Our trip to Pamukkale began with a new phenomenon - shopping for a bus company. Unlike Canada where Greyhound is your only option, Turkey has dozens of companies all vying for your business. As soon as you enter the otogar you are besieged with offers. You can go around to each company wicket and ask for the times, prices, bus configuration, transfer information etc. but you aren't really sure what you are going to get, especially on the shorter routes, until the bus actually shows up.
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When we bought our tickets for Pamukkale, we were assured by the agent that we would not have to transfer buses. In the end we did, but it was a short ride and we weren't the ones who had to stand because there weren't enough seats for everyone. Granted the buses are cheap and there are plenty of employees there to make sure you get on and off the right bus, but buying a bus ticket is as stressful as buying a carpet in Istanbul.
We arrived in Pamukkale in the early afternoon and made our way to the Kervansaray Pension. Apparently, the season has not really started yet so there aren't very many overnight tourists around. In fact, there were two rooms booked the first night and only our room on the second night. Having enjoyed our Turkish meals at Homeros so much we asked our host if his restaurant served dinner. Mevlut was happy to accomodate our request so on both nights we were treated to enormous and delicious meals, courtesy of his wife. We can't believe how much we ate while we were there!
Pamukkale is known around the world for its white, travertine pools and terraces, and its hot springs. We saw pictures of them several years ago and were astounded by the beauty of the place. The reality is that we should have been in Pamukkale twenty five years ago. In their attempts to accomodate the tourists, the powers that be have taken away its natural beauty with their manipulations. During our visit we had to listen to the sound of a jack hammer up on the cliff, and were disappointed to find that the majority of the pools had been drained of water. Nevertheless it was a beautiful, sunny day .jpg)
and we enjoyed the uniqueness of our surroundings. We spent the day touring around the Roman and Byzantine ruins of Hierapolis and viewing ancient artifacts in the museum. People have been drawn to this place for thousands of years with good reason. We were up there on a Sunday afternoon and not only were there loads of tour buses, but there were lots of Turkish families having a day out. Although Pamukkale may never be restored to its former glory, it was worth a day trip.
We are now heading to Egirdir which, according to the Rough Guide, is a pretty, little lakeside town. It is a convenient place to stop for a couple of nights on our way to Cappadocia.
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When we bought our tickets for Pamukkale, we were assured by the agent that we would not have to transfer buses. In the end we did, but it was a short ride and we weren't the ones who had to stand because there weren't enough seats for everyone. Granted the buses are cheap and there are plenty of employees there to make sure you get on and off the right bus, but buying a bus ticket is as stressful as buying a carpet in Istanbul.We arrived in Pamukkale in the early afternoon and made our way to the Kervansaray Pension. Apparently, the season has not really started yet so there aren't very many overnight tourists around. In fact, there were two rooms booked the first night and only our room on the second night. Having enjoyed our Turkish meals at Homeros so much we asked our host if his restaurant served dinner. Mevlut was happy to accomodate our request so on both nights we were treated to enormous and delicious meals, courtesy of his wife. We can't believe how much we ate while we were there!
Pamukkale is known around the world for its white, travertine pools and terraces, and its hot springs. We saw pictures of them several years ago and were astounded by the beauty of the place. The reality is that we should have been in Pamukkale twenty five years ago. In their attempts to accomodate the tourists, the powers that be have taken away its natural beauty with their manipulations. During our visit we had to listen to the sound of a jack hammer up on the cliff, and were disappointed to find that the majority of the pools had been drained of water. Nevertheless it was a beautiful, sunny day .jpg)
and we enjoyed the uniqueness of our surroundings. We spent the day touring around the Roman and Byzantine ruins of Hierapolis and viewing ancient artifacts in the museum. People have been drawn to this place for thousands of years with good reason. We were up there on a Sunday afternoon and not only were there loads of tour buses, but there were lots of Turkish families having a day out. Although Pamukkale may never be restored to its former glory, it was worth a day trip.We are now heading to Egirdir which, according to the Rough Guide, is a pretty, little lakeside town. It is a convenient place to stop for a couple of nights on our way to Cappadocia.
View More Photos
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