Notes from a Land of Scents and Landscapes: From Antalya toward Cappadocia

🇹🇷 İyi akşamlar 👋🙂 – good evening!

A second journey into a land of spices and scents – even the hotel room seems to carry their aroma, mixed with the faint ring of metal. After a half-hour delay, we slowly made our way from the vast, almost overwhelming Istanbul airport to Antalya, located on the southwestern coast of Anatolia, south of the Taurus Mountains.

Through thick layers of clouds, which from above looked almost Arctic, we managed (at least I think so) to glimpse the mountain outlines. Beneath that cloudy “lid” stretched a rather monochrome yet surprisingly dynamic landscape, dotted with scattered settlements. The largest among them – Antalya – is a true metropolis, ending dramatically in steep seaside cliffs.

Among the endless rows of buses at the airport, finding the right one felt like an art form. Luckily, the coordinator kept things simple – “past the Ice Cream sign and all the way to the end” – discreetly leaving out just how far that actually was.

Our guide quickly made it clear that he doesn’t take himself too seriously. Even before the official briefing, he introduced himself with great solemnity: “My name is Haris. Allow me to show you something very important – I’m Montenegrin, but I love to work.” 😁👍

In the coming days, he will guide us through the moon-like landscapes of Cappadocia. More about this geological “anomaly” later… when the time is right. Before that, following Haris’s advice, we’ll treat ourselves to a welcome cocktail or two 🍹