On the first weekend in June we went on our last class trip with our school here in Istanbul. We travelled to the Antalya region, in the south of Turkey on the Mediterranean. We left the school at 8pm on a Thursday night and slept on the bus overnight while we travelled. The entire drive took about 10 hours to get from Istanbul to Antalya – a very sleepless and uncomfortable 10 hours!
Our first stop was a waterfall not too far from the city of Antalya. It was aside the Mediterranean and had a beautiful view of the city along the coast behind it. We stopped there for some photos for about 20 minutes before heading on. Our next stop was an ancient theatre that is still used today for productions such as plays and ballets. The theatre seats about 15,000 people and dates from the middle of the 2nd century A.D. While we were there they were setting up the stage for a new production that was to start in a couple of weeks. The theatre was 
undergoing several renovations to ensure that its seats were sufficient to accommodate the crowds attending the shows. However, the guide - entirely in Turkish of course! – explained the various seating areas that were used in Roman times. Throne-like seats for the nobles around the stage, and waaaaaay in the back of the theatre, single rooms for the prostitutes “entertaining” during the shows! Regardless of the history involved, the students were fairly bored during out stop there – that is until they noticed the gladiator on the landing above us! There was this great big BEAR of a man dressed as a Roman gladiator that was obviously there for photo opportunities! We definitely took advantage of him being there and took some funny photos there!
undergoing several renovations to ensure that its seats were sufficient to accommodate the crowds attending the shows. However, the guide - entirely in Turkish of course! – explained the various seating areas that were used in Roman times. Throne-like seats for the nobles around the stage, and waaaaaay in the back of the theatre, single rooms for the prostitutes “entertaining” during the shows! Regardless of the history involved, the students were fairly bored during out stop there – that is until they noticed the gladiator on the landing above us! There was this great big BEAR of a man dressed as a Roman gladiator that was obviously there for photo opportunities! We definitely took advantage of him being there and took some funny photos there! Next, we went to the site of the Apollo Temple, where not much is left of the ruins other than a few of the pillars and some stones. When standing there however, you can imagine wh
at the temple would have been like in its entirety – large narrow pillars making up the walls with a fantastic view of the Mediterranean Sea! There were quite a few tourists visiting the area while we were there – and it is quite a stunning location – but sadly, our students were more concerned about getting to the hotel pool than they were the historical significance of what they were experiencing! Go figure! THANKFULLY it would be several more hours before they were to get their wish!!
at the temple would have been like in its entirety – large narrow pillars making up the walls with a fantastic view of the Mediterranean Sea! There were quite a few tourists visiting the area while we were there – and it is quite a stunning location – but sadly, our students were more concerned about getting to the hotel pool than they were the historical significance of what they were experiencing! Go figure! THANKFULLY it would be several more hours before they were to get their wish!!Our next stop was the ancient city of Phaselis, an important trading city founded in about the 7th century B.C.E. Not much remains of the city other than some small ruins, however, the ruins are such that you can still make out the various rooms and mosaics that decorated them throughout the city. And the main road that travelled through the city itself is still distinguishable, which helped a little!
Lunch followed Phaselis, at this restaurant that our tour guide insisted was next to this “great waterfall” – imagine our surprise when we pull into the parking lot and see a thin pipe sticking out of the rock face with water gushing through it!! I immediately thought “this guy
has GOT to be kidding!” Thankfully, that was NOT the “waterfall” that we had been promised! Walking through the centre of the kitchen area, we were amazed to come outside to the sound of rushing water – we were eating in the midst of a waterfall! And not a small one either – a wide and rushing waterfall! It was probably the coolest place I’ve ever eaten at abroad yet! Each “table” was low to the ground and had cushions surrounding it instead of chairs. Everyone sat in groups around the tables and marvelled at the beauty around us – it was so peaceful! All you could hear were the birds and the sounds of the waterfall... it was stunning!
has GOT to be kidding!” Thankfully, that was NOT the “waterfall” that we had been promised! Walking through the centre of the kitchen area, we were amazed to come outside to the sound of rushing water – we were eating in the midst of a waterfall! And not a small one either – a wide and rushing waterfall! It was probably the coolest place I’ve ever eaten at abroad yet! Each “table” was low to the ground and had cushions surrounding it instead of chairs. Everyone sat in groups around the tables and marvelled at the beauty around us – it was so peaceful! All you could hear were the birds and the sounds of the waterfall... it was stunning! 
From there we went to the site of the ancient city of OLYMPOS which sits within the mountains and is surrounded by farm land and beaches. The Turks claim to have little information about the city itself, however it apparently dates from the 2nd century B.C.E and being a rich commercial city, was of greater importance than Phaselis. Of course, the students were more interested in getting to the beach than they were in the historical ruins, so as they scurried off to the water, Morgan and I decided to explore the site ourselves. (Thankfully, since we had paid for the trip, we did not have to act as chaperones!) I was really impressed with this site because much of it was almost covered by the growth of the woods surrounding it. Over time, the vegetation around the site has grown to give it an almost “Secret Garden” feeling – where, once you step off the main road, you feel as if you’ve stepped into another world entirely... It was so peaceful because there was hardly anyone in the ruins with us – strangely enough, most of the tourists there had a similar inkling to the students and made their way to the beach rather than walk the ruins.... weird! Using the ancient wa
terway as a path, we walked through tombs where sarcophagi are still intact, ruins of houses and alleys... it was incredible! There were even large pieces of mosaics that you could see lying within some of the ruins – you could make out the pattern that had been on the floor at one time. We did manage to make our way (albeit slowly!) to the waterfront where our colleagues and students were and went for a short dip in the water before heading to the hotel! The hotel itself was lovely – a resort-style complex with a large pool in the centre. The weather during our stay was incredible, so we were very lucky in that sense. And although the trip itself was short, we had a nice relaxing time and enjoyed the sites we were able to see.
Upon returning to Istanbul, we spent the next week preparing ourselves to leave the city and return home... Although our experiences within the school were not always positive, it was with a heavy heart that we had to say goodbye to some of our colleagues and friends there. To the few that took us under their wing and guided us and supported us throughout this trying year – we truly thank you. You were a great asset to us over the last year and have become even greater friends than we could have hoped for. We will truly miss you and working with you every day, and we wish you all the best for the future! To those back home – I cant wait to see you when we return!
Much love, Christine xoxo
