And then there was one.. (me) :P

Meraba!
So I'm back in Istanbul and our action-packed tour has ended. Last night we said good-bye to our group after an amazing last three days of the tour. ON Thursday we had our longest trek yet- a 15k hike through the mountains. It was brutally hot but we were luckily that our path was shaded, and the beautiful views along the way made it one of the best hikes of the trip. We ended our day in Kabak, which is a little haven on the South Coast of Turkey. It is a town nestled into the mountains, where we stayed in stilted bungalows that were literally hanging off the mountain revealing the beach 20 minutes straight down below. We LOVED it. Spent the afternoon poolside enjoying an EFES (turkish beer) and lounging under a gazebo by the pool. THe dinner was home-cooked and delicious. I didn't want to leave!!
Next we had our easiest day in terms of physical activity and walked for only about an hour and a half around some Roman ruins... can't remember the name off-hand. We then went to 'The Gorge', which it is, with a river flowing through it. We had lunch on platforms that stand right above the river.. more Turkish pancakes, with feta and spinach! We decided to top off the day with "Funny rafting" aka riding down the river in an inner tube. THe highlight was when our guide (yes, apparently you need a guide for this!) had us stop halfway for a Turkish mud bath. I am convinced that this is a joke for the Turkish people - "Hey, let's watch tourists rub mud all over themselves and then try and wash it off in a fast moving river without falling over and getting carried downstream". It was quite the scene - although the Turk puts mud all over you and then washes it off if you request it. It's not even some special place - just a spot where the river water is stagnant and there is a natural mud source. Laura and I were cracking up - pretty funny.
On the last day of our tour I FINALLY got to go Paragliding!! We went on the sunrise flight, so I had to be up at 5am!! It was absolutely worth it though, what a beautiful, thriling experience! We took-off 2000m above sea level and glided all the way down to Oludeniz beach. Pictures to follow!! We jumped on the van and headed back to meet up with the rest of the group that opted for the sleeping in option before heading out once again for a full day of kayaking. I love kayaking and am comfortable on the water so it was a nice change from hiking! I swam almost every second of every stop we made, the water was so nice!!
Now I am about to head to a Turkish bath with an Aussie girl I met in the Istanbul Hostel almost the second Iwalked in! THen one more day in Istanbul and off to Croatia!! Hope everyone is enjoying summer back home!
Lots of love,
Lauren xo