Day 42 to 53: Kuşadası, Dilek Peninsula, Didyma

Leaving Selçuk was like leaving a newly known friend for me. I saluted it with the promise in my heart to come back and went on.

My next stop was Kuşadası(BirdIsland). It is a well known touristic summer spot within us. During all my life I listened about Kuşadası from people who went or from people who have friends going or living there. I've seen its photographes many times. But still didn't know so much about it. Of course my two day visit won't be enough to know it but even only to se it with my own eyes was something for me.

Kuşadası

Kuşadası is a touristic Aegean town with a city life. It rises through the hills which are looking to Aegean Sea. Its most populated and touristic part is, of course, the sea line. It has a long sea line with pedestrian way and road ending at its symbol, The Pigeon Island.

The Pigeon Island

The every minute of the day crowded Old Bazaar location, the shopping centers and the bar's street are also on the sea line. For me the mostly unknown thing about Kuşadası was that it has a very busy cruise harbour. There is at least one cruise ship is coming everyday. But this time, it was more than a cruise ship..!

US Navy

If you follow the sea line, passing this city part, you come to The Pigeon Island. This Island has a castle on it. Actually, the island is the castle. It is now connected to sea line with a walking way. Unfortunatelly, the castle was under restoration for two years. But at least I was able to shoot a Kuşadası photo from the sea.

If you continue walking from the sea line, you will have good views of the bays and beaches next to Kuşadası. The famous one is Women's Sea.

The Women's Sea

Two days at Kuşadası was enough for me. I've learned lots of new things about it. Although it is not a place I would like to live but was nice to meet. So I left.

Dilek Peninsula National Park

Dilek Peninsula was my short stop before Didim. Dilek Peninsula and The Delta of Big Menderes are under protection and together form a national park. Only Dilek Peninsula is 27.675 hectares. It has three beaches at the nothern side which are famous with their cleanest Aegean water , a canyon to pass from nothern side to south, ruins of two antique cities. The peninsula is also home to 33 species of endemic, 13 species of rare endemic plants within total. More 250 species of birds are living at the area and 70 of them breed at the delta. It is formaly said that the peninsula is also home to anatolian leopard whose last member is known to be killed at Diyarbakır at 2013. Since then, there is no evidence to prove that they are still living.

from web

The national park is only available for daily visit. You are not allowed to camp in it. The gates are closing at 4pm at the afternoon and the ones that are inside are expected to leave soon. Because of this, it wasn't a satisfied visit for me as I didn't have a car and the peninsula is big. I only could visit the beach side as the minibus road was passing only from this part. But I really would like to come here again. Maybe with a bike! I stayed the night in Güzelçamlı which is the nearest accommodation posibility and continued to Didim the next day.

Didim was also a stopby as Kuşadası but things changed a little. My plan was visiting Didyma, The Apollon Temple, also visit old family firends and continue to Pamukkale. But the stay which I've planned for two nights became six nights. My hesitations about passing to Milas before Pamukkale, a light flue and posibility to swim maybe for the last time this year with the hospitality of old knowns created the lenght. It was good to strenghten old relationships.

Didyma

Didyma is where the Apollon Temple is. To see this temple was important for me. Because it was built as the twin of the Artemis Temple in Selçuk. You may remember its photos. It was imposible to imagine how it was as there weren't many left. But most of the Apollon Temple was still standing. It would definetely give me an idea about how was it feeling like to be at a temple of paganism.
The effect started while climbing the steps and passing between the huge colon legs. Only three of them are still stanging but the feet of the others are also there. So you tremble. The greatness of the building takes you at the beginning. I was ready to be a pagan at the first second:)

You climb the stairs, pass the colons and reach in the temple from two narrow sloped tunnels each side. The temple has no roof. It never had. They built it this was to strenghten the effect of its glory and to keep the connection with the sky. This temple was a prophecy temple and oracle priests were living here. This is why the temple has no roof. There is a well athe heart where there was a fountain at its age. Well, I was in front of a well at the heart of a paganist prophecy temple. I rolled a coin in it with a wish.

The Apollon Temple