Random dinner. From left to right: David (aussie), Pehr,
Kemal (bookstore owner) and Will (kiwi).
I guess this blog started out as a normal travel blog, to update friends and family, but the more I write the more I realize that the blog will be great for myself in the future: to remember and reminisce. Therefore I reckon my focus still will be on Iran, even though I'm now in Turkey, so that I can get as much as possible on paper while my memory is still fresh.
However, I'll mention a little what I've been doing and will do. I'm now in Antalya and have been here for two nights now. I was supposed to go to Cappadocia but I realized that I would'nt have time so I went straight here instead, and tonight I will head to Istanbul.
Antalya is beautiful but very touristic. I met an aussie at my hotel that I hung out with the first day and yesterday we went White Water Rafting together about two hours north of Antalya. Awesome river and mountainious scenery but not as thrilling as it sounds.
When we came back to the hotel we met up with another guy from the hotel and set out for dinner. On our way to town we stumbled upon one of the most interesting caracters I've ever met. The man owns a bookstore in the old city (Kaleici) where he only sells used books for travelers. Its useless to even try to describe him, lets just say he likes books and wine (there is an interview with him in the Lonely Planet Turkey, for the interested). Anyways, he was about to buy food (and wine) so we followed him to the local butcher where we got a piece of beef each and then went to his bookstore - which is also his home. We cooked the meat with safran rise, fresh bread and a tomato salad, and refurnished his bookstore to a dining room just by the street. We ate and drank till one in the morning and invited surprised people who went by. An awesome end to the day and a future great memory of Antalya.
Today me and aussie are going to spend the day at the beach and then, at 7 pm my bus leaves for Istanbul - 12hours of pleasure. In istanbul I will stay with this couchsurfer that Hossein (the guy whos couch I surfed in Tehran) recommended, at least for the two first days.
