I could no longer meet the person I wanted to see.
The moment I received that message on the bus, the mountain ranges spreading outside the window suddenly looked distant. The scenario I had been playing in my head disappeared in an instant. No matter how many times I experience it, I never get used to it.
Even so, the bus kept going. Three hours toward Fethiye.
My last lokanta meal in Antalya, 150 lira
11:05, I checked out of the hostel.
I left my luggage for just 30 minutes and headed to the restaurant I couldn't get into yesterday. The place that was full of older men and I couldn't get a seat. A lokanta — a Turkish local diner.
When I entered, I was the only tourist. Everyone else was local older men. Each one sat at a table and ate quietly facing the same way. It was like a company cafeteria.
150 lira (≈700 JPY). Unbelievably cheap.
There was a plastic container of bread on the table.
At first glance it looked unappetizing. But that's exactly the local feel I like.
I ordered meatballs with potatoes stewed in tomato sauce and rice. I finished in ten minutes and paid. Only 150 lira. Truly a bargain.
I hurried back to the hostel to get my bag and took the tram to the bus terminal. The sun was extremely strong today. I like Antalya for this heat and the intensity of the light. I like the sun.
A three-hour bus from Antalya to Fethiye
I arrived at the bus terminal and found the bus I was looking for. I boarded safely. A relief.
Most of the passengers on the bus were Turkish, with some Koreans. I was the only Japanese.
Almost full.
The bus stopped on the way. Looking out the window, I saw police in fluorescent vests and a drug-sniffing dog walking along the roadway.
An unexpected sight. The dog and the checkpoint people were waiting and checking everything. When I showed my passport, they said "good" in two seconds. Done. At the same time as feeling that Japan really is the strongest, I felt grateful to those who came before me.
After stopping for a while, we started moving again. The Turkish mountains visible from the window stretched up to snow-capped peaks and were breathtakingly beautiful.
I could even see the snowy mountains.
At one point, a scene of nomads and a flock of sheep lining the road passed by. It was cute.
A collapsed plan on the bus
There was something I kept thinking about while on the bus.
The Turkish girl I was supposed to meet in Fethiye suddenly couldn't come. I got the message just as the bus was starting to move.
I met her on HelloTalk. When I was staying in Georgia I was looking for someone I could meet in Turkey and found her. We messaged every day. It wasn't romantic, but she gradually became someone psychologically close, and the idea of meeting slowly grew.
What should we talk about? Where might she show me around? I pictured all kinds of things in my head. So when it fell apart, I was really sad. My heart once again hardened and felt like it might crumble.
How many times have I experienced this, I wondered.
I know I shouldn't get my hopes up. The more you expect, the less likely it is to work out. If you don't expect, you won't get hurt. I understand that logically.
But I love people so much that I inevitably imagine things and let my expectations swell in my head. I thought this is a life-stage level issue. It's probably something I'll deal with my whole life.
Entering Fethiye on foot carrying 23 kilos
I arrived at the bus terminal and a taxi driver called out to me.
"1 km 350 lira"
That's absurdly expensive. I decided to walk.
Carrying a 15-kg and an 8-kg backpack, I started walking. Temperature 24°C. My shirt stuck to my back. A 46-minute route. But if I decided to enjoy the town, walking would probably be more fun.
I walked, drenched in sweat.
As I walked, I began to get a feel for Fethiye. For such a small town, it was solid. They were selling Lego and there were shops with refined fashion. I was genuinely surprised by this gap in scale. There's no airport. It's not easy to access. Yet the locals acted as if it wasn't strange at all that I was there.
I arrived in the center and, feeling hungry, went into a döner kebab place that had customers.
I always order Ayran too.
Döner kebab never fails.
After a short break I started walking again. There were a lot of young people and everyone's fashion was polished. T-shirts exposing the stomach with jeans — my favorite style. It's a shame you can't care much about fashion when backpacking, but when I come again in the future I want to walk this town looking cooler. I want to be someone who gives off that aura.
Hostel on the hill, a Russian roommate
The hostel was on a hill.
By the time I arrived I was drenched in sweat. I checked in and entered the three-person room; there was already a Russian there. I greeted him first, in Russian.
He apparently had a dental implant surgery today. He said he came to Fethiye because it's cheaper than in Russia. It hurt and he couldn't talk much.
Even so, we talked a little and then I went out into town.
The pier and a fleet of yachts
Fethiye is surrounded by mountains and has a pier.
The sea, the town, and the mountains formed a single picture.
I walked along the pier.
I was still thinking.
The number of yachts was insane. It's completely a resort area.
Turkish flags fluttered.
There were a lot of Russians here. Walking the streets felt less like a local town and more like a resort. Luxury apartments and villas being built, private runways, children's voices echoing in the square. It felt like being in another country.
The view from the third floor of the pub was truly beautiful.
I wonder if Monaco is like this (I've never been to Monaco, though).
If you asked me whether I want to live here, the answer would be no. But spending a week here with a beloved partner, handling a bit of accumulated work while relaxing — used that way, it would be perfect. I thought I want to work like that in the future.
İskender and melted butter
I had decided on İskender for dinner.
One of my favorite Turkish dishes. Slices of beef over bread with melted butter poured over. This butter is exquisite; without it it's not İskender. The 500-lira place was expensive, so I went to a 250-lira place for chicken İskender. Not bad, I guess.
This butter makes all the difference.
While eating I asked ChatGPT a bunch of questions about fashion. Coming to a town like this makes me confront the fact that I'm a traveler.
Fethiye at night — the stars were beautiful
I walked back to the hostel.
The night breeze felt nice. It was a bit chilly at night.
The air of this town.
I was only here for one day, but Fethiye was lively. Lots of young people, shopping streets, McDonald's and Starbucks were there.
In this small town. They say Turkey's economy is unstable, but at least here it really was developed. It felt like a small town in France.
The stars were beautiful.
At 26, coming to a place like this and being able to see and feel so many things.
That alone made today good.
