26th January: Pamukkale - Antalya After breakfast, swimming possibilities in Hot Springpool at the Hotel. Leaving the Hotel to visit the city, Plutonium, Theatre, Bath and Gymnasium. Later drive to continue to Antalya, arrival in Antalya in the afternoon Dinner and overnight at the Hotel in Antalya.
Well, seeing as we'd investigated the swimming possibilities the night before, we instead departed for the the ruins of the city as Pamukkale immediately after (eww) breakfast. In the middle of a drizzle, as usual.
By the time we reached the ruins, our drizzle was rapidly becoming a full-fledged downpour. To the shock and horror of just about everyone, I shucked my shoes, rolled up my jeans, and pulled on a pair of flip-flops. I hate wet shoes.
The local gift shop did quite well that day; we managed to buy out almost its entire stock of hats and umbrellas. (This makes three umbrellas I've purchased in this country, by the way.) And thus we set out, and were soaked to the skin within minutes. Fortunately, the rain let up almost immediately after we'd made it out of the Plutonium (city of the dead - it was probably a sign, in retrospect) and up into the city proper.
As the sun came out among the storm clouds, the whole area was hit with a burst of what Maeghan and I came to call "God-light" - the sort of light one sees in movies just before divine presence enters the scene. It looked like anything could have come out of that sky.
I think they're doing Swan Lake.
Valerio's Mr. Rochester moment.
Valeria's Vogue shot.
"I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeWitt."
I'm...not sure what Maeghan thinks she's doing here.
Emo trees!
Pamukkale translates as "cotton palace," (I think) and it's not referring to the mansions of the Deep South. Rather, to massive, chalky-white and deceptively fluffy-looking mineral formations left from the region's hot springs, such as the curiously-smelling ones we'd paddled in the night before. The mineral formations - massive versions of the sort you find on your bathroom faucets - are stunning.
And then - and this is genius - there's a truly awesome part where you get to wade in them!
For all of you who were complaining that there aren't enough pictures of me on this blog: here. Have a buffalo shot.
Mind you, the weather was still rather cold at this point, and the water cooled rapidly away from the spring mouth, but the channel along the edge of the terrace stayed warm as far as we ventured.
Afterwards, we all piled on the bus, where I managed not to gloat too badly over the fact that my flip-flop-clad feet, having quickly dried, were warm and toasty. The ones who'd worn their shoes? Not so lucky.
All right, perhaps in retrospect, I was overdoing the smugness:
Also, I seem to be imitating a tree. Hmmm...
Having left Pamukkale, we piled back onto the bus and departed for Antalya.
A rainbow outside the city...
A truly disturbing fountain outside a rest stop...
The least-appetizing sandwich I've ever seen...
And Valeria on the bus as we drove into Antalya for the night.
Tomorrow: camels!
2 comments:
Sorry, could you TAKE better photos? Seriously. I'm raiding your computer using my jump drive and pretending I have photography skills when I go home!
And some of us didn't have the flip-flop option. (Due to our own stupidity, but we aren't mentioning that)
You think flattery will get you anywhere! :)
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