TURKEY 2

Tour led by Seda Soylu & Phil Benstead. Click on the thumbnails to enlarge then "back",

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The previous mild winter meant there was very little snow melt and a lot of Spring flowers had failed to appear. Also we were able to photograph fewer butterflies and bugs than usual. My computer does not have Turkish script so spelling uses nearest roman letter.

FRIDAY 28th March We had a taxi to Heathrow to arrive by 06:00. "Budget Cabs" was less than before. We finally arrived at our hotel in Dalyan, the Longhouse Inn, by about 8pm. Phil had met to us at Istanbul. We also met four group members Alan and Heather and Peter and Maggie. Seda met us at Dalaman with Pierre and Michele. Then we drove in the minibus to Dalyan, famous for its large Nile River Turtles. (Only Phil saw one!) The Hotel was cold on the first night, as was eating outside, but air-conditioning kept us warm at night.	Geo-tag Maps of our progress during the ten days	Lycian Rock Tombs on the other side of the river from our hotel, showing "Helenistic influence" The quality of the tomb reflects the occupants influence and money during life.	An unfinished Tomb, did the money run out?
Political Map, NB Rhodes & Greece	The Mosque in Kas	The Lycian civilization was situated between Dalyan and Antalya, co-incidently the same as our trip. In the 12century BC they appear in the Illiad attacking Troy. A matrilineal society with their own language, they were conquered in turn by Persians, Athenians, Macedonians, Egypt and Rhodes. They were granted independence by Rome in 168 BC but became part of the Empire in 42 AD speaking Greek. There is little left of them but their rock tombs, sepulchers and sarcophagi but the countryside still has a wealth of flowers and the eternal flames still burn at Chimera near Olympos.
SATURDAY 29th March Day 1
After breakfast we set off by boat to visit Lake Koycegiz calling in at the Sultaniye Thermal Mud Springs. They can reach 39 degrees C and are said to cure many ailments, but we disappointed the guardian and didn't go in. In the afternoon we looked around in the area of Kapuz village	Today's Geo-tags	Our boat arrives at 08:30	Not so wealthy tombs opposite
. Euphorbia on the Cliff face	We pass a fisherman in the reeds	River bank cliffs	A Boat Crane, almost all boats flew the Turkish flag.
Allium neapolitanum	A very large cricket on Helen's trousers	Helen near the hot Mud springs showing rock strata	A large Giant Peacock Moth outside the entrance to the Mud springs
A very noisy Levant Water Frog	Little Egrets in a Pine Tree beside the rive	A Detail	Morning Light
A Cormorant poses	and rushes off	A Turtle basking	The Riverside spot where Phil saw the Nile River Turtle
Our Group botanising along the river bank	Aspodel aestvus	Fritillaria acmopetala	Tulips, Tulipa armenum lycica
Anagallis arvensis - Blue pimpernel	White Damsel Fly	Ophrys lyciensis Several group members were very keen to see as many types of orchid as possible	Cistus creticus
French Lavender, Lavandula stoechas	Fritillaria acmopetala	Levant Water Frog	Gladiolus anatolicus
Onosma albo-roseum	Tri-Striped Lizard lurking		Heather and Alan spotting birds
Scabius	Orobanche	View towards the hills	A copse by the Mud Springs
Red and Black Spider	Hawkweed	Other tourists on the river	Geranium
Entrance to the Mud springs	Entrance to the Mud springs with the silk moth	Anemone coronaria	Across the river
Cynoglossum creticum	A typical modern peasant house	Cynoglossum	Tulipa armenum lycica
Cytinus hypocistus a parasite on cistus roots	The Greek island of Meis or Megisti a few miles off Kas	The Lycian Coast was populated by those who had always lived there and those who had colonized or invaded. However, after the Ottoman Empire was defeated in 1918 and the Turkish war of Independence, in 1923 the Turkish Government decided to neutralize possible hostile Christian minorities. Greeks were largely deported to Greece and Armenians suffered many casualties. Some Greeks did not go far, to Meis, and now they get on well with their neighbours, goods flowing in both directions,	Where?
SUNDAY 30th March Day 2
Helen was unwell in the morning but the rest of the group visited the ruins of Kaunos in the morning. After lunch of Turkish snacks back at the hotel we all drove to the unique Liquidambar Forest. The fragrant Liquid Ambar is used to make styrax and frankincense. Named by Linnaeus in English! We also searched several grave yards with flowers saved from grazing goats.	Geo-tags	The final defence battlements overlooking Kaunos	Landing at Kaunos
Hawkweeds	Out of the main entrance to theatre with information boardson either side	Founded in the 9th Century BC Kaunos was an important Carian city on the border with Lycia and reflected both Kingdoms. As well as botanizing, we visited the well preserved theatre, the acropolis, baths, temple, running track etc. . There were plenty of information notices but it would have been more photographic if a little more restoration had been attempted. A lot of the buildings reflect the Roman era.	Kaunos was built on a steep rocky outcrop
A long view of Kaunos from the Daylan river	Rock Tombs above the dry silted-up harbour with feral donkey		Pollen Beetle
Poppies	Orabanche	The Ticket Office Ceiling. It also had modern, high tech turnstiles.	Alan and Heather learn about the Kaunos site
Bellevalia trifoliata		Chamomiles	A wandering Tortoise of which we met many
		Agama on the ruin wall	Steps to the Theatre area
Ruins with plants	Agama	Poisonous hyoscyamus aureus	Hyoscyamus aureus
Arum concinnatum	Campanula lyrata	Tiny Baby Tortoise	A local religion or cult
Exedra Stone Seating, (should be in a circle.)	Poppy	The theatre	Entrance tunnel for the "cast".
Umbilicus erectus	Wall Fern	Agama	Detail
Circular Building	Giant Fennel on the arch		Anagallis arvensis, Blue pimpernel
All pictures enlarge	Kaunos Acropolis	Doorways lined up
			Our Driver looking around
Busy Beehives	Syllabum	Giant Fennel in the ditch	Sedum in the wall
Campanula	Kaunos site map	Defensive Ditch and wall	The Roman era Baths
Fallen ceiling, note the Swastika, Greek long before it was German.	Feral Donkeys	Orange Tree	Thoroughfare
Circular Altar in temple	Another Temple	Exhedra information	Gateway
Tamarisk beside the Kaunos dock	Serapias Cordigera	Broomrape, Orobanche	Euphorbia
	Campanula		Unfortunate placing of the lifebelt that we all enjoyed!
Common Blue		Red Admiral	.
Liquidambar Forest
Liquidambar orientalis, commonly known as Oriental Sweetgum, or Turkish Sweetgum, in the genus Liquidambar, native to the eastern Mediterranean. The forest of this tertiary relic endemic taxon is found within a specially protected area between Dalyan and Koycegiz where a 286 hectares are set aside as a nature reserve for the preservation of the species.	See Bottom right for location of Liquidambar Forest	Liquidambar Spa Hotel	Liquidambar Orientalis tree
Ophrys heterochilla?	Iris albicans	Ophrys	Speckled Wood
Tiny frog living in a puddle	Yellow Darter	Pregnant Lizard	Speckled Wood
A Graveyard	An ornate Bird table	Baby Turtle who poo-ed on Phil's hand	A Black Whip snake in a graveyard, about 4 foot long, making off,
Imported flower in a graveyard	Fritillary	Tragopogon	Limodorum abortivum
MONDAY 31st March Day 3
We set off on a chilly early morning trip to Iztuzu Beach where later in the year Loggerhead Turtles nest and there is a research station. A strnuous walk across soft sand provided birds and views in abundance. Then, having packed up, we set off to Kas and our new hotel.	The beach is top left	The lighthouse beyond the jetty	River bank
Lighthouse from the river	Along the beach	A sign post for the tourists. Germans have now replaced the British.	A shack in the marsh
Helen seeks an artistic shot	Medicago marina in the sand	Euphorbia paralias	Erodium acaule?
Heather framed by a tree arch	A juniper bent by the prevailing wind	We walk along the beach	A crab hole and its tracks
In the marsh	A lagoon behind the beach	Perhaps the men are discussing the election which was today?	The Centre of Dalyan near where we stopped for fuel.
To the shops by their family transport	A wayside Mosque	A modern house on the way home	Statue of Loggerhead Turtles in the Centre of Dalyan
Mountains in the distance	A small modern house	A larger Mosque	Banks of Euphorbia characias

We had our picnic lunch at Pinara Archaeological site which had been one of the six top cities in Lycia. There was a theatre, temple, odeon and a cliff face honeycombed with tombs. Helen and I had trouble returning from the Royal Tomb along a route I selected with a steep drop this caused a rapid change of route!	A dell on the way to the tombs	Pinara hillside
Orchis anatolica	Many rock tombs, originally sealed but robbed long since		Cistus creticus
Cistus salvifolius	Tordylium apulum	The Pinara Theatre	Orchis anatolica
The Royal Tomb	Decoration over the lintel	Comma	Panorama
Daphne Sericea	Rock tomb		Rock tomb
Ophrys fusca	Pierre surveys the Pinara theatre	Ophrys fusca	Man Orchid, Orchis italica
Ophrys fusca, note underside	Lizard	Re-erected arch/ doorway	Ophrys Fusca
Anemone	Ophrys ferrum-equinum	We disturbed their love making!	Cistus salvifolius
Ophrys ferrum-equinum	Poppy	Ophrys ferrum-equinum	Medicago?
TUESDAY 1st April. Day 4
In the morning we botanized close to the Hideaway Hotel in Kas then in the afternoon visited a series of graveyards where, generally, the goats had not eaten the flowers, although one had been cleared of any vegetation. We failed to attend the briefing about free WiFi etc due to a misunderstanding but learnt it later.	Geo-tag Map	Kas, the restored theatre	A stone seat
Euphorbia	Corydalis	Trifolium stellatum	Coronilla varia
Hardhead?	Coronilla varia	Pink Geranium	Coronilla varia
Ophrys Lutea/sicula	Euphorbia rigida	Iris Germanica	Ophrys
Orchis anatolica	Orchis	Iris unguicularis carica	Bellevalia trifoliata
Iris unguicularis carica	Arum dioscoridis	Anemone	Arum dioscoridis
Orchis italica	Windflower, Anemone coronaria	Millipede	Scorpion
Scorpion	Pierre considers Iris Germanica	Orchis	Helen takes a close-up from ground level
Butterfly Orchids	Butterfly Orchid, Orchis papilionacea	Butterfly Orchid, Orchis papilionacea	Orchis simia - monkey orchid
Little mouse in a turban?	Butterfly Orchids	Orchis simia - monkey orchid	Ophrys speculum
Iris	Fritillaria elwesii	Dry stream bed
Iris germanica	Orchis anatolica	Orchis	Open country
WEDNESDAY 2nd April Day 5
We had a walk round town before breakfast and then in the morning botanized in the Kas area near the hotel then drove to the Kuruovobelli Pass and then on to the Smekilibelli Pass. Having left my Kindle charging cable in Dalyan I managed to buy one in a phone shop for about £3 compared with £25 in our Boots.	Geo-tag Map	His Breakfast Chai with a friend watching. Seda said most dogs belong to no one, but people feed them and a charity neuters them and marks it by ear tags.	A "Greek" House. All old houses get labelled as Greek.
Wash Day	The alley Opposite the Hotel	Gate lamp of Hideaway Hotel	In good weather everyone eats on the veranda
Sedum in a rock	Old style shops in Kas centre.	Angels trumpets, Daturas	Hideaway Hotel
Arum dioscorides	Chatting in the sun	Gladiolus	Mimosa, acacia
Ophrys Ferdinand Coburgii	Note the steep scree rubble	Arabis	Gladiolus
Fritillaria kitanae	Fritillaria Pudica	Muscari	Dead Nettle, Lamium
Shading the subject	Alyssum minus	Corydalis	Corydalis wendelboi?
Lizard	Gagea granatelli	Cyclamen alpinum	Brown Fields
Tiny pansy	Anenmone Blanda	Anenmone Blanda	Gagea granatelli
Another steep hillside	Lathyrus digitatus	Ornithogalum armeniacum	Cyclamen alpinum
An Old Farm House	An Old Barn	Looking over the countryside	Arabis
Lychnis	Apple Blossom	A Farming Family	Barn
Euphorbia		Muscari Muscarina	Rock Rose, Helianthemum nummularia
Euphorbia rigida		Irises	Our Driver and Seda
Children play in the street in Kas	Kas rooftops	White on White	Shops in Kas
Backgammon in the street	Looking over Kas	Who ate all the pies?	Roof Terrace, Hideaway Hotel
THURSDAY 3rd April. Day 6
In the morning we visited the village Agullu and after a picnic lunch near Kalekoy and the Simena Site visited Kekora Bay and the Andriake Wetland for Bird watching. Unfortunately I am not quick enough to photo the birds most of the time.	Geotag Map	White Dead Nettle	Mallow
Ophrys		Foxglove Tree	Kalekoy Boatyard
Ophrys	Ophrys Lutea	Aspodels
A Pea	A farm cat	Silene aegyptica	Aspodel
Ophrys	Dracunculus	Kalekoy Boatyard	Country House
Boat in the Garden	Simena information	Simena Archaeological Site. There was an English woman buried just outside the cemetery at Kalekoy	A Jay on a gravestone
Sarcophagus lid	Minute, Green Toad baby, one of many.	Yellow Darter Dragonfly	Parentucellia viscosa
Sarcophagi	Kalekoy Harbour	Seda resting	A robbed sarcophagus
Lycian Graveyard	Lantana?	Doorway in Simena	Tourists visiting the "Sunken Harbour" by boat
A Scarf Seller	The Small theatre	"Very nice"
Deadly Nightshade	NB Stone Wash Tub	The defences are ready!	Kirchner's Gecko
A Smart Villa	Looking over the battlements	A Closed Cafe where we did not get a drink	Green Carob Beans on the tree
Selling Harem Trousers at Kalekoy market	Rock House carved out of an outcrop?	Little Egret	Andriake Wetlands
Waders	Black Backed Stilts	Heron?	Modern Supermarket
FRIDAY 4th April. Day 7.
We visited Avlan Lake hopeful of seeing birds, without much luck and then climbed up the very steep screes behind. I slipped and cracked my elbow on a sharp rock here. We had a picnic spot in the woods near Orvubik and then drove to the ruins near Limyra.	Geo-tag Map		Lake Avlan
Lakeside Avlan	Ophrys	A turtle emerges from the stream	Ophrys
Rubble Scree	A pink prunus photographed	Pear Blossom?
	Our picnic spot
Tiny blue Flowers	Onosma frutescens	Wooded Hills	What is the central pillar for? There is a gap above it.

Rock Rose	Lymyra Ruins		Carved stone column
Turkish visitors	River with a paved bottom at Lymyra	Foundations of Ptolemaion	Defensive Wall
	Agama	Anagallis arvensis, Scarlet Pimpernel	Marigolds
The river lined with frogs, too fast to photograph, Ptolemaion Church in the distance.	Phil waits for birds or frogs beside the Cenotaph to Gaius Caesar		Lymyra Ruins, the colonnaded street
Flag Iris	Keeping the grass down	Grizzled Skipper??	The Lymyra Theatre
Corn Bunting	Gladiators entrance?
Let the Lions out!	Chemist Shop with flats over	They grow a lot of Oranges here	A Turkish Teenager
SATURDAY 5th April Day 8
We set off to look for the Lycian Orchid at a Nature Reserve which had become overgrown and really was now unsuitable for orchids, However Seda contacted the local "Project Director" who showed us a new site. Seda showed him one she had discovered and then was included in the project! Good for her CV! After lunch we visited Belem, Adrasan, Olympos and the everlasting flames of the Chimaera.		Finike 2000 Hotel	The steep climb needed to reach meals
Goats go head to head	Waiting for a bus?	New location shown to us by local botanist	Lician Orchid
Orchis	Picnic Spot for lunch		Samurai mask? Ophrys Straussii
Genista	Anemone coronaria	Anemone coronaria	Bee
Ophrys	Ophrys rheinholdii	Ophrys	Ophrys
Asphodelus aestivus	Ophrys Lycia	Ophrys	Ophrys Sicula
Ophrys	Ophrys	Ophrys	Ophrys
Orchis	Orchis		Pollen Beetle
Pollen Beetle		Moon Daisies	Ophrys
Hawkweeds	Mountains beyond		Ophrys
	Maggie in a graveyard	Tragopogon and a Cricket
Chicory	Tulipa orphanidea	Tulipa orphanidea	Genista?
Pollen Beetle		Colour variant	Our group checking on the Tulips
Late Snow drops, Galanthus elwesii	Tulipa orphanidea		Tragopogon
Tulips' Habitat	Ophrys	Orchis	Ophrys
Pink Vetch, Lathyrus stenophyllus	Ophrys	Cistus	Limodorum abortivum
Ophrys	Barlia robertiana	Tulipa orphanidea	Limodorum abortivum
Beefly??	Wood Anemone	Anemone coronaria	Small Stream
Bicolor vetch	Roadside stall plus dummies	Ophrys	Ophrys
The god Vulcan, the god of fire, was widely worshipped in Roman times and near Olympos is the site of the eternal flames of the Chimaera that have been burning for several thousand years. "Chimaera" because the monster breathed flames. Analysis of the gas shows its origin is metamorphic, like coal and petroleum, not volcanic.	Grey valley off the steep path to the Chimera. We found it quite a hard climb. Turks tend to wait until the cool of the evening.	The ruined Roman Temple at the site.	Turkish visitors
Religiously dressed visitors	Roman inscribed column	Inscribed lintel	Numerous flames on the site
Beside the track	Hypericum	Horizontal tree	Tourist experiencing the heat.
SUNDAY 6th April Day 9
In the morning we sought peonies and yellow fritillaries around Ucoluk. After our picnic lunch we drove to the ancient city of Phaselis.	Geo-tag Map	Peony, Peonia maculata
Peonia maculata	Stony hillside	Bellevalia dubia	Asphodeline lutea
Temporary summer shelters in the mountain pastures	Fritillaria Carica	Fritillaria Pudica
Fritillaria Pudica	Fritillaria Carica
Scilla Bifolia	Snow Drop Habitat	Colchicum triphyllum
Caterpillar	Gagea granatelli	Aconite
Fritillaria Pudica	Fritillaria Pudica	Lamium	Helen finds a dead lizard
Dead Lizard, its colour increased post mortem	A tiny pansy, Viola kitaibeliana		Muscari
	Mountain Farms	Van just makes its way round a fallen boulder, we had got out!	Maggie and Seda pretend to move the boulder
Cyclamen cretica	Mountain Road	Muscari Muscarimi	Across the hills
Aristolochia lycica	Aristolochia lycica	Geranium tuberosum	Old Style House
At our tea stop, is she worried?	Lizard	Doronicum orientale
White Pea	Aristolochia lycica	Colchicum	Crocus biflorus isuaricus
Snow Drops, Galanthus elwesii	Cyclamen alpinus	Crocus biflorus isuaricus
Lupins	Geo-tag Map of Phaselis.	Phaselis.	Aqueduct Phaselis.
Aqueduct	Carved column		Alley way
		Phaselis was founded by colonists from Rhodes about 7th Century BC and made its money from shipping timber, rose oil and perfume. The ruins date mainly from Roman times but the eastern empire spoke Greek. Translations into English of the inscriptions were provided.	Phaselis theatre
Wedding Photos	Smart religious/modest dress	Carved Lintel
Main Street	Capturing stonework	The Bay towards Olympos	A bather
Underfloor heating	Main Street	Erodium	Where the Aqueduct reached Phaselis.
		Balancing	Clouded Yellow Butterfly
	Cafe near where we saw so many migrant birds, including a Hoopoe, enhanced through Phil's telescope.	Dracunculus	Maggie searches the valley with binoculars
Female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker		White Spectacled Bulbul	Daisy Bush
Smalls?	Fumitory. Fumaria capreolata	Feeding the ducks before going to the Mosque.	A Goat Herd arrived
Finike Marina from the hotel dining room which had a magnificent view	Opposite the hotel waiting to be fed.	A Back Door	Electric gate to our next hotel.
MONDAY 7th April Day 10
We took a walk round Beycik village before breakfast are far as the Mosque. Helen was harassed by an amorous dog. After breakfast we set off for Tahtali and after a picnic beside an old well visited the Kemer Valley	Geo-tag Map	Typical Tower Blocks, the towns all looked new and prosperous and their industry is growing.	Our Drivers Hotel
Our next door farm	Modern peasants house	Local Goats	Smart new house
Local Mosque, paid for by the Government like all Sunni Mosques	Kitsch Supermarket	Stump Art	Peonia maculata
Peonia maculata	Ancient Plain Tree many hundreds of years old		Euphorbia dendroides bush
Alpine Meadow	Anemone Blanda		Ornithogalum umbellatum
Ranunculus cadmicus	Anemone blanda	Sarapias bergonii	Picnic spot
Crocus almost over	Barbarea verna	Cyclamen Creticum	Ornithogalum nutans
The door to Olympos Mountain Lodge with a "Hazar" overhead to ward off the evil eye	Local kid	Olympos Mountain Lodge, Beycik	The Proprietor and wife on the breakfast terrace
River Valley	Fungus Lacework		Looking down on the river
Cephalanthera kurdica		Ophris climacis
TUESDAY 8th April Day 10
We had another really early start (04:00 GB time) with a packed breakfast provided. We drove along dirt tracks in the dark, then along dual carriage way to Antalya Airport and the usual wait for the plane.	I had tried to check-in on line 24hrs ahead, but because of a glitch as Turkish Airlines had changed the plane times, could not until Seda had a word with the airline.	We were met by the same taxi driver at Heathrow he phoned my mobile to say where he was as we were delayed in baggage reclaim, over 230 passengers, and thought he had missed us	We arrived home about 17:00 to be greeted by two affectionate cats who seemed to have missed us although they had had rather a lot of luxury tins!