Day 10 (Tuesday) - Pamakkale

Another long bus trip - 3 hours - but again ondivided highway nearly all the way so it is an easy trip really. Something different today, although there has to be the obligitory ruin somewhere of course.

Pamakkale is an amazing limestone flow down a mountainside which has formed separate lakes as it goes down the side of the mountain. For the Turks, it is a bit like Surfers' Paradise - thousands come to swim in the lakes (not all are open for swimming) and it is packed with locals and tourists.

There was a Roman bath town here of course but it was totally destroyed in the same earthquake that destroyed Troy - which is over 500 km away so it was some earthquake!! Some ruins remain, the most in tact being the theatre.

There is also the tomb of St.Phillip who came to live in Pamakkle with his family. His tomb was only discovered and authenticated in 1990.

Great day again. Got to be up early for transfer to Izmar airport for flights to Cappadocia where will arrive mid-afternoon

Trivia of the day: Turkey has the dearest petrol in the world - try Aus$3.55 litre! In contrast, cigarettes are about$3.00 a packet. An i-phone will set you back Aus$1500.00.  Cheers all.

Photos (the order tends to be random, sorry) are: The Pamakkale Lakes; the theatre at Pamakkale; the Bella Hotel in Selcuk where we have been staying and enjoying the roof-top restaurant (called the Stork as there is a huge stork's nest just across the road)