Day 3: Antalya to Belek

After a richTurkish breakfast it was time to finally start cycling!

On the way out of Antalya, I found the last missing items to survive: a gas cartridge for my camping stove and a valve adapter to inflate my tyres.

I headed eastward along the coast. The coast here is called the Turkish Riviera or Turquoise Coast. Tourism and its offshoots account for 40% of the provincial GDP. And that is visible. Resorts, hotels, entertainment parks, cafes, restaurants, shopping malls, outlet centers, amusement parks....

The amount and density is one thing, their style another. It felt like cycling kilometers along 1001 Night, Venice and other impressive palatial styles. All of it imitation, full of gaudiness and kitsch. In terms of marketing, the replicas of palaces and famous places work. These concepts attract millions of people's curiosity and interest!  

A few examples of the names: Titanic Mardan Palace. Topkapi Palace, right next to the Kremlin Palace. Delphin Imperial. All guarded as gated communities. On Komoot the diverse pools and paths of the resorts were drawn on the map, as in a public park....

My humble place is called Acropolis Medusa Otel. No hint of Acropolis, Medusa or anything Greek to be found nearby... 

Besides luxury resorts there are many greenhouses. Tomatoes, peppers,  strawberries... sometimes with an amusement park in the background. Agriculture generates another important share of income here.

 

Tomorrow it's time to flee into the mountains :-)