Back on the road

Sunday, November 23, 2008
Travel from Kas to Pamukkale Turkey

My view from the back of the van. Yeah not much to see so I slept a whole lot (I know so unlike me).

So we woke up today to grey skies and more rain. Luckily we spent most of the day driving so no big deal. The destination was Pamukkale but as usual we stopped along the way to check a few things out.

Our first stop was at Saklikent Gorge. Upon arrival we saw just how much rain had fallen in the last few days as the water levels were very high, the water was flowing very fast and the water was very muddy. There actually was one pedestrian bridge that had been washed away.

We made our way down a small path to a small area of the gorge that contained a lot of little tables. During the summer this area would be full of people. There is a lot of camping and that kind of thing. Normally we would hike a little farther as well but the water levels were just too high.

I did have to step in the creek though (I picked the portion coming out of the mountain where the water was cleaner and not running as fast). The gorge is so deep that sunlight never actually reaches here so the water is always pretty cold. I can’t lie, I almost fell over, not because it was cold but because I was unstable but managed to get a picture first and then quickly got out. And yes, I am wearing flip-flops but let's move on from that. I think we all learned in Venice that I hate wet shoes.

Where the water meets. You can see the fresh water that drains from under the mountain at this point merging with the muddy water the is running its way down the gorge.

Not sure what "funny rafting" is but I will have to come back in the summer to find out.

Our next couple stops involved shopping. We stopped by a chick-pea store. Yeah that’s right…..chick-peas. They had all types of chick peas including chocolate covered chick-peas…..which were actually quite good. So I bought some. After that we stopped at a glass shop. Unfortunately it was Sunday so we could not actually see them make anything……but that didn’t stop me from buying a few things and plus I had seen them making glass in Murano so it was ok. And the final stop was at a textile store. This area of the country is apparently famous for its textiles. The place had some very nice items…...but very expensive, even with the 10% discount so I didn’t buy anything there.

Pamukkale should be a neat stop. It is home to some hot springs which we will check out tomorrow. There actually is a very nice hot tub in the hotel which I almost used but took a nap before dinner instead. We have a couple things to check out tomorrow and then some more travel but overall should be another good day.

Julie