To Turkey and Back Again

Wow, the past week has been quite the adventure. Last Sunday in the early morning Darian Harnish, Emily Harnish and myself set out to the airport. We arrived to Tel Aviv three hours before our flight departed and it took 2.5 of them to get through security and make it to our gate. The airport workers did not like that we had traveled to Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. So we got asked many questions and got labeled a 6. That is the highest number on their security system. A 6 means that everything in our check luggege and carry ons get taken out and searched. They run a stick with a cloth on the end over everything and analyze it, checking for explosive residue. A 6 also means that we get taken to a back room and "strip searched." Which pretty much meant I had to take of my jacket and they patted me down. Not as intense as it sounds. But after finally deciding that we were innocent travelers they led us through all the other security stops and we made it to our gate just in time for the final call.

The flight was uneventful and we made it to Turkey in about an hour. Arriving in Antalya was phenomenal. Antalya is a port city on the Southern coast of Turkey. There are snow capped mountains in the distance. It was quite lovely. Our hotel was about a minutes walk from the coast line. However, to get to the old city and marina it was about a 2 hour walk. Which we did three of the four days we were there. The third day we walked about 2 hours in the other direction to see the waterfalls off the coast it was so amazing. The entire coastline is lined with public parks and pathways. It was wonderful to walk there each day. Also each night we were in Turkey we watched the sunset over the snow capped mountains, just beyond the Mediterranean Sea. Such a sight to behold. 4 days in Turkey were not enough, but very enjoyable. I am so glad that I went.

The Duden Waterfalls.


The sun setting over the snow capped mountains.

The coastline of Antalya from a lookout near our hotel.

We returned to Jerusalem on Thursday and stayed at a newly opened hostel just outside the Old City. We relaxed there for 3 days before rejoining the group at Ecce Homo convent.

It was a very wonderful and relaxing week. That's all for now!

Much love,
Allison