WE DID IT!!

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Hello!

Well, we did it!  We had the entire antique thermal pool to ourselves, for over 20 minutes!  And it was FABULOUS!  However, to recap last night’s dinner…

We went downstairs to the hotel’s restaurant.  We both had tomato soup to start (we would have preferred mushroom, but tomato was what they had).  (And by the way, I steadfastly REFUSE to include more pictures of tomato soup!!)  Then, Robert had trout (yes, the WHOLE thing…) with chips and veggies, and I had a chicken casserole – chicken cut into tiny pieces and stewed with tomatoes and served around a bed of rice pilaf. 

Robert's entire trout!

My stewed chicken

It was very good, but honestly, it’s going to be a while before I want to have chicken at home…We were up to the room by about 9 p.m. and I was asleep shortly thereafter.  The hotel next door was making a lot of noise, but as Robert says, what can you do?  Nothing, actually, so I put in my ever-handy earplugs, rolled over and went back to sleep!  Because … we were going to the thermal pool today!  I am SO excited!!

Years ago, when I first started researching Turkey, I came across a photograph of people swimming around what looked to be ancient columns and bases! 

This sounds GROSS!!

The central square WITHOUT tourists!

ThiIt was amazing and it was something that I immediately wanted to do!  However, as Pamukkale became more popular – and then a UNESCO World Heritage site, the hotels at the top of the travertines were closed and then torn down for protection reasons. 

However, they did keep something they called the “antique pool” and make it available for people to use!  When we were here two years ago, we were really just starting our Turkish tour, and hadn’t been prepared to swim.  Instead, we very carefully walked down the terraces.

Well, yesterday, as we were coming in, all sorts of people in bathing suits were going out.  And that’s when I decided that we would arrive at opening time (8 a.m.) this morning, and see how things were.  So…up around 6, and finally out of the hotel around 7:30 a.m.  (Robert kept counting the huge tour buses that were going past the hotel, which got me really nervous!)  We were at the ticket booth about 7:35 a.m. and there were already about 7 tour buses in the parking lot.  I was really holding my breath as we turned the corner to look at the pool entrance – and there was NO ONE there!  Anywhere!!  Whoooo!  It was now 7:45 a.m. and we had to wait 15 minutes for official opening time.  

We then paid our admission (32 TL each; about $16) and headed to the locker area.  Off came the clothes, and into the incredibly lovely warm water we went!!  And for about 20 minutes, we had the place entirely to ourselves!  It was AMAZING! 

(Supposedly the spring waters magically cure all sorts of things, so I was just waiting for my blood pressure to go down…along with everything else!)  Finally, then, a group of about 20 Russians came along, but we still had lots of room to ourselves.  Swimming among the columns and bases was truly an experience of a lifetime; I’m sure that no matter how many more times we go, it will never, ever be quite as magical again!  Oh!  Forgot about towels, or lack thereof…

We didn’t know if we should ask at the hotel about taking towels with us, or if they had them there to rent or what.  So, first of all, there was NO ONE in sight at our hotel when we got downstairs, thence, no one to ask.  We asked again when we were checking in at the pool, but they just looked at us funny and said the water was very warm, and no need for towels!  Hmmm….well, when we got up there this morning, it was probably in the vicinity of 60 degrees, and very coolish!  However, being the foolhardy folks that we are, we decided to just go with what we had – and into the water we went.  As I say, it was truly lovely and warm (about 87 deg).  I had brought dry things to put on after, but still, it was a bit cold in that transition period.  However, I thought very quickly of Belize and how wet, cold and horrible that was – and suddenly I wasn’t cold anymore!  It’s amazing what the mind can do!

And I thought MY iron was old!

As we were missing breakfast at our hotel, we ordered small pizzas from the restaurant at the pool and had them with wonderful glasses of fresh orange juice; made a great breakfast! 

Hieropolis museum located in former Roman bath

Then, we walked over to the Hieropolis museum which is in the old Roman bath complex, and once again, had the museum completely to ourselves! 

Part of my favorite emperor, Hadrian!

After this, we headed back to the hotel to regroup and plan the rest of our day!  (We did stop by the antique pool as we were leaving, about 10 a.m. and the place was filling to the bursting point!)

More later!

m

xxx

Good afternoon! 

Workers digging on the site!

 Just up from a lovely nap, and need to finish writing about our day today.  After regrouping at the hotel, we decided to head to Laodicea, an ancient site not far from here. 

Main street through the city

Various temples

(Although two sources said it was 1 km from Pamukkale, and it’s more like 10 km!)  When we were here two years ago, we hadn’t even noticed it, but our Rough Guide gives it a very good review.  So … out to the site – even though the police, for some reason, have the road blocked off about 200 yards from the site entrance.  When we told the young man where we wanted to go, he very kindly untied the banner from the sign post and let us through!  How nice!

One of the theatres

I do tend to like columns...

Well!  Laodicea is really something!  The city was founded in the mid-third century BC by the Seleucid King Antiochus II, and eventually became part of the Roman Empire in 130/129 BC.  It suffered from several very strong earthquakes and was subsequently rebuilt, but the city was finally abandoned after a severe earthquake somewhere around 610 AD, with its citizens moving to Denizli, a nearby city.  The site was right on a major trade route, and covers an area of about five square kilometers.  

In recent years, the University here in Pamukkale/Denizli has undertaken a complete excavation of the site, and wow, they are working 365 days a year!  It is really something, after seeing so many sites with covers over things, to see what a real dig in process looks like!  They are obviously very well funded, and are working in various areas all at once.  There are several huge construction cranes, as well as different roped off areas in various stages of excavation and reconstruction.  We watched one group working next to the church using very small picks and trowels.  In another area, which has already been completed, there is an amazing glass floored structure over the top so that you can walk around and see all the way to the bottom of the area.  (Very reminiscent of Athens’ new Parthenon Museum, which we loved…but it didn’t go so far down!)  This site includes, among other things, the largest ancient stadium of Anatolia (measuring 285 x 70 m), two theatres, four bathhouse complexes, four agoras, five fountains and monumental streets!  It was truly fascinating to walk around, as I say, most especially because it is a work in progress!  This will definitely be a place to revisit on our next Turkey adventure!

When we were finished we enjoyed a Magnum Classic (I did!) and more glasses of fresh squeezed orange juice (I know there is a market for that in Tucson! MUCH better than Coke!)  at their little café/store, then headed back to Pamukkale for some well-earned nap time! 

Tomorrow we are moving from Pamukkale down to the coast, at Marmaris for one night before getting the ferry to Rhodes on Thursday.  SO hard to believe that Turkey II is drawing to a close soon!

Lots of love,

m

xxx