. I try to remember that I am never really alone; I carry many friends inside all the time, and many carry me also... and there is peace in that knowing. And you know, after awhile something happens, I meet someone new, a stranger does a favor, someone smiles in my direction... and I begin to feel better. Its the little things that are the miracles: I sit down with another lone traveller, and he happens to be from Portland (the only one in the region, by my estimate!). A group invites me to join them for a meal. I am offered a ride so I dont have to walk. A new friend explains backgammon. A shopkeeper takes time to chat. There are many wonderful people out there, and for their grace I am forever grateful.