The nursing home

Pammukale
Northward bound on the road to Gallipoli, today we lobbed in to Pammukale; home of the old aged and place where people walk on the amazing calcium carbonate formations (you'll have to google image search Pammukale). The hillsides covered in the previously bright, now dulled, CaCO3 was quite amazing, sadly with the 1000's of tourists daily walking on the formations the area has/is being degraded significantly (now brown, green, yellow as opposed to the crisp snow white it should be). Thats just Turkey for you!!!

As mentioned before, Pammukale is also home of the elderly (purely my observation!). The thermal water that brings the CaCO3 to the surface is also believed to have healing properties, and where miracles occur you can be assured that there will be elderly sick people hoping for a miracle... This was most evident at our fancy hotel, heavens waiting room. It was just like a nursing home complete with large light switches, wide doors, wide corridors, power points well up the wall; everything geared up for the aged. This was not limited to the rooms/fixtures/fittings but extended to the dining room/hall; complete with lift, puréed food and watered down peanut butter to list a few! Terrible! Needless to say Manda and I were the youngest there and at a guess the average age may have been closer to 70.

On a more positive note, today we're off to Ephusis to see it's ruins which from all accounts is spectacular!

Have a beaut long long weekend and a happy Easter!



Hello all- Manda here! B makes the turkey trip sound very dismal! It's actually not at all, and it's been great to see a country in such detail. Turkey has so many faces and is so diverse- poor and wealthy, modern and old, etc etc. Fascinating really, and it's quite a massive country too. Given this and it's almost third world nature, doing a group tour here has been the best idea- too big and unorganized and even a little intimidating for us to have done on our own. Sometime the drives have  been 5 or so hours, so it takes the stress out of doing that travel ourselves. Having said that, tours and the people on them can be challenging.

Getting tired of Turkish buffets but the principles of the food are good. Have enjoyed turkish pide / pizza, lentil soups, chicken kebabs and fresh turkish delight. Not so good were the mackerel sandwiches, pickles in cabbage and vinegar and the noodle sugar dessert thing we don't know the name of! Desserts in general not great, but apple tea delicious!

Had a day cruise in the Meditaranean sea on a little boat- swam but it was freezing! Went to see the underwater city but the water was too choppy. A lovely relaxing day though, one if my favourites. Not sure I'd like a cruise though, although i managed not to get sea sick.

Have visited lots of ancient ruins, including xanthos, aspendos,  Ephesus and the heirapolis of Pammukale. All fascinating and unique in their own way- amazing to see how advanced some civilisations were! They really thought in detail- even anti slip on the walkways in ephesus!

Getting close to the end if this tour but still have Anzac day in Gallipoli before we hop on our topdeck tour. A night camping out tomorrow so we can be there for the dawn service- cold cold cold but worth it I'm sure?! Will post the results.

Leaving you with a Turkish saying brad likes- one wife and you get a headache, two wives and your hair goes grey, three wives and your hair falls out, four wives better to die!

Love m xxx