Back to Cyprus and Meryem’s Hotel

Air travel days are always a bit tedious in my experience. Today was definitely so. We started off with coffee and farewells with Stuart and Fi on the yacht. What a lovely time we’ve had! Bob and I headed off at about 8 to pick up our cab at the marina entrance. A smooth, short ride to the bus station in Fethiye. We had booked our bus tickets online but had to pick them up from the BatiAntalya office. After that we sat in a little café in the bus station till it was boarding time at 915. The coach was as nice as before: a/c, clean and they stored our luggage in the hold. The journey to Antalya is quite long: 3.5 hours and although the scenery was as spectacular as before, it did drag a bit. We stopped for 20 minutes at the same café we’d called at on the way to Antalya. Bought some peanuts and snacks for the road.
We arrived at Antalya bus station at 115 and got another cab to the airport, a ride of about 20 minutes. Antalya airport was like a madhouse! So… so….so crowded and everyone yelling at the top of their voices. Of course we went through security, then checked in, then passport control, then security again….. there is no glamour in international air travel these days.

Landed at Ercan at 1630 and we were very quickly through formalities and we got a taxi outside to bring us to Meryem’s Hotel.  Our house here is being rented at the moment so we can’t return to it until the evening of the 12th June.  I looked around and found this little hotel online and it gets amazing reviews.  I remember it when it was available as a rental villa, all very posh and with something like 12 en suite bedrooms/suites.  We have decided to just laze here for a few days and relax and not pick up our hire car again until the 12th.  So we are on a half board plan.

Our room is large and comfortable and it was great to have a very forceful hot shower!!!  Had missed that when we were sailing.  It actually feels like we are guests in a large private house party rather than a hotel.  We had dinner in the restaurant.  There was only one other couple in there, although the hotel is full.  Nice olive based nibbles, then I had chicken liver pate and Bob had butternut squash soup.  Both lovely.  Bob had a cheese and vegetable pizza for main and I had lamb chops 🙂 Turned in early as we were both very tired.