I guess not everywhere can exceed expectations. Pamukkale certainly didn't. It did not exceed expectations, it did not meet expectations, it did not even come close.
If you do a google images search for Pamukkale you see fantastic white terraces filled with turquoise water below a deep blue sky. Stunning. I gave myself a whole day to wander the park and just assumed I'd have at least one awesome photo to post on Facebook. No. Not one. Not even close. The travertine terraces were there of course, 100s of meters high, 1000s of meters long, looking from a distance like snow; they've been building for many thousands of years, formed by oversaturated mineral-rich warm water bubbling up and depositing travertine as it cools, similar to the way stalactites form. The hot springs and their associated natural hot tubs were the reason the Romans built a city there, using blocks of stone left behind by earlier civilizations, who had also built cities there for the same reason. But the day I was there all the water was being diverted into channels and all the terraces were dry. Sob. And, to add insult to injury, it was a cloudy day. So all I have are photos of dirty grey and white terraces below a dull grey and white sky. Sigh.
I got up early and spent the whole day in the park, I visited the ruins, I swam in the warm mineral-rich waters in a man-made pool, I walked the boardwalks from end to end, I visited the museum, and the spa, and, later, I had a great supper out. It was a lovely day. But I did not get the photo I'd hoped for. Not even close.
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| What the Internet says you'll see... |
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| ... what I saw. |
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| Good ruins though... |
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| ... and I particularly liked this section of wall showing clearly that, unlike the Inca's dry stone masonry, the Romans, who used mortar, incorporated blocks from older ruins when building. |
