Pammukale day

The morning saw us packing our bags again as Mehmet had told us just before that the room he'd put us in was actually needed by someone else the following night. I had been wondering if that would happen because I realised after we accepted the room he hadn't check with us how many nights we were staying in. He assured us he would be upgrading us which was even better! Given his general manner and previous reviews I'd read about the service here I'm sure that the whole thing was a genuine mistake and he was feeling a bit stink about it.

So we took our bags to reception after a lovely breakfast in the restaurant.

The inside part of the restaurant where we had dinner + breakfast both days.

Then we headed off to see the Travertines and Hieropolis: the whole reason for taking this trouble getting to this out of the way place. Only about a ten minute walk up the road, passed half-hearted hawkers trying to get you to buy a guidebook, and then you are there at the ticket office. Before the terraces begin you have to take your shoes off to walk on them. If you don't a security guard chases you and blows his whistle fiercely (we saw it happen to other dozey people).

The place where you stopped and took off your shoes.

The terraces are pretty amazing. An entire hillside covered with basically a hard white crust formed from something to do with calcium carbonate in the spring water at the top oxidising (or something. There was a chemical formula on the brochure). Almost ruined as an attraction by uncontrolled tourism in the 80s and 90s, it was taken over by UNESCO in the early 2000s and measures were taken to reverse the damage and discolouration of the terraces. You walk along the terraces up to the top, passing by pretty pools of milky blue water and stepping on the rough stone or the strange white mud it creates. The pools on the walkway are artificial, to keep the tourists happy, while the real pools can be seen on the side of the hill, filled and emptied on a rotating to schedule to allow all the pools access to sunlight which will eventually bleach them back to their shiny white perfection.

Foot in white mud.

The view on the way up.

Some of the real terrace pools, the only ones we saw filled with water while we were there.

Hoards of tourists were arriving by the time we were at the top.

At the top of the terrace walkway stands the ruins of Hieropolis and the “Antique Pool”, which I guess used to be the site of a sacred Roman hot-spring pool, but is now essentially a place for tourists to spend too much money to take a dip. We were pretty 'ruined out' from the previous few days but we had a wee poke around the massive site. Probably the best building, presently being restored, was the theatre.

We even paid the extra 5 lira each to take a look in the on-site museum of artifacts from the site.

We had been considered paying the extra and having a swim, but rainclouds were threatening and we knew thunderstorms were on the forecast for the afternoon. Also 30 lira for a swim was bit ridiculous we thought, and the ever increasing crowds of tourists in and around the pool put us off.

So we decided to save our pennys and head back to base. I was keen for a dip in the terrace pools though, so I cheekily used the change facilities at the antique pool and then pool hopped all the way back down the walkway. Greg went for the paddle up to his knees option.

We tootled back to the hotel for a quick shower and change before lunch. When we arrived Mehmet showed us to our new room – wow!

For lunch the Lonely Planet let us down for the first time. We went to a place where the owner was indeed friendly, the menu varied, and the view of the travertines from the patio out back was hard to beat. The food unfortunately was fairly average, the price way too high, and the patio was decorated with flags but no New Zealand! (Ok that last complaint is hardly a valid concern). This was sort of made up by the two gorgeous kitties that loved you so much when you had food! They followed eachother around and one meowed constantly and the other never said a word. Partners in crime they reminded me of Tahi and Rua Julia if you're reading this! They had mastered the art of the pleading look and given the averageness of the donor meat I was quite willing to relinquish some to the kitties but afraid I would upset the owner who seemed to wish the cats would go elsewhere (they were his cats though).

View of the travertines from the restaurant - not too bad!

No NZ flag! The guy suggested we post him one.

Don't know why some of these are appearing sideways when I've already rotated them.

We arrived back pretty early in the afternoon so we sat outside in the restaurant for good wifi reception and relaxed for several hours as the Weather rolled in.

That night we enjoyed another meal in the restaurant and even though I was already stuffed I insisted on one last dish of baklava with icecream. Was worth every calorie. Greg and I are contemplating investing in a Turkish cookbook once back at home!

Most excellent homemade lentil soup and a vege combo!

Baklava and neopolitan icecream! Doesn't really get any better than that...

Pretty Turkish lamps lit up the restaurant at night.

Funny 'stunned cat' appeared while we were eating.

Mehmet made sure our early transfer to the airport in the morning was all sorted, and we took ourselves off to bed nice and early ready for a 5.15am get up.

And thus concluded our last day in Turkey proper! Very sad to say goodbye!

Sunset from the balcony in our new room at the hotel!

Farewell Turkey!!