A TURKISH DELIGHT - DAY 11 – 20 NOVEMBER 2021 – Kusudasi to Pamukkale

Kusudasi is a town built on tourism. The entire town seamlessly support that industry, be it hotels, cafes, restaurants, monuments, beaches, food, markets, et al. When I go to such places that are unidimensional in their economic support system I always wonder about the havoc the global pandemic would have visited on the people who depend on that economic ecosystem. However, one thing must be said, people have moved on and look forward to better times. There is no sign that infrastructure maintenance was compromised or even that the industry was still reeling under the Covid-19 impact. That said, I feel hotels are employing lesser cleaning staff now as compared to earlier days. A couple of hotels had made us wait to get the rooms done up.

Ramada Hotels & Suites was not only comfortable but also enjoyable for the wonderful views of the Aegean Sea. I woke up early to watch the moon giving way to the sun in that inviolable march from night to day. The moon kept weaving between dark clouds and extended its stay longer than I expected. By the time it gave way to the unyielding pressure of the sun it was well past 7 am. And then, she shone bright and promised a day of good weather. After being adequately sated by the sights we got ready for breakfast and subsequent departure for Pamukkale.

Breakfast, as was the dinner last night, was an elaborate one. Just as in the Park hotel in Izmir the fare in Ramada hotel was impressive. However, at times when you see a lot of food the appetite disappears mysteriously. Every hotel implements its own Covid protocols. In Izmir we had to use the face mask every time we went to pick up food, which we had to from the breakfast spread using the tongs given to each of the diners. In Kusudasi we were given a plastic glove to be worn while handling the spoons and tongs in the breakfast spread. Whatever, the hotel staff, always masked, were trying their level best to ensure that all remained safe and their business is unaffected in any manner. Besides the scrambled eggs, poached egg on a spinach bed, potato wedges and sausages in tomato paste almost filled my plate. I was intrigued by two items, Menemen and Gozleme. I tried out both. Menemen is the Turkish version of scrambled eggs with tomato added in with spices and cooked in olive oil while Gozleme is more like a stuffed paratha. It is made from unleavened dough, flattened and stuffed with various toppings and cooked over a griddle. The second helping consisted of some greens, pancakes and French toast topped with mixed berry, Rose and Strawberry jams. Who would say that I am diabetic? To wash all these down were tumblers of Peach juice!

At the checkout I told the receptionist that we had had dinner the previous evening for which we had to pay. She did not find that entered in the system. If I had not told her that I may have saved 140 TL for two buffet dinners, but it may have cost someone their job or cuts in pay. The receptionist made a few phone calls and discovered that the previous evening's accounts had not yet been entered into the system. There was a mini panic because many had already checked out in the early hours. I paid up and did not wait for the system to raise an invoice. We had to get to Pamukkale.

The 190 km was done in about 3 hours of unhurried driving from Kusudasi. About 30 km short of Pamukkale we had to take rural roads and get through small villages. That was another experience. I feared if the hotel I had booked would be so basic as to be uncomfortable. However, I need not have worried. While Venus Suite Hotel was located in a small street, the owner Younus, manning the counter, welcomed us and efficiently checked us in giving us a lot of information about the activities in the town besides visits to the Travertine and Hierapolis. He suggested that we could do paragliding later in the day and hot air ballooning the next morning, which he could book us for. Besides, he mentioned that the massage in Pamukkale is special and asked if we would like to try that. We politely declined all those offers as our sights were set on the Travertines and Hierapolis and we did not have enough time to even do justice to those.

The small town of Pamukkale, meaning Cotton Castle in Turkish, survives on tourism. It receives more than 2 million visitors every year, save the pandemic years of course. The town is most famous for the travertine terraces and the Hierapolis. Calcium Carbonate precipitation from the flow of geothermal water form travertines. The water is thrust up almost 300 meters from under the earth's surface due to volcanic activity. Over time, deposited travertines from the flowing thermal waters build terraces. The Pamukkale travertine terraces are a World Heritage Site along with the ruins of Hierapolis. Misuse of thermal springs and land use near the Hierapolis caused considerable damage to the local environment and called for strict action. Many hotels were demolished and a large swath of the travertine terraces were closed to restrict further damage. Presently only a narrow swathe of the terraces is open to the public. Visitors have to remove footwear to walk on the terraces and inside the pool because they are fairly fragile. One can walk up the terraces from the main entrance gate or drive up to the South Gate and enter the terraced travertines from there.

Hierapolis is believed to have been established by the Romans as a Spa City in 2nd century BC and is above the Travertine Pools. Christianity was well established here. The Hierapolis is where an apostle of Jesus, Philip, was martyred in 80 AD. From the Romans the city passed on to the Byzantine Empire and then on to the Ottoman Empire. The amphitheatre is one of the features of the Hierapolis. It can be seen from the travertines and can seat about 10,000 spectators. Inscriptions reveal that there were special seats for VIPs. The theatre is believed to have been used also for gladiatorial fights as the stage is considerably lower than the seating area. This was to prevent animals from hurting the spectators.

Situated between the white travertine pools and the theatre is a spectacular location fed by the same hot springs. Here one can bathe in the same waters in which Cleopatra once did! The modern spa facility allows one to enjoy the historical healing waters. Unlike the chalky waters of the lower pools, that in the Cleopatra Antique Pool is clear warm water. Even though it is a ruin today, the bath is no less spectacular and is well patronised for its supposedly healing powers. I saw many people using the fallen columns and other artefacts of the Roman times to soak up the health giving properties of the water. Of course, selfies and photography sessions were high on their agenda too.

There are plenty of options to stay in Pamukkale. Of course, in a small town one should not expect anything fancy. The Venus Suite Hotel was a very decent accommodation, easy on the pocket with excellent service. Its proximity to the Travertine complex and the facilitation they provide for paragliding, hot air ballooning and massage is an added plus. Moreover, they have a quick and affordable laundry service when you can get 6 kgs of laundry done for 70 TL. They serve excellent food in their restaurant. During dinner I tried out Manti, which is, to be simplistic, miniature steamed momos stuffed with meat.