Ballikayalar ("Honey Rock") National Park is a narrow limestone canyon near the city of Gebze. It is about an hour from the Bosphorus on the Asian side. There are picnic tables and an outdoor restaurant at the park entrance where the river pools up a bit. We spent the day with friends walking up the river, scrambling through the rocks and spotting frogs, fish, birds, and even a water snake (he got away before we could photograph him). It was a beautiful respite from our urban environs. Not a building or traffic snarl in sight! C said it reminded him of the countryside north of Tarsus during his time in central Turkey.
If you click on the above picture to make it bigger, you can see the climbers on the ledge halfway up (or down) the rock face. There were several groups throughout the day making their way to this area for technical climbs and descents.
It was great fun to 'hopscotch' back and forth across the river in the narrow spots and scramble up to higher ground in others.
Little waterfalls and eddies all along the river - this particular one looked as though someone had sealed it with cellophane wrap.
Tons of these guys - every other footfall along the river would send one or more scrambling to the safety of the river. In some spots they would croak in this long, odd 'voice' and we wondered if there birds or unknown creatures hiding in the brush.
Paddleboat - 3tl for 15 minutes. No need for parental permission (or apparently, a life vest)
Cotton candy and a little extra sugar burst before the hike!?
You can buy raw meat at the restaurant and grill it yourself, and there are public picnic tables and grills if you bring your own food for the day.
Even the trees express their love for this oasis!
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