I spotted a competition to win 6 months all expenses paid travel around the world run by My Destination and thought it too good an opportunity not to enter.
The rules of the competition were simple. You had to make a video about the town you live in or have been to and then also write a blog of less than 500 words about a particularly memorable holiday experience along with 3 photos that go with it. You can see it better if you click on it twice as it enlarges to it’s full size.
You can see my entry as it appeared on the site here.
Ok, so maybe I shouldn’t have went for the comedy angle as much as I did. lol.
There were over 1,550 entries from more than 640 destinations around the world and this was about all they had to say about my entry in their rejection email. ‘We very much enjoyed your video, a great tour of Antalya and some great historical facts. It is quite obvious the amount of effort and thought you put in’.
Not to worry about not winning, I am just really glad I took the time to make it as it is a good memory to have of my time in Antalya.
I actually made two versions. I was halfway through making it when I re-read the rules to see that you required people’s permission to be included in the video. Although I didn’t think anyone would mind, I didn’t want to take the risk of scuppering my chances of claiming the prize so I edited out other people from my photos and also cut out a couple of verses of the poem to keep it under 3 minutes.
When I had finished that however, I still had the remains from the first effort and so finished making a second one just for my site, which enabled me to use any photos I liked and also to insert a few jokes here and there. I much prefer this version…although you may want to avert your eyes at the end 😉
Antalya Living Welcome Poem
Welcome to the beautiful Turkish Meditteranean city of Antalya
Behind me is the five kilometres long, Blue Flag Konyaalti Beach
Overlooked by the Taurus Mountains which has a winter ski resort
The rest of the region is gorgeous and trust me, I don’t need to preach
The city was founded in 150 B.C by Attalos II, a King of Pergamon
Who thought it the perfect base for his powerful navel fleet
His successor King Attalos III, willed the Kingdom to Rome in 133 B.C
And St Paul, who did preach, even stayed for a while in Perge to rest his feet
In 130 A.D the locals built this gate to commemorate the visit of Emporor Hadrian
It was an important Byzantine city before being conquered by the Seljuk Turks
The Ottomans took control, and now Hidirlik Tower, Kesik Minare, Mehmet Paşa Mosque
And the City’s symbol, the Yivli minuret, all display one or more of theit conquerors quirks
The region also has many ancient towns, like Termessos, Olympos & Phaselis
If you want to go back further, visit Karain Caves from the Paleolithic Age
Perhaps the greatest thrill of all is watching a show in Aspendos Ampitheatre
Your mind cannot help but wonder at all who passed before on this ancient stage
Of course being a vibrant tourist city there are many modern day activities
Like Scuba Diving, Golf, Go Karting, Waterparks, Fairgrounds even a Cable Car
But if you really want to test your mettle then I suggest Paragliding
Even though the time I done it was the most terrifying ordeal of my life by far
If Art and Culture is your thing you can pick and choose from the many Festivals
Piano, Guitar, Film, Ballet, Opera, Oktoberfest and my favourite the Efes Blues
The charming old town has a buzzing nightlife with many live bands in the bars
Even though it is now a Muslim country, they are well used to foreigners who like to booze
There is also an active Social Group here and we like to organize events
Such as Pool Competitions, Quiz nights, Costume Parties and Beach Days
I even host an Open Mic night to encourage any budding performers
And for over 300 days a year, you can always just relax and catch the Sun’s Rays
The local people are very friendly and the food here isn’t made of plastic
Is it any wonder I left my home country to live in what some call ‘Paradise on Earth’?
With all that the region has to offer I can’t think of a better place to holiday
So, if you ever visit be sure to look me up and we can participate in some mirth.
All in all, it took me about 3 full days to make. I started off by going up the hill where the Rotating Restaurant is located to get a good view of the city.
On the second day, I got up at 6am and drove around the town on my motorbike to record sections before any people appeared.
I had my tripod with me so I didn’t need to ask anyone to hold the camera.
I wore the same clothes on both days for continuity. Oh yeah, I’m a professional. 🙂
I can never resist Russian Dolls.
Anyone for Kahve?
Spot the odd one?
Laid by a giant psychedelic chicken.
I had to get Shakers Pub in the video as they were very supportive of the expats and even sponsored this site for a few months.
Here’s the photos taken from my camcorder while making the video.
So there we have it, my Antalya Welcome video, I hope you enjoyed it.
Cheers!
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