D51 Turkey - Selcuk to Pamukkale

A Snapshot of Our Day

Photo 1 - Those of us not too sickly this morning walked a few minutes up the hill to an old Roman church that Saint John the apostle is believed to have been buried. Our guide Mete made it very clear that this may have been THE John....or maybe A John.

Photo 2 - This was a sign that helped the Romans with their building strategy, think side A goes with side B. I’m sure IKEA has been inspired by this forward thinking initiative.

Photo 3 - From the Saint John fortress there were beautiful views of many orange and pomegranate fields!

Photo 4 - The cats at our hotel were hilarious. We think it was a mother and two daughters combo who were constantly chasing themselves around and playing in the small courtyard.

Photo 5 - My feet enjoying the soothing feel of the Pamukkale calcium deposits. They formed the coolest patterns that made it really easy to hike our way to the top!

Photo 6 - The small pools of water that were staggered up the mountain were full of tourists, both Turkish and international. We soon discovered that many young Turkish children don’t like the feel of rough ground under their feet, and choose to throw public tantrums in protest. Sigh.

Photo 7 - Mr. Cool.

Photo 8 - Halfway to the top! There were some pool at the bottom of the mountain that had been drained, perhaps because people preferred a more scenic swim!

Photo 9 - The so called “Cleopatra’s Pool” which was located at the summit, was a popular destination for all due to the waters famous healing and soothing qualities (If you have been diagnosed with CCF, varicose veins or even chronic dandruff, then make a been line for Pamukkale!). We all paid the small entry fee to enter and spent a good 1.5 hours enjoying the cool waters, while trying to not stub put toes on the ancient Roman ruins that lay underneath us!

Photo 10 - We raced down the hill in the hope that we’d get the classic sunset -reflecting-off-the-pond look. Alas, no luck. But we did enjoy another striking end to our day!Read more