It was a 15 minute walk to the metro station, and then almost an hour on the subway, running the full line from Kadikoy to the airport.
We got off the metro and made our way up to the terminal. The gates where you enter the terminal is the exact spot where we got scammed when we arrived in Istanbul a week ago. We walked past the machines where you buy the transportation passes, and I had a look around for the same guy who had "helped" us the week before.
And there he was!
He was leaning against the wall, about twenty meters away from the machines on the opposite side. Just waiting for another unsuspecting tourist to "assist".
All kinds of thoughts went through my mind as to how I could try to get my 500 lira back, and maybe get him arrested in the process. I almost went and confronted him. Ruth cautioned against it, and even though I took a few steps in his direction, I changed my mind. A situation like that could get out of control, and it wasn't worth the headache. Ten years ago I might have done something rash. I must be getting wiser in my old age!
Pegasus Airlines is a major Turkish discount airline. In fact, they are the same airline that we will be flying with when we go from Antalya to Paris on May 1st. They have one of the best on-time performance rates of any discount airline in the world.
And, our flights from Istanbul to Antalya cost only €51 ($54 USD, $75 CAD) each including the extra that we paid for a checked bag and extra legroom seats in the first row!
SAW airport is the Pegasus hub, with a lot of their planes on the ground.
They have 110 airplanes in their fleet, so they are a pretty big operator.
And yes, our hour and twenty minute flight departed and arrived exactly on time.
Outside Antalya airport, we tried to figure out the public buses. But it looked like it only arrived every hour, and then it would be another hour in the bus to get to the central area. However, they also have a fairly new tram line at the airport as well, and it looked easier.
We couldn't figure out how to buy tickets. One sign said you had to go back inside the terminal, so I left Ruth with our stuff and I went back in alone. I found someone who looked "official" and asked. Their English wasn't very good, but I understood that I was able to "tap" with a credit card when you enter the tram.
So that's what we did. It definitely let us onto the tram, and we made our way to the center. However, any kind of a charge has yet to show up on our statement so we have no idea how much we paid... if anything!
(Edit: It turns out that all public transportation in Antalya was totally free for the three day holiday on April 10, 11, and 12!)
Arrived at our Airbnb apartment. We had a tough time getting something at a reasonable price. I know, we are somewhat spoiled by prices in SE Asia, but we've been to Antalya before and prices have definitely gone up. We chose a central location that was more money than something on the outskirts, but without a car we decided that this would be better.
It's a studio apartment. Really nicely set up though, and larger than a typical studio. We even have a little outdoor space. And the host is helpful and friendly.
Comfy computer chairs!
And a comfy bed!
The bathroom is tiny, and looks a bit like a jail cell. But it'll do!
We've booked in for seven nights, at €38 ($41 USD, $56 CAD) per night. With real estate, location is everything and we are right in the center of Antalya, just over half a kilometer from Hadrian's Gate.
We've been to Antalya twice before, once for a full month, so we know our way around. We are here mainly because it's been two years since Ruth's last eye appointment, and she has a tear in one retina that we need to keep an eye on... lol. Our ophthalmologist is located here... the guy who did our refractive lens exchange surgery back in December of 2020. We trust him totally, and prefer to come here for anything related to vision.
Ruth also has another (hopefully minor) issue she wants to have looked at by another type of specialist. More details on that when we know more ourselves.
And the weather here is perfect! I checked the forecast, and it says "abundant sunshine"! A little warm today and tomorrow at 29C (84F), but after all the hot stuff we survived in SE Asia, 29C is just fine.
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Amazon Fire TV Stick is on sale at a decent price.
And in Canada...
lucky you
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