Turkey Trip (part 4 : Egirdir)

Egirdir is an idyllic lake community surrounded by mountains. The water was so clear you could see the bottom of the lake when the water was over your head. The food here was delicious… especially at a little place called Melodie (even if the service there sucked). The town was mostly filled with vacationing Turks, there was only a few people around who spoke English which was refreshing, to feel like a real foreigner… not just a tourist.

When we got there we walked a mile and a half from the bus station to our hotel. The hotel had an absolutely beautiful view out our balcony. The town has 2 small islands connected by a road to the mainland. We stayed on the island furthest out into the water.

The next morning we walked into town where there was some sort of open-air flea market thing going on. There were gigantic vats of cheese, fish everywhere, toys of an odd nature and bottles of Pantine that after being purchased clearly did not contain Pantine.

We ate something a little funky and Rachel got sick, with me following suit the next day. We spent some time trying to find Pepto Bismol for a while and failed. I was walking around with my shirt off to go swimming and locals showed off their English skills by yelling, “White!” and laughing. I guess pale people are amusing to Turks.

The last night there the insects came out cause the temp increased and the wind slowed down, so this truck drove around spraying the nastiest throat gagging chemicals into the air. The bugs however would swarm around the streetlights, making the light itself look alive.

There was to be a triathlon the day after we left so by the last day there were a lot of European people running, swimming and cycling around the island. There was also a large military presence as there was a hill upon which kommandos were trained.

To be honest we didn’t do much, but outside of the sick feeling it was the most relaxed section of the vacation.