KUSADASI TO HIERAPOLIS-PARMUKKALE, TURKEY (VIA APHRODISIAS)—Thursday, May 9, 2013

---

KUSADASI TO HIERAPOLIS-PARMUKKALE, TURKEY (via APHRODISIAS)—Thursday, May 9, 2013


Onder Hotel, Kusadsi

Looking out over the harbor and bay as we eat breakfast indoors this morning, we noticed that one of the cruise ships in port is a Royal Caribbean ship of the same class we were on. Looks like rain today. Bus leaving at 8:00 this morning and we have now rotated seating so that today we will occupy the third seats from the very back.

We left the coast behind and quickly climbed into the mountains and into the valleys where fig and olive orchards grow. Some of the olive trees are planted on the hills at such a slant you wonder how they can harvest them. We passed by many farms, several which were devoted to strawberries. Aykut had the bus driver stop at a roadside stand and got us a crate of strawberries that he shared with us. They were quite large and rather juicy. Several communities we drove through are obviously making red bricks as we could see factory buildings with rows of kilns on one whole side.



Aphrodisias

We arrived at the ancient Greek, and then Roman, City of Aphrodisias, got our tickets, and went through the turnstiles. The site has been under excavation for over 30 years by archeologists and students from New York University. The Anthropologist, Professor Kenan Erim, who spearheaded this work is buried on site, as he wished.

The city was built near a marble quarry that was used extensively in the Hellenistic and Roman eras and marble sculptures from this city became famous in the Roman world. One of the first things that was done, was to take a group picture in front of the remaining columns of the Monumental Gate of Aphrodeseas. There was a professional photographer and Aykut (our tour guide) also took everyone’s cameras and took a photo with each of them. The professional picture was a good one and we purchased a copy as did several others of the group.

Turkey is prone to earthquakes as it sits on several major faults and has suffered a great deal of damage at various times, especially in severe tremors of the 4th and 7th centuries from which the city never fully recovered. It fell into disrepair and another town was built that partially covered the ancient site.

We have been seeing orchards of pistachio trees and here we could get close to one growing. Saw some different kinds of birds in the trees and meadows. Have no idea what the “big as a crow, but multicolored,” bird we saw is and unfortunately Aykut is not a birder. He could not ID the bird from Valerie’s picture. It looks somewhat like a magpie but with bluish sides.

After walking around in the heat and humidity looking at baths, temples, a hippodrome, a theater, and other ruins, I bought some cold drinks for us near the museum and found a chair to sit on. This site is in some ways better restored than Ephesus, but much smaller. Before we both re-boarded the bus, Valerie dashed through the museum that reminded her of Naples with its many different statues and frescoes. Because this town included a school where people learned to become sculptors, many were quit nice.

For lunch, at a rest stop, I had chicken kabobs and Valerie had lentil soup and pizza. The proprietors of the restaurant had made this one of the most efficient and welcoming places we stopped at. There was a pleasant open-air feeling to both the dining area and the bathrooms. They had used ancient farm implements as accent pieces in their landscaping, and there were many nice plants and flowers.



Pamukkale

Leaving Aphrodesias, we climbed higher into the mountains and could see snow now on the higher peaks. Getting some of the rain that had been holding off so it may be cooler soon. Crossed a major fault line that you can see where recent earthquakes have pulled the sides of the earth apart. We then dropped into the valley and drove through the modern city of Pamukkale.

Up on the hillside, overlooking this city are hot springs that have formed cascading terraced pools of white/bluish calcium deposits down the whole side of the mountain. These tiered thermal pools can be found in only three places in the world; one is in China and the other in Yellowstone National Park. The hot springs have been used as a spa since the 2nd century BC, and people came to soothe their ailments, with many of them retiring or dying here. An ancient city, Hierapolis of Phrygia, was built around the springs. From the parking lot, you walk through some of the ruins and can see a large amphitheater on the hillside.

Our group wasn’t particularly interested in the ruins of the city, nor the museum on the grounds, instead we headed down the path to the edge of the pools to take a look. A small group of us gingerly walked across the rough rocky bottom and then stepped into a corner of one of the warm pools. The water made the footing very slick and one of our group actually slipped and fell, but fortunately, just jammed her shoulder. Others sat with their feet into the channel of warm water feeding the pools.

The park service rotated the “wading locations” so that no one spot got over-used. They also stood guard and made sure no one was endangering themselves, others, or the formations. You could also pay money and swim here in a thermal pool closer to the hillside, but no one from our tour did.

After a short bit we put our shoes back on and trudged up the hill to where the bus was parked stopping at various benches while others climbed even further up the hill to look at the amphitheater. Our driver then drove us the short distance to the Herakles Thermal Hotel in a village nearby. On our way, we passed by Hierapolis’ large necropolis filled with marble sarcophagi.

We rested in our room while several people in the group enjoyed the thermal pool that was at 120 degrees--a wee bit hot for us. Had a real nice dinner here with VEGGIES, even if they were all cold in various “salads”; such as, brussel sprouts in a vinegar dressing, broccoli in a cream sauce, and quartered beets. Both Valerie and I had 2 helpings of these cold salads. The other salad we liked was made with rice, shredded red cabbage, and currants.

Back in the room, frustrated, as I couldn’t get on the wifi--guess everyone trying at the same time--I went to sleep without reading a word of one of the many books I had on my e-reader.

---