June 13: Enjoying a hike and the gulets.
Ah, this is the life. A day of hiking, swimming, snorkeling, and sailing on the Aegean seacoast. Ruins of buildings built thousands of years ago along the hiking path, ruins along the seashore and underwater. Turquoise water, warm and welcoming. Kayaks. Great food. Good conversation. This was a gem of a day.
We begin our hike in the cove of Aga Limani, across the bay from Gocek. The hike is part of the Lycian Way, a long-distance footpath in Turkey along the coast of ancient Lycia. We hike past Greco-Roman ruins, Lydian ruins, and end at the Lycian era Sunken Baths of Cleopatra. The hike took about 3 hours and was steep and rocky at times. We stop a lot to learn about the different trees and flowers and local history.
(Historical timeline: Kingdom of Lydia from 12-6th century BC, encompassing most of western Turkey; Lycia, around 1-2 BC, along the western coast of modern-day Turkey.)
Each gulet has a small motorboat to transport passengers from the gulet to the shore:
![motor boat motor boat](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131019-hike1sm.jpg)
The trails rises quickly and we see our gulets starting off. They will motor along the shore and pick us up at another spot at the end of our hike.
![first part of trail first part of trail](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131019-hike3sm.jpg)
Ruins of a house:
![ruins of a house ruins of a house](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131019-hike7sm.jpg)
This trail was once paved with large stones.
![old road old road](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131019-hike9sm.jpg)
Different types of trees and plants line the trail. Ali points out pomegranite trees, bay leaf trees, and herbs such as oregano and sage.
![trees trees](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131019-hike12sm.jpg)
This was once a church.
![ancient church ancient church](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131019-hike14sm.jpg)
See the tree growing out of the old structure:
![ancient church ancient church](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131019-hike15sm.jpg)
Andrea finds a donkey:
![donkey donkey](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131019-hike22sm.jpg)
A tortoise going into a tunnel in the old church:
![tortoise tortoise](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131019-hike23sm.jpg)
Here is where he was going:
![tunnel tunnel](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131019-hike25sm.jpg)
Coming up to a cistern:
![cistern cistern](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131019-hike31sm.jpg)
Inside the cistern:
![cistern cistern](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131019-hike32sm.jpg)
Ali has arranged for us to visit a family that lives in this rural area. They raise goats and the wife makes necklaces and goat-bells to sell to passers-by. Their daughter is home for the summer, but in the school year she lives with relatives near a city so she can attend a good school.
![rural home rural home](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike37sm.jpg)
They offer us refreshments. It is good to sit down out in the shade and enjoy the sage tea.
![rural home rural home](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike38sm.jpg)
They sell their crafts under a covered area.
![crafts crafts](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike40sm.jpg)
I bought a necklace:
![necklace necklace](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-necklace.jpg)
And a spoon made from olive wood:
![spoon spoon](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-spoon.jpg)
Our hike continues beneath these tall trees. They are kind of a feathery pine tree.
![hike hike](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike42sm.jpg)
A donkey peeks out of a goatherder's shed:
![donkey donkey](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike44sm.jpg)
The Lycian Way is waymarked with red and yellow stripes of paint.
![waymarks waymarks](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike46sm.jpg)
You can see the Aegean Sea in this photo. We climbed up pretty high. Ali tells us that Antony gave this part of the Lycian Way to Cleopatra as a gift, since the view is so beautiful.
![hike hike](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike47sm.jpg)
This is a strawberry tree. No, it doesn't produce strawberries, it just has bark that resembles the look of strawberries.
![strawberry tree strawberry tree](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike48sm.jpg)
Our group along the path:
![hike hike](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike57sm.jpg)
A view of the Aegean:
![Aegean Sea Aegean Sea](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike62sm.jpg)
Our gulets await us in a different cove from which we disembarked this morning. The ruins are the Sunken Baths of Cleopatra. We will have lunch on the gulet and then spend the afternoon swimming and snorkeling around these ruins.
![cove cove](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike67sm.jpg)
![cove cove](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike69sm.jpg)
![cove cove](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike73sm.jpg)
![cove cove](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike76sm.jpg)
The water is crystal clear:
![cove cove](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike79sm.jpg)
. . . and turquoise:
![cove cove](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike80sm.jpg)
Our motorboat coming to get us:
![cove cove](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike78sm.jpg)
And we are all set for a rest from the hike and an afternoon enjoying the Aegean Sea.
Navigation:
first Turkey post
next Turkey post
We begin our hike in the cove of Aga Limani, across the bay from Gocek. The hike is part of the Lycian Way, a long-distance footpath in Turkey along the coast of ancient Lycia. We hike past Greco-Roman ruins, Lydian ruins, and end at the Lycian era Sunken Baths of Cleopatra. The hike took about 3 hours and was steep and rocky at times. We stop a lot to learn about the different trees and flowers and local history.
(Historical timeline: Kingdom of Lydia from 12-6th century BC, encompassing most of western Turkey; Lycia, around 1-2 BC, along the western coast of modern-day Turkey.)
Each gulet has a small motorboat to transport passengers from the gulet to the shore:
![motor boat motor boat](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131019-hike1sm.jpg)
The trails rises quickly and we see our gulets starting off. They will motor along the shore and pick us up at another spot at the end of our hike.
![first part of trail first part of trail](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131019-hike3sm.jpg)
Ruins of a house:
![ruins of a house ruins of a house](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131019-hike7sm.jpg)
This trail was once paved with large stones.
![old road old road](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131019-hike9sm.jpg)
Different types of trees and plants line the trail. Ali points out pomegranite trees, bay leaf trees, and herbs such as oregano and sage.
![trees trees](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131019-hike12sm.jpg)
This was once a church.
![ancient church ancient church](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131019-hike14sm.jpg)
See the tree growing out of the old structure:
![ancient church ancient church](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131019-hike15sm.jpg)
Andrea finds a donkey:
![donkey donkey](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131019-hike22sm.jpg)
A tortoise going into a tunnel in the old church:
![tortoise tortoise](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131019-hike23sm.jpg)
Here is where he was going:
![tunnel tunnel](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131019-hike25sm.jpg)
Coming up to a cistern:
![cistern cistern](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131019-hike31sm.jpg)
Inside the cistern:
![cistern cistern](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131019-hike32sm.jpg)
Ali has arranged for us to visit a family that lives in this rural area. They raise goats and the wife makes necklaces and goat-bells to sell to passers-by. Their daughter is home for the summer, but in the school year she lives with relatives near a city so she can attend a good school.
![rural home rural home](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike37sm.jpg)
They offer us refreshments. It is good to sit down out in the shade and enjoy the sage tea.
![rural home rural home](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike38sm.jpg)
They sell their crafts under a covered area.
![crafts crafts](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike40sm.jpg)
I bought a necklace:
![necklace necklace](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-necklace.jpg)
And a spoon made from olive wood:
![spoon spoon](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-spoon.jpg)
Our hike continues beneath these tall trees. They are kind of a feathery pine tree.
![hike hike](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike42sm.jpg)
A donkey peeks out of a goatherder's shed:
![donkey donkey](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike44sm.jpg)
The Lycian Way is waymarked with red and yellow stripes of paint.
![waymarks waymarks](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike46sm.jpg)
You can see the Aegean Sea in this photo. We climbed up pretty high. Ali tells us that Antony gave this part of the Lycian Way to Cleopatra as a gift, since the view is so beautiful.
![hike hike](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike47sm.jpg)
This is a strawberry tree. No, it doesn't produce strawberries, it just has bark that resembles the look of strawberries.
![strawberry tree strawberry tree](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike48sm.jpg)
Our group along the path:
![hike hike](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike57sm.jpg)
A view of the Aegean:
![Aegean Sea Aegean Sea](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike62sm.jpg)
Our gulets await us in a different cove from which we disembarked this morning. The ruins are the Sunken Baths of Cleopatra. We will have lunch on the gulet and then spend the afternoon swimming and snorkeling around these ruins.
![cove cove](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike67sm.jpg)
![cove cove](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike69sm.jpg)
![cove cove](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike73sm.jpg)
![cove cove](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike76sm.jpg)
The water is crystal clear:
![cove cove](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike79sm.jpg)
. . . and turquoise:
![cove cove](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike80sm.jpg)
Our motorboat coming to get us:
![cove cove](http://www.pfeist.net/blog/media/1/thumbnail_20131020-hike78sm.jpg)
And we are all set for a rest from the hike and an afternoon enjoying the Aegean Sea.
Navigation:
first Turkey post
next Turkey post
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