Gönüllerin Şehri Konya (The City of Hearts)
We arrive in Konya, after a bus ride of about 200 miles. Konya is a beautiful city. It is very modern, busy, and has great scenery and a lot to offer.
Our hotel is the Hotel Sems in Konya. Such a nice city, there wasn't much time spent in the hotel room, as it was a great city for exploring and seeing everything there is to see. I think if I could only return to one destination from this tour, it would be Konya.
My favorite picture of the whole tour came while walking back to the hotel with the moon rising in the distance. I've given it top billing below.
Day 8. We are off to Antalya after one night in Konya.
Modern Konya'ya Geliyoruz (We arrive in modern Konya)
Day 7 - continued. With a blast to the past, a visit to the Tomb of Rumi.
Tomb of Rumi
Rumi was buried in Konya 750 years ago. Originally this was a dervish lodge, but it was outlawed in 1926. The lodge was turned into the Mevlânâ Museum (Mevlânâ Müzesi). Rumi is still popular to this day and there were a ton of visitors to this museum. One of the best things about this stop on the tour is the fantastic pictures that can be taken in and around the gardens and ancient, but well-maintained, buildings.
Dinner on our own
For tonight, dinner was just a small, freshly made sandwich from a small deli/bakery right on the busy main street. It was fun to sit there on a bench on the sidewalk and watch all of the crowds of people going by. It was mostly a young crowd, and everyone was really having a great time. And the sandwich was great!
bir durak daha (Just one more stop) in scenic Konya before we take off for Antalya.
Day 8 - Farmer's Market - Aspendos Ruins and Ancient Theater - Arrival at Antalya
Hey! A Mosque!
A mosque was open while we were walking to the farmer's market. This was a quick visit. Some of the guys in the group popped in for a peak and a picture. The women couldn't go in without a scarf, but it was an attractive mosque from the outside. In this picture you can see the group mingling out in front.
Farmer's Market
We walk from the hotel to an incredible farmer's market. Once again, Konya does not disappoint. A crazy market with more food than you'll ever see in one place. Jump on in and don't be afraid to buy anything that catches your eye. Lots of opportunities to try some fresh produce and buy some snacks for the road trip.
That way to Antalya!
The signs let us know Arif (our bus driver) was on the right track. Yaren kept us entertained by serenading the group with the song by They Might be Giants -" Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" and some of us who knew the song joined in with her.
Another pit stop along the way.
Always nice to get out off the bus and stretch your legs. While we were stopped here, one member of our group had a scare, a lost cell phone, but Yaren to the rescue! Yaren realized the cell phone was probably in the money belt - apparently a common mistake. Everyone was relieved and we headed back out on the road.
If you were wondering where to buy a pink flamingo...
Another market along the way! The scenery and life on the roadside never gets old or boring.
Lunch
magara dinlinme tesisleri served a hot and fresh lunch to the entire group. Lunch was on your own, but this is where the bus stopped for lunch, so you had a choice of two different plates at a flat cost. Yaren bought some Turkish Delight for everyone in the group. I took full advantage of the offer and enjoyed a few pieces. The whole group ate together, and we went back on the road to Antalya. The Taurus Mountains made the lunch enjoyable, and the bus ride ahead was even better!
I look like I'm starting to go crazy!
I'm enjoying lunch in the mountains, and no, I'm not going crazy, I promise.
Drive through the Taurus Mountains
It was a nice ride through the Taurus Mountains, and I don't think we had a single case of motion sickness on the bus. The scenery was great! Even though we were climbing up high in the mountains, we still passed up a number of mosques. And you can add another eco-system to the list of climates and natural environments we visited on this tour.
Aspendos Ruins and Ancient Theater
The bus ride through the Taurus Mountains ended and we were back on level ground as the bus pulled into the Aspendos ruins. This was our first chance to view ruins in Turkey on this tour, and it was a great introduction to what was to come later on the tour.
Gallery of Pictures #1
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Some of my favorite pictures from Konya divided into two galleries, scroll down to see the second gallery of pictures...