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Pamukkale After the Snow
This shot was taken by a travel photographer, Tony Hopkinson. It was our luck he was in our travel group!
As it snowed, it was tempting to head for the complex and take a dip in the thermal pool, perhaps enjoy a cup of brewed coffee or go straight away to the ruins of Hierapolis. Like Ephesus, Hierapolis was also mentioned in the bible, specifically in St. Paul's Letter to the Collosians. It was also associated with another Rainbow in Pamukkale
Tony was heaven-sent. This shot looks like Tony waited for the rainbow and captured it in all its splendor. biblical figure and it is claimed that St. Philip died here. Rather than join the others, Shelly and I reckoned that it may soon clear up and we probably stand a better chance to check out the place in that freezing weather before the same crowd rushes out again when the weather improves. Up close, the travertine pools initially did not look as magical as the posters in my mind. I blamed the weather for that. Worse, I felt like I had the beginnings of a cold. It was also hard to walk as snowflakes hit your face , taking care one does not slip on the wet , slippery ground. Darn that weather. We contented ourselves with a few shots of the travertine terraces - looking like frozen cotton balls, and the scallop-shaped basins inviting us to paddle in its pools. Playing out in my mind is how the ancient royalties must have enjoyed this geological landscape. No wonder the site was deemed sacred then and attracted a stream of pilgrims. Adding to that is the therapeutic powers of the thermal waters. Oh, this place is so blessed! It certainly justifies its title Pamukkale , which means cotton (pamuk)
castle (kale).
As we joined the others for warmth and shelter, we found the Sacred Pool with all the marble columns from the Roman Temple of Apollo. I wonder if it were true that Cleopatra tried the curative powers of the sacred pool in Hierapolis. Some of the tourists went for a swim in the pool littered with all these ruins and artifacts. I should have been tempted. But no, I wasn't. Only one thought ruled.....I needed my dose of a strong brew. My fingers hugged the cup till it almost broke, or till I found my fingers gaining back their sense of touch. I almost "burned" my fingers in a vain effort to keep them warm around the mug. But at least I could sense "hot" from "cold" now. Shortly thereafter, the skies cleared. Shelly and I wasted no time. We picked up our bags and decided we might as well give it another shot. Checked my watch, and estimated there could be another half hour left. Not much time, but enough, to vindicate ourselves with better shots. My thawed fingers may be working well by this time, but the cold wind Not Happy With This Shot
I took this shot. Even Tony would not approve. plastered that 'frozen smile' across my face . That , plus a nose that was threatening to sneeze each time I got ready for a photo. Just the same, we snapped away like crazy, never bothering to review the shots we took, and made it to the bus on time. On our way to the hotel , we made a brief stop at the base of the snow-white cliffs. From the base, the whitish mass looked like a white castle or fortress or a big glacier. We looked up, and guess what, the sky is so blue no one would have guessed it snowed just an hour ago.
In no time, we reached our hotel in Pamukkale. There were many in the area where we spent the night. Shelly passed on dinner to try out the hotel's thermal pool as well as the turkish bath and massage. I chose not to miss my nutrition. After dinner, we enjoyed a musical show complete with a belly dancer. While watching, I had to ask myself exactly where bellydancing started. Was it really in Turkey? Or in Egypt? Or elsewhere in the Middle East? I saw Shelly In Freezing Weather
Tony says this shot looks like Shelly posed before a glacier. and enjoyed many belly dancing shows in some countries and couldn't tell the difference. The common thread though is that after every such show, tourists in the audience would invariably be invited to join the belly dancers. Some are good, some are shy, some are too bold, and some are downright funny. Good sports that they are, it was a good way to end an evening in fascinating Pamukkale.
Postscript: Many thanks to Tony H, who so kindly lent me a couple of photos he took in Pamukkale.
A few more blogs to go on Turkey. Check out the previous ones. Cheers!
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Rob_n_Lorenza
Rob & Lorenza B
Judging by your blogs it looks like you had a great trip. That pic does look like Shelly is standing on a glacier indeed. A friend of ours will be in Manila this weekend, she has adopted 2 year old triplets! An instant family for her - she is so happy. Take care.