Turkey
Today we woke up at 2:15 am for our 3:30 pick up to go to the airport for our tour. :( We made it. We were at our gate with more than an hour to spare. I went to the board to double check it was the right gate, it was. Then about 15 minutes before take-off, Randy realized that we should have already been boarding. He looked at the board at the gate and that wasn't our city! He checked the big board and they had changed gates without any announcement!! We had to grab our stuff and rush to the gate down one floor and at the end of the concourse! We were the last ones on the plane! They were announcing a final boarding call! Yikes!
We arrived, got our bags, then saw the people with name signs--one of the signs The driver didn't want to stash our bags in the back (probably not enough room), so we put them on the extra seats and on the floor in the back row of seats. After a long drive, we arrived in a small town. Well, it was too early so we had to wait around. Eventually our guide arrived and we all got back on the bus. There were more people now and the guide stashed our stuff in the back so that there were enough seats. Every seat was filled. Not everyone was there for the 4 day trip that we were there for. They seem to have a set schedule of tours an companies move people around from one tour to another as needed. We had our "Pamukkale-Hierapolis" tour today. We went to Pamukkale to see the red water. It is a special hot spring with extra iron, so it turns red. We were encouraged to take off our shoes an walk around in the pools of water. The water is supposed to be good for any matter of problems. Where it came out it was super hot, but cooled off the further away you were. I took off my sandals and rolled up my capris and tried it out. Then we were gathered by our guide to go back to the bus. Our guide calls us "my friends" and has control issues. He reminds me so much of an elementary teacher on a field trip. Joshua even said that he felt like he was on a school field trip!
Next we went to the ancient roman city of Hierapolis. There is another spring here, but this one has calcium carbonate in it, so it has created fields of white pools. We were shown some of the sights, then given three hours of free time. Some people paid to swim in the "antique (swimming) pools" of the water, the others could choose from wading in the spring's entry pools, walking to see the other ruins, or going to the museum in the baths. We got ice cream bars, then decided to wade in the pools of the spring and walk to see the ruins. You have to be very careful in the pools because some areas are sharp and some are slippery. The rocks that aren't covered with water are super hot from the sun. After we walked around for a bit in the water, we set out for the ruins. We ended up in a little gardens area where we sat to rest. My ankle was throbbing, so I rested longer and told Randy and Joshua to go ahead and look at the ruins without me. As most of your know, I sprained my ankle a few days ago. I iced it and elevated it, but sprains take a while to heal. It is getting easier to walk now even though it is still quite swollen. I have developed other aches due to compensating for it and stairs are still difficult.
The group met at the meeting spot and we boarded the bus. We went to a place for lunch. They had a buffetline with hot and cold food and we paid for our drinks. After lunch, we went to a marble shop where they explained about marble and what the colors and shapes mean then we were invited to shop in the showroom. No one bought anything and we finally left there. Then they had to figure out how to get everyone where they needed to go. Some people were dropped off at hotels in the area and then the driver got ready to drive the airport people to the airport. We had to get off with our bags and wait while they contacted the tour company to find out where we needed to go and arrange transport. We were driven with a couple and a grad student from Ireland for three hours. The couple was dropped off first, then the student was dropped of 20 minutes later and we were dropped off a few minutes after her. We even had a tour guide along to facilitate everything!
We are staying at The Boutique Hotel in Kusadasi. Randy said that he stayed at this hotel when he did his tour, even though his was through a different company and in a different order. Also, his tour was all night buses and we have flights. After we checked in, we went out to walk along the water. Kusadasi is a beach resort town in Turkey on the Aegean Sea.
After we walked, we stopped for dinner, then went back to our hotel room. We have three twin beds. We couldn't get the air conditioner to pump out any air, so I went to the desk and they came back up with me to figure it out. They did and we have a cooler, more comfortable room! Because we are right on the water, there is a bar/restaurant down below and is very loud. We have an 8:20 pick up tomorrow. We will go to breakfast at 7:30, then pack our bags and check out. We have the Ephesus tour tomorrow then a night flight to Kayseri. Now off to bed to make up for waking up so early today!
Today we woke up at 2:15 am for our 3:30 pick up to go to the airport for our tour. :( We made it. We were at our gate with more than an hour to spare. I went to the board to double check it was the right gate, it was. Then about 15 minutes before take-off, Randy realized that we should have already been boarding. He looked at the board at the gate and that wasn't our city! He checked the big board and they had changed gates without any announcement!! We had to grab our stuff and rush to the gate down one floor and at the end of the concourse! We were the last ones on the plane! They were announcing a final boarding call! Yikes!
We arrived, got our bags, then saw the people with name signs--one of the signs The driver didn't want to stash our bags in the back (probably not enough room), so we put them on the extra seats and on the floor in the back row of seats. After a long drive, we arrived in a small town. Well, it was too early so we had to wait around. Eventually our guide arrived and we all got back on the bus. There were more people now and the guide stashed our stuff in the back so that there were enough seats. Every seat was filled. Not everyone was there for the 4 day trip that we were there for. They seem to have a set schedule of tours an companies move people around from one tour to another as needed. We had our "Pamukkale-Hierapolis" tour today. We went to Pamukkale to see the red water. It is a special hot spring with extra iron, so it turns red. We were encouraged to take off our shoes an walk around in the pools of water. The water is supposed to be good for any matter of problems. Where it came out it was super hot, but cooled off the further away you were. I took off my sandals and rolled up my capris and tried it out. Then we were gathered by our guide to go back to the bus. Our guide calls us "my friends" and has control issues. He reminds me so much of an elementary teacher on a field trip. Joshua even said that he felt like he was on a school field trip!
Next we went to the ancient roman city of Hierapolis. There is another spring here, but this one has calcium carbonate in it, so it has created fields of white pools. We were shown some of the sights, then given three hours of free time. Some people paid to swim in the "antique (swimming) pools" of the water, the others could choose from wading in the spring's entry pools, walking to see the other ruins, or going to the museum in the baths. We got ice cream bars, then decided to wade in the pools of the spring and walk to see the ruins. You have to be very careful in the pools because some areas are sharp and some are slippery. The rocks that aren't covered with water are super hot from the sun. After we walked around for a bit in the water, we set out for the ruins. We ended up in a little gardens area where we sat to rest. My ankle was throbbing, so I rested longer and told Randy and Joshua to go ahead and look at the ruins without me. As most of your know, I sprained my ankle a few days ago. I iced it and elevated it, but sprains take a while to heal. It is getting easier to walk now even though it is still quite swollen. I have developed other aches due to compensating for it and stairs are still difficult.
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| A discarded Roman pillar |
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| the sheets of Calcium Carbonate |
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| It looks like a glacier, but it 's solid calcium carbonate |
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| Wading in the pools of warm spring water |
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| This is what it forms naturally |
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| Roman ruins |
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| the entrance to the old Roman baths--now used as a museum |
The group met at the meeting spot and we boarded the bus. We went to a place for lunch. They had a buffetline with hot and cold food and we paid for our drinks. After lunch, we went to a marble shop where they explained about marble and what the colors and shapes mean then we were invited to shop in the showroom. No one bought anything and we finally left there. Then they had to figure out how to get everyone where they needed to go. Some people were dropped off at hotels in the area and then the driver got ready to drive the airport people to the airport. We had to get off with our bags and wait while they contacted the tour company to find out where we needed to go and arrange transport. We were driven with a couple and a grad student from Ireland for three hours. The couple was dropped off first, then the student was dropped of 20 minutes later and we were dropped off a few minutes after her. We even had a tour guide along to facilitate everything!
We are staying at The Boutique Hotel in Kusadasi. Randy said that he stayed at this hotel when he did his tour, even though his was through a different company and in a different order. Also, his tour was all night buses and we have flights. After we checked in, we went out to walk along the water. Kusadasi is a beach resort town in Turkey on the Aegean Sea.
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| The Aegean Sea |
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| Seafood street food |
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| Street Performers |
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| Joshua had befriended every cat that we've seen. He is the "cat whisperer". They love him. He has tons of photos of them! |
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| Joshua and one of his friends |
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| Rainbow houses on the hillside! The guide said that they were gypsies, but Roma don't typically do that. Whoever did it, it's very pretty and well-done! |
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| Sunset photos |
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| Street performers--they were really good!! |
After we walked, we stopped for dinner, then went back to our hotel room. We have three twin beds. We couldn't get the air conditioner to pump out any air, so I went to the desk and they came back up with me to figure it out. They did and we have a cooler, more comfortable room! Because we are right on the water, there is a bar/restaurant down below and is very loud. We have an 8:20 pick up tomorrow. We will go to breakfast at 7:30, then pack our bags and check out. We have the Ephesus tour tomorrow then a night flight to Kayseri. Now off to bed to make up for waking up so early today!
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