Our Place - Turkey

Pamukkale

Pamukkale (“Cotton Castle”) is sort of like a giant version of Mammoth Hot Springs at Yellowstone. Waves of calcified cliffs deposited by the hot springs welling up are a beautiful landscape--the largest travertine deposit in the world. Sadly, after an earthquake in 1999, much of the water drained a different way, leaving the thermal pools are only 20% of their previous level. Bathing in the pristine pools has been restricted, and there was just one path we could walk over (in barefeet.)

No, it's not snow and ice, it's calcium carbonate and hot springs.

Walking through the pools, the stone is a bit slippery, and in some places sharp. At the top of the path, we stepped into hot pools, but the water cools to just warm as it trickles into the lower pools.

Not surprisingly, there are geothermal plants outside the town of Pamukkale. Our hotel had thermal baths, and the outdoor one was almost too hot to stay in for very long.

Cascading pools

Bob enjoying warm feet on the path

Mediterranean
Near the city of Antalya, we spent the day on a "blue cruise"-- sailing and swimming along the Turquoise coast. Luck was with us and we had beautiful weather to motor along the coast to a cove, drop anchor, and swim in the very salty, fairly warm blue water. Lunch aboard included sea bass and fresh salads.
Cliffs along the Mediterranean. They don't call this the Turquoise Coast for nothing.	Another boat moored in the cove where we had lunch and swam.

The Taurus Mountains

The Taurus Mountains separate the Anatolian plateau of central Turkey from the coastal area. As we drove south over this range, the weather changed...warmer and more humid. This area has a lot of farming, with olive trees dotting the hills along the highway.

Lots of olive trees

The Bosphorus

Turkey borders several bodies of water, including the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, the Aegean, and the Sea of Marmara. Controlling both the Dardenelles and the Bosphorus Strait gave Turkey great advantages in the centuries when sea trade was key. Today, cruise ships and oil tankers ply the Bosphorus, which runs through the heart of Istanbul.

Cruise ships at anchor in Istanbul in the Bosphorus Strait

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