Welcome to Turkey

1 December 2010

Well, here we begin the final month of 2010. I am beginning it in my fourth country to live in within four months. How is that for an impressive, or exhausting feet? This first of December I opened my eyes in Antalya, Turkey. (I actually opened them for the first time here on the 30th of November, but the day is but a very bazaar haze, so I am discounting it on premise of travel-brain inefficiency). Anyway, this morning was a beautiful morning in Antalya – however, I began the day in a bit of a jet-lagged, antibiotic-laden, pms delirium. Panic! I somehow managed to yoga, coffee and shower it away and continued my day with renewed vim and vigor. I walked down to the center of town, past alluring shoe shops, and other such consumer paraphernalia. I walked down to the cliffs where the land meets the sea and stared mesmerized out at the sparkling water – as the sun hit the surface just ever so glamorously. I strolled back into town, past ancient city gates and city wall fortifications that rival being some of the oldest structures I have ever laid eyes on.

Insights so far are brief and perhaps quite uninspiring – but here is one of my favorite things about Antalya thus far. There is a comical amount of cats and dogs that roam around the city. Yes, while they may be stray street creatures, they definitely do not act like any stray street creature that I have ever met. Instead of the feeble, skin and bone strays that I am use to seeing in Oman and Mexico - these are nicely fed and incredibly friendly! The dogs; goldens, labs, and a wide variety of mutty mixes will run right up to you – give you a wiggle and a smile, let you scratch him behind the ears and off he goes on a new smelling adventure. The greatest thing is the city catches them, spay and neuters them, makes sure they are healthy, then gives them a lovely plastic earing and releases them back on the streets to carry on with their carefree existence. Many shops have water dishes outside their doors where the dogs stop for a a brief refresher. You often see a pack of dogs of all shapes and sizes lounging about in parks that are littered up and down the coast. This afternoon while walking down a busy street, the dog that I had just parted ways with was rolling on it's back in the green grass of the median... it's a wonder they don't get hit, but they seem to look both ways and have a keen respect for the oncoming traffic.
As the cars are concerned, they are everywhere like squirrels. They weave their way in and out of restaurants and busily walking legs. If you give them a bit to nibble on they will reward the favor by curling up on your lap and purring themselves to sleep while you type on your computer at the nice little coffee shop down the street that offers free wifi... :-) The people seem to love their cuddly street creatures and respect and and pet them, perhaps even unconsciously, as they go about their day – letting their hands rest upon a furry head at a cross walk, or dropping a piece of food under their table as they are out for lunch.

While I will try my best not to invite any of these charming Mediterranean critters into my sixth floor apartment home (which has an elevator by the way), I make no promises. Either way, they make the perfect addition to this gorgeous Turkish city and are a welcome surprise as I have long missed the feel of fur gracing my fingertips.