Hiking in Alanya

On Friday I saw this.  In person.  Details follow.

The breathtaking Ali Bridge

Yes, on Friday, Alan drank an extra cup of coffee and took on both kids for the day so that I could go on a full day hiking excursion with the students.   Ten or so of the students, Colleen (students RA), Bryan (history prof) and his family, including his visiting brother, sister-in-law and son, also went.  A local geography teacher, who belongs to a trekking group and knows Nese, acted as our guide.

We loaded up at 8:45 and drove about about an hour and a half northwest to a small village outside of Manavgat for two hikes separated by a sack lunch.  First we set out for the Alara Castle, which is not on the typical tourist circuit.   (Indeed, no one else, other than the local farmers who live at the foot, were there). When we arrived, I found out why.  It is at the top of this "hill."

Looking up, way up, at Alara Castle

View from the top, the Med in the distant
background

I was a little shocked when I saw this, especially when our guide pulled out his trekking poles and all I had on was my jeans and "hiking" sneakers, but I was there and was feeling confident given that I have been lugging around a 35 pound two year old for 3 months.   Ended up the hike was difficult, damn difficult. Crawling on hands and knees difficult.  But, I made it, and the views at the top were remarkable.   The ruins themselves were in a lot of disrepair   However part of the covered stone staircase up the side of the mountain was passable and hiking up those steep, crumbled steps with our small flashlights gave a glimpse of times long past.

Staircase to Alara Castle

Peaceful path to Ali Bridge

 After hiking/sliding down and lunch, we took a quick 20 minute ride to a different trail head and disembarked for what our guide promised was a much easier "walk" to a bridge.  Now if the Alara Castle was off the beaten path, this destination was off the map, literally.  I can't find anything on line about it other than a 2007 local news article relating to tourism prospects.  And thank God for its anonymity, because we were treated to pure untrampled woods and sections famed Silk Road marked our way.

And, as if that was not enough, at the end of the 2 mile hike we were rewarded with the Ali Koprusu (bridge), which, as a testament to its lack of tourist exposure and general seclusion, was covered in a soft layer of green moss and surrounded by olive trees laden with dark, ripe fruit.  According to the one article I did find, this magnificent bridge dates from 1250 and was part of the Silk Road during the Seljuk period.  With the rushing blue Alara River below us, I seriously felt like I was in a J.R.R. Tolkien novel. 

My attempt at an I-Phone panoramic showing the beautiful
Ali Bridge

We got home at about 5:30.  Awesome day but I was very sore the day after. - Kelly