Alanya At Last!

Since ‎leaving Antalya, I have been walking progressively slower each day. I'm covering the same distances that I normally do, but it's taking me hours longer. Today it finally dawned on me that by taking the bus from İstanbul to Antalya, I didn't give my thermostat a chance to adjust to the new climate. People freezing in North America may hate me for saying this, but daytime highs in the low 20s Celsius are uncomfortably warm for me. (The overnight low of 11 or 12, on the other hand, is an ideal temperature for me.)   By 2:00 pm I was toast, so I spread my foam pad out in the shade of a palm tree and had a good long nap. When I woke up, it was noticeably cooler, and I was able to walk more quickly than the 3 km/h I'd been averaging earlier. I still took plenty of breaks, but I felt much better at 10:00 pm than I had at 2:00.

When I checked in, the desk clerk kindly looked up the ferry schedules for me. He found conflicting information - either the ferry to Cyprus leaves daily at 9:30 am or the next boat is at 2:00 pm Monday. (Kinda reassuring that even a native Turkish speaker finds the website confusing.)  Either way, I think I'll spend two nights here so that I can determine whether there's a church in town, and if so, get to Liturgy in the morning.

And now, good night!

I'm Tired...

...but it looks like I may be able to catch a ferry in Alanya after all. I should arrive there Saturday, and if the information I was given this morning is accurate, I hope to be Cyprus-bound Sunday afternoon. (And if the ferry company simply hasn't updated their website, it's another 170 kms to the next port east.)

If all goes well, I'll post a real update Sunday.

Mar 2 - 3: Quick Update

On Sunday I caught the 8:00 pm bus from İstanbul‎ and arrived in Antalya twelve hours later. Overnight we had driven out of winter and into early summer. The weather and the scenery were stunning - snowcapped mountains form a distant ring around the city, which is on the Mediterranean coast. The warm sun was dazzling as it reflected off the turquoise waves. It was a seven kilometre walk from the bus terminal to the cluster of hostels and shops and restaurants in the Old City, and I took my time.

When I arrived and logged on to the WiFi network, I was stunned to learn that a man I had known at seminary had died in a snowy car crash‎ Sunday evening on the way home from church. Fr. Matthew Baker had only been ordained in January 2014, and his oh-so-early demise has left his widow Kate to care for their six children, ranging in age from 2 to 12. That was very sad news indeed, and instead of visiting some of the museums and other sights in Antalya, I found myself walking along the pedestrian path atop the cliffs overlooking the harbour.

Tuesday I was up early and began my walk to Serik, some 40 kms away. It was overcast all morning, but the sun broke through at about the same time that I spotted a Starbucks. It's been a very long time since I've had a cup of non-Nescafe coffee, and I lingered on the sunny patio far longer than I should have. It was dark when I arrived in Serik, and if I'd known just‎ a bit more Turkish, I'd have been in a room two hours before I actually started unpacking.

Wednesday morning the skies are cloudless and my weather app is calling for a high of 21. The next stop along the way is about 35 kms away, so once I find some breakfast, I'll be on my way.

It's Not About Me (this time)

When I arrived at the hostel in Antalya and went online, I was shocked and deeply saddened to learn that a man who I knew from seminary had passed away the evening before. The following is from the GoFundMe campaign which has been established in his memory. I have only made one editorial change, to indicate the date of his repose. That change is marked in [brackets].

Please follow the links to the testimonials, and then consider making a donation to help this man's family. The link to the donation page is at the very bottom of this update.

* * * * * * *

Fr. Matthew Baker was an extraordinary man. Principled. Kind-hearted. Devoted to Christ, his wife, and his six children.

During this evening's snow storm [March 1, 2015], he passed away in a tragic car accident while travelling home from Vespers at his parish. His children were with him, but were thankfully not injured.

Please understand something. Fr. Matthew lived to serve. He cared deeply for *others* and always gave freely of his time and expertise, without any financial reward. Unlike many intellectuals, he cared most deeply about *people*: helping them, mentoring them, encouraging them in faith and life.

During his life, he gave freely. Now, we who are left to cherish his memory must also give freely, in testimony to his unique gifts and in support of his wife and six children.

100% of the donations received in this campaign will go directly to his wife. She has 6 young children to care for, and has lost the family's only income. 

Please give generously, and keep Fr. Matthew and his family in your prayers.

Memory eternal!

Here are some articles written by three of Fr. Matthew's closest friends. Please read and share them all.

"Fr. Matthew Baker Leaves Behind Wife and Six Children: How You Can Help" by Seraphim Danckaert

http://myocn.net/fr-matthew-baker-leaves-behind-wife-six-children-can-help/

"'We need more spiritual brothers': Losing Fr. Matthew Baker" by Fr. Andrew Damick:http://blogs.ancientfaith.com/roadsfromemmaus/2015/03/02/we-need-more-spiritual-brothers-losing-fr-matthew-baker/

"The Life of Fr. Matthew Baker Is a Triumph of Orthodoxy" by Hierodeacon Herman Majkrzak:http://myocn.net/life-fr-matthew-baker-triumph-orthodoxy/

* * * * * * * 

Please visit the following site and donate what you can and encourage others to do the same.

http://www.gofundme.com/nizf2g

Mar 1: Quick Update

I got to Liturgy this morning, chatted with my American friend a bit, and then paid a visit to the Studion Monastery. The walls are still standing, but since it's Sunday, the "museum" was closed.‎ I had a tea at the "Studios Garden" right across the street and then headed back to the hostel where I picked up my pack and said goodbye to the staff. Then I swung by the shop to spend a last few minutes with my old friend Ribon.

Since the morning service lasted until early afternoon, I didn't have time to walk to the bus terminal like I'd planned to, so I hopped on a very crowded tram and then transferred to the Metro system which delivered me right where I needed to go. No WiFi or power outlets on the bus, so I'll read for a bit and then hopefully get a good night's sleep so I cann start walking again Monday morning. The forecast looks great, and I'll probably be camping quite a bit as I walk along the Mediterranean coast of Turkey.

And while I was typing the above, we crossed the bridge over the Bosphorus. I am now in Asia!