Hiking
Despite all of the environmental disasters, the world continues to amaze. Throughout high school, I saw some of the most beautiful landscapes while going on nature walks with my 4-5 friends every two weeks.
It’s a delicacy that I can still taste after walking about 20 kilometers in 3,5 hours in the mountains of Işik and Sorgun, which are one or two hours away from the city we’re in, and chatting with my peers about various subjects in this activity, which we start with the sunrise in the morning. The mountain of Işik is Ankara’s highest point. The ease with which we descended compensated for the difficulty we had in climbing this mountain.We sweated a lot even in winter, so it felt great to enter the hot spring at ‘Sey spa’ in the historical and natural spa town of Güvem. This hot spring in winter tasted much better. We felt like the Japanese mokoko monkeys in hot spring water in a snowy mountain environment. This historic town, which dates back to the Byzantine period, was surrounded by mountains. The structure, which was once a church but is now a mosque, was designed in the style of an old Byzantine church. This location symbolized the harmonious union of history and nature.
The accompanying air bubbles as the water came out of the stones in this all-natural hot spring were fascinating to watch. Because the water in this hot spring is about 38-39 degrees Celsius, I was the last of my friends to enter in my first experiences, but I was the one who liked it best and wanted to stay the longest. We used the thermal hotel facilities a few times, but we preferred this simple but natural spa.
The mixed breakfast we made after the spa was the most delicious part of this activity. We hadn’t eaten anything until noon, and after 20 kilometers of walking, the breakfast at the mountain facilities, which was already delicious, seemed even more so. We were falling asleep on the way back with most of my friends after this breakfast with a view of Mount Isik. My friends and I were very relaxed when we returned from this ten-hour-long activity.
During these trips, I unfortunately witnessed some human-caused environmental destruction. I personally witnessed the decline of natural wonders that existed even during my brief lifetime. I believe that serious efforts should be made to preserve as much of the world’s natural beauty as possible. Most natural wonders will be lost in the not-too-distant future if nothing is done. It’s a shame that my children will miss out on some of the natural beauty I have.
