On the morning we came into Antalya, Turkey, part of our excursion for the day had been updated to “STRENUOUS.” Hmmm…….I took one look at those mountains and thought maybe it would be better for me to sit this one out and just enjoy a sea day and the view! As we had no official “sea days” on our month long cruise (because our destinations each day were so close together) this would work out perfect for me. So, hubby went on along with my fervent instructions. I needed door and  walk photos to fulfill my obligations to challenges! Ha Ha!  Here was my view…….

and here was hubby’s. If you would like to read how he got here, look HERE. His view was higher and much higher and included an Indiana Jones adventure to get to this spot. The Ancient City of Termessos must have been huge ……What is left is great piles of stone, with some of the various buildings still intact, after all these years. Hubby had stopped the previous adventure here at the library ………and now moving higher…..

looked on to more of the gyms………

The City is also an Unesco World Heritage Site and offers not only interesting architectural ruins, but lots of trees, plants and wildlife in this mountainous terrain.

This was why the trail was marked strenuous. It required an hour’s worth of hard walking on this trail (what trail?)  before you got to any official ruin.

Going on up……….

From here you could look down and see the road you came in on before the walking began.

Daisies and Scotch Thistle…….along the trail…..

There were sign posts, so you wouldn’t miss the important sites………….

such as the City Drainage System.

and the aqueduct system. There would be no way you were walking to the valley to get water everyday!

There were big water drainage systems too….

And little ones…….watch your step………

and leftover stones and earthworks everywhere.

Finally, the sign to the theatre, still walking higher and higher……

to reach the mountain top theater. What a view!

I don’t know what would have been better: looking down or up or at the stage!

I do know, I would not have sat close to this opening!

What goes up must also come down………An earthquake took out most of the city, heavily damaging the aqueduct systems.  Left it in rubble. Where did the surviving people go?

It is time for those hardy folks, from the ship, to come back down the mountain as well. Watch Your Step!

Everyone, who had decided to continue up the mountain, after they got there, and saw what they were dealing with, made it safely down. Then, they were off for some tamer activities. We’ll start there next time!

I’ve included this for Jo’s Monday Walk, because I know Jo would have loved this, especially the theater views! Cady