The sun rose hot over Gazipasa this morning. Quickly, the morning shadows shortened and the air rose to its typical stifling temperatures. Rather than spend our day off within the frigid confines of air conditioning, we ventured out to unknown horizons with one goal in mind: to conquer the Hike of Doom.
The Hike of Doom is our affectionate title for the journey to the acropolis of the ancient city of Selinus, which dominates the southwestern horizon. The site itself is quite extensive–multiple baths, an odeon, several monumental tombs, and a Seljuk castle at the very top. We spent the first few hours touring the sites at the base of the hill; I’m sure I was not alone in feeling increasing trepidation with every glance to the peak. One of the coolest parts of the site was the cenotaph dedicated to the Roman emperor Trajan, who had died and been cremated at Selinus. We all squeezed through the tiny, pitch-dark stairway used to gain access to the innermost portion of the structure.
However, soon enough it was time to begin our trek upwards. The sun beat down overhead and within minutes, we were all drenched in sweat. The hike did feature a lovely view of the ocean; however, it sort of felt like a tease to gaze upon the clear cerulean waters of the sea while we hoofed it up and up. There were a few moments in there where I didn’t think I would make it up. It was just SO hot and I was SO out of breath, but I pushed on with the promise of an amazing view at the top.
And boy, am I glad I did. Once we finally reached the top, the view was worth every minute of sweating and climbing. The sun sparkled over the sea and the remains of the fortress stood strong against the blue of the sky. A cool breeze swept up the cliff from the ocean, as if to thank us for making it to the top. Despite the sweat soaking my shirt and the shakiness in my legs, I’m glad to have conquered the Hike of Doom today–you have to go through challenges to be rewarded, after all!