Day 21: Finike to the lighthouse

Tuesday 22nd April, 2014

Tonight I will camp for the first time - and I'm actually looking forward to it. I will be at the lighthouse - all things going as planned - and this is another special place on the walk for me. I have a lovely (Googled) image of it, overlooking the group of islands you can see in the far right distance in my photo. That's my goal for today. And, by camping at the lighthouse I shave a few hours off the next big day to Adrasan.

So, I will catch a dolmus to Mavikent and walk along the beach as far as I can towards Karaoz (8kms) and then along a gravel road most of the 7kms to the Gelidonya Feneri (Gelidonia lighthouse).

That was the plan - here is the day:

Heading for the beach at Mavikent

 

Beach shacks - all closed up till May

Russian walkers. I asked them about the walk to the lighthouse. "Up, down, up, down, long way." Perfect summary

 

Invited along the way to join a BBQ. Good burger, drink of Ayran and tea. Very nice. About 60 men and boys and me. Lunch served by two women

Lunch companions - some were Syrian. No idea what the occasion was

First view of Karaoz. 1km further on, I got a ride on the back of a motor bike to Karaoz. Perfect!

 

Mavikent to Karaoz

 

Two little cakes of soap at this cistern. Mavikent to Karaoz

 

Karaoz

 

Filled all bottles here. No water assured till Adrasan

 

Pack rest Karaoz to lighthouse

 

Don't forget yo look back, sometimes

 

Appreciated this easy walking for 6 of the 7 kms

 

Can drive to this point. (That's 17kms to Adrasan)

 

Lighthouse track

 

First view of lighthouse - yay!

My version of iconic lighthouse image

 

Yep, I camped!

 

Watched the sunset till all gone at 7.30pm and then climbed into tent. Looooong night!

After watching a beautiful sunset to its conclusion, I was quite happy to lie down at 7.30pm, but how to fill in time in a tent so as not to fall asleep too early? I couldn't use my iPad because I needed to save battery for the next day, but I had taken photos of a chapter by Seneca on the shortness of life, in case I wanted something to reflect on sometime, and I decided to copy out some quotes and practise memorising them. Hmmm, I just got bored. For one thing, having previously read the chapter by Seneca, I had processed it and didn't need to reflect further on it; and, why memorise, word for word, ideas you have already internalised. Anyway, it was something to do, and good brain exercise. Here are the quotes I worked on:

"The condition of all who are preoccupied is wretched, but most wretched is the condition of those who labour at preoccupations that are not even their own, who regulate their sleep by that of another, their walk by the pace of another, who are under orders in case of the freest things in the world - loving and hating. If these wish to know how short their life is, let them reflect how small a part of it is their own."

"Men do not suffer anyone to seize their estates, and they rush to stones and arms if there is even the slightest dispute about the limit of their lands, yet they allow others to trespass upon their life."

"Do not spend life making ready to live. All things that are still to come lie in uncertainty; live straight away!.... Unless you seize the day, it flees."

"Life will follow the path it started upon, and will neither reverse nor check it's course; it will make no noise, it will not remind you of its swiftness. Silent it will glide on; it will not prolong itself at the command of a king, or at the applause of the populace. Just as it was started on its first day, so will it run; nowhere will it turn aside, nowhere will it delay. And what will be the result? You gave been engrossed, life hastens by; meanwhile, death will be at hand, for which, willy nilly, you must find leisure."

I was saved from my boredom by the arrival, at 8.15pm, of two cheery walkers - Alba and Sergi, from Spain.They had apparently been by earlier, seen my tent and decided to go on up the hill and see if there was a nice forest clearing they could camp in. No chance! It's just endless rocks above the lighthouse; so, back they came. They made a fire, cooked some dinner and then, having lost their tent, set out their sleeping bags in a protected area near the lighthouse wall. It was nice to have company....

 

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