April 12: A Day at the Beach (Dilke Ntnl Park)

Since we had nothing more pressing to do, we decided to sort out the pebbles on the beach, first by size, and then by colour.

 

Today really felt like a vacation.  We dawdled over getting ready to go out, then had a relatively trouble-free trip to Dilek Peninsula National Park.  This park was set up to protect the last of the Anatolian wild horses and what our guide book refers to as the “rare” Anatolian cheetah, although a poster in the park suggests that the last cheetah was shot in 1974.  We spent a couple of hours on the beach, watching an acrobatic cormorant, and could practically have walked to Samos across the flat turquoise water.  The stones on the beach were amazing, and we could see the harbour where the Athenian navy once stood guard in the Fifth Century BCE. 

Since this park is as close to the natural landscape of the area as possible, and home to many native and endangered species, it was easy to imagine Pythagorus walking down a similar beach, or Alexander the Great travelling down the same path we took through the mountain canyon, seeing much the same sights as we enjoyed today,

After two beach visits and a hike, we went to visit one of the many Zeus caves dotted around the Mediterranean, this one where he reportedly brought young ladies for nefarious purposes, and then struggled up a goat path to see Panionion, the place where the Ionian League met. 

We drove through Kuşadasi, a busy city with apparently no traffic rules, and were glad to return to the charm of Selçuk.  We had some lovely mezes (appetizers) and my favourite Turkish fast food, pide which we ate while watching the neighbourhood storks making leisurely trips back to feed the kids.  Now we are enjoying the early evening in our hotel room, since we have a long day tomorrow:  the trip to Bergama to see Pergamon!

Click "Read More" to see our pictures.

 

Our first picture of the day:  looking down the beach towards Samos.

Ian was just saying he hadn't seen much life in the water, when this guy decided to show the flag.  This is taken through about two feet of incredibly clear water.

As we walked between the almost sheer walls on either side of the canyon, we were delighted to find the occasional pink almond tree blooming amongst the pines.

We followed this stream as we walked up through the canyon.

The beginning of the road through the pine forest.

Zeus' den of iniquity.