Geo: 38.4122, 27.1387We have been so incredibly lucky with the weather during our trip. Rain is not uncommon this time of year, and we haven't seen a drop...and it has been HOT! Hot, hot, hot!Our sightseeing today was to Pamukkale and Hierapolis. Though these are technically two different sites they are in exactly the same area.First we explored Pamukkale, home to famous and beautiful travertine terraces. it is easy to see how Pamukkale, which means "cotton castle" got its name.These terraces form when water from the hot springs loses carbon dioxide as it flows down the slopes leaving limestone deposits...beautiful layers of white calcium carbonate (limestone) build up.Within the terraces (which are off limits to viewers) are these beautiful pools. There are a couple of large pools at the top of... read more

Geo: 36.8997, 30.6952Traveling, done right, is a great adventure and I had my very own adventure last night. Let me preface this story with a little background. Somehow I have become the one in our group to whom stuff happens. For example, in Cappadocia I missed a step going to dinner and fell down a small set of marble stairs. Ouch! The next day while exploring Goreme's Open Air Museum of rock churches, I slipped and ended up on my butt; of course, I was up pretty high and in full view of folks when I made my ungainly descent. Golly, I need to learn to fall gracefully. So, it didn't seem to shock anyone when I got locked in the bathroom of our hotel room. But it wasn't my fault...... read more

Geo: 38.9833, 35.1907Do you recognize the above song lyric? If so, be the first to post the answer (the name of the band) to my Facebook page and I'll bring you a little present from Turkey.Today we traveled from Ankara to Cappadocia. The trip was a couple of hours and there were some interesting sites along the way. There is a salt lake(Tuz Golu) in Turkey which is clearly visible from the road. At times during the year, you don't see the salt because of the water, we saw just the opposite, all of this salt and next to no water. I want to say that 1/3 of Turkey's salt comes from this lake, but I might just have made that up.Yes, that is a picture of pigeons. Don't you take photos of pigeons when you're ... read more

Geo: 39.935, 32.847I apologize for missing my post last night...the need for sleep was greater than my need to write!Let's start by announcing who were the first to correctly answer my contest questions. The first question asked the source of the "posh, posh traveling" song posted on September 3rd –the song is from that classic musical “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and the winner is my sister-in-law, Janet. She was the first respondent and had the correct answer. The second challenge was to name the book and author that had the line “Please sir, I want some more”. Several folks answered very quickly and accurately, but the winner was my cousin Lawson. Of course that quotation is from Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist."The wheels on the bus go 'round and ‘round, ‘round and ‘round, ‘ro... read more

Geo: 41.0245, 28.9881Today was the first day of our "official" Turkey tour - and I promise not to talk about food! There are 27 people in our tour group and we are traveling in one of those huge tour buses - lots and lots of room to spread out and everyone gets a window seat. :-)Did you notice the new photo that is the cover for this blog? That is the Turkish flag and I thought it would add pizzazz to the blog. I'm a little afraid today's post is going to sound too traveloguey. Tonight I'm not physically tired, but my brain is exhausted. I learned so much and really wish I could share it with you. Information about architecture, religion, commerce, politics and more. For instance, did you know that Istanbul is the meeting ... read more