Around 8 the alarm clock finally managed to get me out of bed, and I started the day with a hot shower and a hearty breakfast. With a full stomach I then set off, backpack on, in search of a supermarket to buy breakfast for the next few days. Of course I walked right past it and looked so touristy and lost that a Turkish man promptly spoke to me in English.
He was very friendly and led me to the supermarket and also to the nearest tram stop. He was also very keen to supply me with hashish for 15 lira. I declined, slipped him 10 lira and then disappeared into the tram.
A tram ticket costs 3 lira in Turkey and is not just valid for one ride or one day. So it is worth keeping the ticket. With the tram you can easily reach not only the bus station but also tourist attractions such as the museum in Antalya.
The nearby tram stop still forced me to walk a few metres before I reached the huge bus station. It consisted of several separate buildings with security checks at the entrances. I was scanned for metal objects and beeped like crazy but was simply waved through. The first place I headed for was the tourist information office, where I was told in English that I had to go to the other building if I wanted to get to Fethiye.
With my backpack shouldered and the next security check behind me, I asked for tickets at a counter, and the man asked whether I wanted to leave right away, which I naturally confirmed with a nod. He passed me on to the bus company next door, which relieved me of 18 TRY and informed me that the journey would take 3 1/2 hours.
Adventurous bus rides in Turkey
After boarding I immediately outed myself as a clueless German again, because I was sitting in the wrong seat. You are assigned a seat number on your ticket, and I had been put in the front row directly behind the driver. Next to me sat a young Turkish man with whom I tried to talk, but my Turkish was as good as his English, and so we sat next to each other in silence.
As we left the bus station, many Turks waved at us who wanted to load parcels onto the bus, and later whole families who climbed aboard the already full bus. In the middle of the three-lane road the bus stopped and let people get on. There were honking concerts again and again, but by now I know that this is simply the normal Turkish driving style. There seems to be an unwritten rule of the highway code that probably even requires honking in order to be allowed to take part in traffic.
The journey led on good roads through the still snow-covered mountains. I shivered at the mere sight and wondered what I had got myself into. It looked far too cold for hiking.
About every hour the bus stopped in a small town, in front of a small shop, for a quarter of an hour, during which many people rushed outside to smoke as many cigarettes as they could manage. Because of the breaks, the many people getting on and those getting off early, the journey took more than 4 hours, and every taxi driver in town seemed to want me as a passenger, but I only wanted to continue by bus.
My seat neighbour from the bus pulled me out of the crowd, placed me on a street corner and told me in broken English that I should wave when a bus drove past, and left me there alone. After half an hour the time had finally come and I was approaching my final destination – Ovacik.
GPS data for the stage
The bus driver told me where I had to get off and also roughly explained the way. After a few minutes I came to a toppled sign pointing to the trail. That depressed me a little. I thought this was the start and that I would not get a nicer photo than one of a bent-over sign. Fortunately that was not the case, and after a few metres I got my photo.
From here on the route followed a wide forest track that gradually became narrower and led uphill. Soon I had to climb past a wooden fence that apparently could not be opened. On the ascent you had a magnificent view of Ölüdeniz and its beach.
As it was already very late, I settled down at the first cistern and used the stony, uneven ground as my place to sleep. It was not comfortable, but the view was magnificent. A short but successful day of hiking.
