Pamukkale - blowing a gale one minute, raining the next !!!!

Said goodbye to our good traveling friends and the good weather and now we are off in the wilds of Turkey on our own. Managed the tram - train - plane - coach - minibus transfers with no drama and the Melrose House Hotel is small and friendly.

Woke to a blustery, dusty gale forefeet wind this morning a bravely set off for the ruins of Heiropolis and the Travertines as the weather looked like it would not improve over the day - how right we were. The guide books don't fully explain the white marble hillside so as much as I was prepared to take off my shoes to walk over the formations I was not prepared for the water to be flowing over them as well !! Imagine a flowstone formation in a limestone cave, then make it as big as a hillside and running with clear warm water and that is what this place is almost like.





There was a path to the top which was sort of protected from the wind and we paddled up and then met the tourist hoards who arrive from the top bus park in well, busloads. It is surprisingly not slippery at all and the hot spring water is lovely to walk in. At the top it started to rain so luckily we had already seen our fill of Roman ruins so we found our way to the Ancient Baths which had a large covered cafeteria to shelter under.



We had thought to visit these pools tomorrow but discovered that as they were on the inside of the ruin complex we would have to pay entry again to visit later so despite the lack of swimmers or towels and the rain we of course went on in ( for extra Lire and me in my shirt and knickers ) Those rain coats we had carried around for the last 2 sun filled weeks finally came in handy when we got out and needed dry things to wear !!!! The water was 36 degrees and clear to the gravel and marble columned bottom and Cleopatra used to swim here as well ( but perhaps not in her undies !!!!!) We swam until we were wrinkly and then braved the rain again to paddle back down the Travertines and back to the village.

It is still raining so a quiet day might be in order tomorrow before the dreaded night bus back to Goreme in Cappodocia.

See you soon

Love Wendy and Graeme