Day 4, Monday 12 May
Yeah so our day started at 3:15am.
:(
We had to be up at stoopid o'clock to get to the airport for a 5:50am flight. So we got up and ready and headed downstairs. The hotel had provided some bread rolls and bits for breakfast, so that was nice.
Got to the airport and went through the first round of security no problems. Dropped off luggage and got boarding passes ok too. Then proceeded through second security, but they were being pretty inconsistent about liquids. They let me through with my water bottles, but stopped other people for theirs. Whatevs, I needed that water later, so keeping it was good.
Our flight was south to Denizli. I'd gotten seat 20D on a 737, so I was pretty disappointed. But when Heather came to our row (Jim and I were already seated), she just said shove up one, so I asked if I could please please please have the window seat - and I got it yayyyy!! :):):):) Heather ended up getting a window seat as well due to the plane not being full, and Jim also took and empty row. As it turned out, the seat was awesome. We took off to the north and then did a big loop around to the east then south, so we had a totally awesome view of Istanbul! Very happy making :)
View towards Istanbul from the plane at sunrise
View west over the Bosphorus
UludaÄŸ mountains
After arrival in Denizli, we piled into a new coach and headed to Colossae. There isn't much to see there now, as the city was levelled by an earthquake and never rebuilt. And it hasn't been excavated either, so it's just a big mound now. But it's still all intact underneath the rubble, which turns out to be full of archaelogical treasures. Ok piles of broken pottery everywhere, but how cool is that to just wander around and be able to pick up bits of two thousand year old pottery! I was surprised the bits hadn't been fossicked away by people over the years.
Bruce giving a talk at Colossae
Ancient pottery in Colossae
The mound at Colossae
The mound at Colossae
View west from Colossae
Ancient ruins at Colossae
Our next stop was the bottom of the springs at Pamukkale. The white cliffs there are stunning! Really pretty. Just had a short stop there to get some photos.
Pools and rock formations at Pamukkale
Looking up to the white travertine cliffs at Pamukkale
View across the lake up to the spring at Pamukkale
The terraces at Pamukkale from below
Then we headed up the top to the Necropolis and Hierapolis. The former being the cemetery for the latter. Both were very cool.
Ancient road through the Necropolis of Hierapolis
Tomb in the Necropolis of Hierapolis
Tomb 176 in the Necropolis of Hierapolis
Tomb 170 in the Necropolis of Hierapolis
Tomb in the Necropolis of Hierapolis
Tomb 166 - Tomb of the Gladiators
Our tour guide Selim Akin at Tomb 56
Interior of Tomb 56
Tumulus 51 in the Necropolis of Hierapolis
Gate in the Necropolis of Hierapolis
Arches in the Necropolis of Hierapolis
Tomb A18 in the Necropolis of Hierapolis
Structure in the Necropolis of Hierapolis
The latrine
Frontinus Gate
Turret in the Frontinus Gate
Columns in the latrine
Frontinus Gate and street
North Byzantine Gate
Water channel
Ancient theatre in Hierapolis
At the end of the walk through the old city, you end up at the springs with the pool and the terraces at the top of the white cliffs. Soooo many people. And the most bare flesh I've *ever* seen in a muslim country.
Rooster statue at Pamukkale
Thermal pool at Pamukkale
People at the springs at Pamukkale
People at the terraces at Pamukkale
View from the top of the springs at Pamukkale
Top of the springs at Pamukkale
Me at the springs at Pamukkale - barefeet!
Ancient theatre in Hierapolis
South Byzantine Gate
For lunch we drove all the way into Denizli and out the other side again to a big restaurant where we had the choice of chicken skewers, whole trout, mushrooms with cheese on top (baked), or something else I can't actually remember right now. I had the chicken (meat on a stick!!) but ended up finishing someone else's mushrooms and cheese. Yumm.
View back to the springs at Pamukkale from the coach
ATMs on the street in Pamukkale
Pond at Değirmende Canlı Alabalık restaurant
Then we came allll the way back to the springs where the hotel was. The hotel is quite nice and has a nice pool and a thermal pool. I was all set to go for a swim until I realised I'd forgotten my cossies :(:( Fail! So tried to organise the first two days of photos of this trip, where they were all in different time zones and overlapping.
A view of the northern end of the springs at Pamukkale
Pool at the hotel
Thermal spring at the hotel
Went had a couple of beers with some people by the pool before dinner, and headed up at 7pm. It was a bit chaotic again - a huge group of Japanese tourists went up at the same time. The dessert spread was pretty amazing.
After dinner a bunch of us went for a walk into the village down the road to have a look at the shops. But now that I've been up for eighteen hours I just want to go to bed... haven't even downloaded photos yet :(
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