The Lost Last Wrighteau Rant
As unusual as it might be, here is my last Wrighteau Rant, and we have been home nearly 2 months. My how time flies. So I won't rave on too much, partly because it seems so long ago and far away that I have forgotten much of the little detail. "Phew!" I hear you say. But mostly just to tell you that we did actually continue and enjoy the last of our trip. This late final blog was all because of those little tiny drops of sea water that had an instant kill effect on my computer.
So after Turgutreis we sailed around the beautiful Turkish waters for about 3 weeks, and then we took a little road trip for a week, which we loved. We had never visited Pamukale before, and it is a definite 'must return' destination. Pamukale means cotton castle, and one of the photos shows Joe standing in front of something resembling cotton wool buds. But is also looks just like a Ski Field, and can be seen from many miles away. The city contains hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by flowing water, like the Pink Terraces that were of old in Rotorua. The ancient Greco-Roman and Byzantine city of Mierapolis was built on top of the white "castle" which was in total about 2,700 metres long, 600 mgr wide and 160 mgr high. Tourism is and has been a major industry. People have bathed in its pools for thousands of years. As recently as the mid-20th century hotels were built over the ruins of Hierapolis, causing considerable damage . An approach road was built from the valley over the terraces, and motor bikes were allowed to go up and down the slopes. When the area was declared a World Heritage Site, the hotels were demolished and the road removed and replaced with artificial pools. Wearing shoes in the water is prohibited to protect the deposits. We got going as soon as it opened, with just a handfull ov people, and enjoyed a few hours ambling up and taking it all in, and wandering around the ruins, so when we returned down the slopes we encountered the multitudes who had been transported up by coach. It was very nice to see both sides of it, quiet tranquility and rampant tourism. The beautiful warm flowing water funning over our feet as we aalk up the slopes is most therapeutic. I can't wait to go back to see it again.
Public transport in Turkey is outstanding, but we enjoyed the freedom of having our own car this time. The roads are fantastic. After leaving Pamukale we were detoured through some very tiny little roads going through the odd tricky little scruffy village before getting back onto another very fast moving dual carriageway. But the funny thing is that even travelling at this frenetic pace, we had to dodge around random tractors going about their business, and even one time a lady encroaching out onto the road promoting her restaurant or roadside cafe, beckoning us in.
We arrived in Selcuk, a small town near the ancient site of Ephesus, and accidentally turned right instead of left, and ended up in the very much not hotel area, crawled around the market and all its participants, into tiny narrow lanes like a maze, until we found our way back over near the castle, and lovely little Belle Hotel. Actually it was a very cheap hotel, but just beautiful and boutique. We were going to drive to Ephesus, but they have a little bus which dropped us all at the beginning and collected us at the other end 3 hours and 3 km later. We visited Ephesus 10 years ago, and loved it just as much the second time. Ephesus was an angient Greek city which at one time had a population of 40 to 50,000 people. What I really like about Ephesus is its scale, and as we walk along the path from start to end, we can actually see remnants life as it was, of buildings, and items giving a visualising of real life then. For example the latrines are in tact, where the lesser folk would be required to sit on the cold concrete to warm them up for the leaders to sit on, all lined up, and they would sit going about their business while having political and financial discussions. And then there are the ladies of pleasure, or House of Pleasure. Ephesus once sat on the coast and was a major trading port, so the sailors came to visit the ladies of the night, and at one point along the main street there is an indent in the concrete of two feet, as a secret message pointing in the direction of the house of pleasure. And the library facade and shell stand, that is a glorious sight. This year we discovered the terraced houses which have been covered and painstakingly gone over with toothpicks, the grandeur and colour of tiles and mosaics was fascinating.
We had a night at little Atadac, very windy little spot, you always know when a place is going to be windy when you see windmills and it is famous for windsurfing. Very nice spot, and Cesme is much bigger but a favourite holiday spot for many Turkish people. After another insignificant night further down the coast, we visited Didim Marina many sailors have told us about. It is a beautiful marina and has a small hotel which we were very fortunate to be upgraded and we had a very comfortable night, and lounge by the pool, before returning to Marmaris and Wrighteau.
So then it was just a matter of putting Wrighteau to bed, and flying Turkish Airlines back to Istanbul, we always like a night to finish off in Sultanahmet, the old Istanbul, and this time we went into the Blue Mosque again. It is a wonderful place to walk around in the night, enjoying the Turkish hospitality and friendly disposition, and the safe feeling of a late evening meander.
But time for home, and here now we are. We are making some long overdue alterations to our house, so that has been completely occupying our time before the madness of the flower harvesting season. So until next time, when obviously a computer will be kept nice and dry, this is Wrighteau over and out for 2013
So after Turgutreis we sailed around the beautiful Turkish waters for about 3 weeks, and then we took a little road trip for a week, which we loved. We had never visited Pamukale before, and it is a definite 'must return' destination. Pamukale means cotton castle, and one of the photos shows Joe standing in front of something resembling cotton wool buds. But is also looks just like a Ski Field, and can be seen from many miles away. The city contains hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by flowing water, like the Pink Terraces that were of old in Rotorua. The ancient Greco-Roman and Byzantine city of Mierapolis was built on top of the white "castle" which was in total about 2,700 metres long, 600 mgr wide and 160 mgr high. Tourism is and has been a major industry. People have bathed in its pools for thousands of years. As recently as the mid-20th century hotels were built over the ruins of Hierapolis, causing considerable damage . An approach road was built from the valley over the terraces, and motor bikes were allowed to go up and down the slopes. When the area was declared a World Heritage Site, the hotels were demolished and the road removed and replaced with artificial pools. Wearing shoes in the water is prohibited to protect the deposits. We got going as soon as it opened, with just a handfull ov people, and enjoyed a few hours ambling up and taking it all in, and wandering around the ruins, so when we returned down the slopes we encountered the multitudes who had been transported up by coach. It was very nice to see both sides of it, quiet tranquility and rampant tourism. The beautiful warm flowing water funning over our feet as we aalk up the slopes is most therapeutic. I can't wait to go back to see it again.
Public transport in Turkey is outstanding, but we enjoyed the freedom of having our own car this time. The roads are fantastic. After leaving Pamukale we were detoured through some very tiny little roads going through the odd tricky little scruffy village before getting back onto another very fast moving dual carriageway. But the funny thing is that even travelling at this frenetic pace, we had to dodge around random tractors going about their business, and even one time a lady encroaching out onto the road promoting her restaurant or roadside cafe, beckoning us in.
We arrived in Selcuk, a small town near the ancient site of Ephesus, and accidentally turned right instead of left, and ended up in the very much not hotel area, crawled around the market and all its participants, into tiny narrow lanes like a maze, until we found our way back over near the castle, and lovely little Belle Hotel. Actually it was a very cheap hotel, but just beautiful and boutique. We were going to drive to Ephesus, but they have a little bus which dropped us all at the beginning and collected us at the other end 3 hours and 3 km later. We visited Ephesus 10 years ago, and loved it just as much the second time. Ephesus was an angient Greek city which at one time had a population of 40 to 50,000 people. What I really like about Ephesus is its scale, and as we walk along the path from start to end, we can actually see remnants life as it was, of buildings, and items giving a visualising of real life then. For example the latrines are in tact, where the lesser folk would be required to sit on the cold concrete to warm them up for the leaders to sit on, all lined up, and they would sit going about their business while having political and financial discussions. And then there are the ladies of pleasure, or House of Pleasure. Ephesus once sat on the coast and was a major trading port, so the sailors came to visit the ladies of the night, and at one point along the main street there is an indent in the concrete of two feet, as a secret message pointing in the direction of the house of pleasure. And the library facade and shell stand, that is a glorious sight. This year we discovered the terraced houses which have been covered and painstakingly gone over with toothpicks, the grandeur and colour of tiles and mosaics was fascinating.
We had a night at little Atadac, very windy little spot, you always know when a place is going to be windy when you see windmills and it is famous for windsurfing. Very nice spot, and Cesme is much bigger but a favourite holiday spot for many Turkish people. After another insignificant night further down the coast, we visited Didim Marina many sailors have told us about. It is a beautiful marina and has a small hotel which we were very fortunate to be upgraded and we had a very comfortable night, and lounge by the pool, before returning to Marmaris and Wrighteau.
So then it was just a matter of putting Wrighteau to bed, and flying Turkish Airlines back to Istanbul, we always like a night to finish off in Sultanahmet, the old Istanbul, and this time we went into the Blue Mosque again. It is a wonderful place to walk around in the night, enjoying the Turkish hospitality and friendly disposition, and the safe feeling of a late evening meander.
But time for home, and here now we are. We are making some long overdue alterations to our house, so that has been completely occupying our time before the madness of the flower harvesting season. So until next time, when obviously a computer will be kept nice and dry, this is Wrighteau over and out for 2013