Day 20, 30th April 2026 Antayla to Denizili

 Up early and in a Taksi before the city wakes.

We have a 8am bus to Denizili but we have been advised that  you never know the traffic in Antayla, so best to go early.

Arrived at a very quiet bus station and in search for someone who might have some coffee.

Found a lovely chap, very keen to serve  us. We both enjoyed a nescafe with coffee mate and Stuart bravely had a mince Pide that he said tasted like Tuna, so we’ll see how that pans out later.

The buses are great, one particular custom we are enjoying is that not long  after the journey starts, they come along with tea and coffee. (3 in 1 in a satchet)

Although today it was an actual trolley and we got biscuits as well!!

Each bus company is slightly different, so i will compare and contrast.

Today is up there as a good one!

Arrived about 4 hours later and could see our hotel as we drive into the terminal. It really is nice having these (not too long) bus trips and seeing the landscape; forever changing. 

Perhaps i should have been looking at the footpath and not up at the hotel as i tripped and did a huge body plant on the footpath.

Once you start going down with a heavy pack on your back, you are going down.

Anyhoo, nothing broken.

 Settled into Hotel, some minor first aid and we head back to the station for the small shuttle bus that will take us to the foothills and Pammukale. 

Stopped on way at bus station food place for a couple of doners, the chicken was possibly sitting there for a while: pushing boundaries today! 

Surprisingly found our bus relatively easily, and it even went where we wanted to go. Winning…

Arriving at the North Gate of the Heirapolis, we pay the €30 entrance fee and start to wander through the ruins. We get offered a lift, for a small fee, to the other end where the springs and ampitheatre are. 

Heirapolis has been a spa associated with the thermal springs since C2-3bc, “ as evidenced by the large necropolis filled with tombs”. It had the usual to and fro-ing with the various invaders, destroyed by earthquakes a couple of times, before being abandoned in C12. It was covered in limestone until rediscovered in C19.

Interesting is the the tunnel where the hot springs emerge was the site of rituals by eunuchs that appeared to be immune to the carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide that was used in sacrifice. 

As we approach the pamakaale, it appears as a huge dolip of vanilla ice cream smeared on the hill. 

I was excited to take stuart to cleopatra’s pool… ( she did swim in it and it was a gift from Marc Antony.)but of course it was closed today… and has been for 2 years as they make it look like something from wet and wild. 

It was beautiful in the day, all these broken bits and pieces of very old stuff just lying in the pool gathering algae.

Now its  blue and probably chlorinated with a few token bits in the bottom.

I’d been looking forward, perhaps with a little trepidation about seeing the travertines again. There are inly 2 pools with water in them but shoes off clothes off, revealing our swim wear and attempt a dip in the the limestone ponds; cant say it was the most enjoyable experience with hundreds of people and the gritty water: but we did and sat for a while. 

We walked down to another area that i could see in the distance and i’m so glad i did. No people, the travertines are there and pure and white just no turquoise  water.

Most of the photos are from that area.

Headed home bought a couple of beers on the way home to consume on our little balcony, before heading out to find some dinner.

That didn’t work, although we did find a very sleazy restaurant that said “ no menu, no food only alcoholic”

Bought another couple of beers and some corn chips to enjoy on our balcony.

Bon appetite..