After two years staying in a country. I'm glad that I'm off the grid. Away from home, work, busy city life..... yea... 5000++ miles away from home.
I was in the middle of boring life where I feel I'm sick of routines, busy Jakarta life, and flat feeling of work life. So I took my annual leave just to have a break and not even decide where to go. Until 4 days before the leave days, I decided to flew to Turkey since that the only country that open border, no need visa, no quarantine, no PCR test requirement, no, no, no, nothing.
So, let me tell you my favorite part of the trip......
1. VAN LIFE
I did not expect that my first van life experience will be in Turkey. So me and Alp decide to have a road trip with camper van, driving from Istanbul and finish in Antalya. Oh gosh! I can't imagine if I can survive or not, 1500++km drive excluding the hiking walk distance is another experience for me. Which UNUSUAL.
Here is our home! A tiny, lovely, comfy place to live. I'm thrilled!!!! What the best is I don't need to spend so much time to check airbnb to find a best place to stay with best view. Because in camper van, everyday you can have best view when you wake up. LOVELY!
2. ALP MOR (with His Local Experience)
Thanks to lovely dovey Alp who threw the idea to having a road trip with a camper van adventure to an amazing places in Turkey. His amazing taste of adventure, chill and humble behavior makes this trip become one of my best adventure.
I wasn't sure if I can deal with him for 80% of my time in Turkey, until all of my unsure thought was wrong. Turns out he become one of best traveling partner that I ever had.
Oh yes! He bring to wonderful places, He fed me well, give me whole bed and thick bed cover to sleep while he down there next to the dining table, He understands that I need to wash my hair at least once in 2 days, He is fine with my 'gas station stop' to pee which really often hahaha. He brewed amazing coffee every morning and after lunch. I have nothing to complain! He is the best! Time well spent with him 🙂
Not only that, He also gave me a local experience, through food, place, and its people. It such a pleasure to be blended with the peoples and culture as if we want to know a country first understand the location and blended with the peoples thats how you know a country.
What can I say? Warm family member with fresh food and tea, hot shower, low key conversation and sharing laugh and trashy jokes with them are definitely priceless, especially when you still able to be connected with them eventho you have language barrier. This thing is something you will never ever get when you follow a tour agent 🤪
3. UNDERATTED PLACES
As I always annoyingly telling people that I love to go to places that most people don't. And this trip is full of surprises, nice weather and so vibrant. We went to a beach, mountain, city, road, historical place, and hundreds of gas station with nice toilet 🤪
Even though we go to touristy place, Alp always know where to do it underrated. Which makes me away from tourist and enjoying the place from another side with best experience.
This is in Kas, where I fall in love with Mediterranean sea for the first sigh. Long D-400 road route is not fail me in every inch that we rolled.
Not only so, Lycian Trail Way also become one of my favorite place, a vibrant of trekkers transfered a freedom soul. I spent chill time in this place.
Magnificent historical places like this is my favorite. Big theater, stones, on a mountain and next to the sea. This leave me unspoken and think like "oh! This is not made by human" HAHAHAHA.
4. FOOD
For me there is only 2 kind of food, good food and really good food. During my stay I enjoyed all of the foods that I ate, from drink, meat, cheeses, bakery and pastry, or even rice with butter taste like heaven.
So!!!! I know that this post will never be enough to tell you the whole stories of the trip. But, I will share you about my favorite places in the next post!
Toodeloo!!!!
