This year, our IT team decided to make some noise again at our annual summer corporate party in Turkey. This time, our epic vacation took place in Kiris, Kemer. We started with an overnight flight, which gave us the opportunity to "sleep" in economy class seats and gather strength for the first day of adventure. After landing, we headed to a pre-booked transfer, which comfortably took us to the hotel - and some of us continued to doze on the bus.
The first day greeted us with hot sun and a great mood. We decided to dive right into the local ecosystem and went to the beach. We celebrated the start of the corporate party with delicious cocktails, because you can't do without an "energy upgrade". We swam, sunbathed and discussed the latest updates in GitHub. In the evening, we took a short walk around the city, and then returned to the hotel for the evening show - someone tried to hack the local DJ's Wi-Fi.
We started the next day with a morning swim in the sea – a refreshment, as our team leader called it. After a hearty breakfast, we headed to the ancient city of Phaselis in pre-rented cars. We walked along the Lycian Way like quaestors, conquered an abandoned amphitheater and plunged into history... and into a bay filled with crystal clear water. The path was difficult, like bureaucracy in IT, but it was worth it. After lunch, we, full of energy, headed to the Goynuk canyon. Having received wetsuits, helmets and life jackets, we resolutely headed into the icy water with a temperature of 18 degrees. Well, what can I say – hardening on a programmer's crowbar :) Having swum about 100 meters, we reached a rock, which we climbed on a rope ladder. The view was so magical that some almost forgot to take pictures - almost. On our way back to the cars we encountered several peacocks walking around the canyon as if it were their office.
The third day began with breakfast and departure to the ancient city of Olympos. After a long walk, we found a place for swimming. The bravest ones really went wild: jumping from high cliffs into the sea, as if in free swimming on an external project. After such adrenaline, we had a delicious lunch in a restaurant on the Ulupinar River. In the evening, we went to Kemer for a city walk and a yacht cruise. We found a suitable yacht and began our sea voyage. This year, we did not meet any mountain goats or sea turtles, but the sunset was so gorgeous that even the most severe coders were touched. Having captured the moment with a hundred photos, we went to a restaurant with live music. The musician liked our backing vocals so much that he gave us several personal songs. Our colleague Sergey also took a guitar and proved that members of IT teams can be rock stars. We again listened to live music from real professionals, and then went to a disco, where we partied until the morning.
The fourth day was reserved for quiet rest and communication. Some were lounging by the pool, some were diving into the sea in search of treasures... Sasha, by the way, found the spirit of adventure and went to Antalya to explore an abandoned city. In the evening we played crocodile and attracted a crowd of spectators who watched our performance with interest. The last evening ended with an evening show and a disco.
The last, fifth day turned into a bunch of things to do before departure, but we managed to enjoy the sea in the first half of the day. Then we took our things, loaded into the transfer and left for the airport. We will remember this vacation, like every previous one. It strengthened our team spirit, gave us many unforgettable emotions and moments that we will remember for a long time. Truly, no one will forget the corporate IT guys - neither us, nor the poor local taxi drivers!