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 Todd barefoot on the travertines | Photo by Lauren Girardin Whoops. Forgot to include the previous post's photo slideshow - check out photos of Mount Nemrut and Cappadocia.
In the middle of the Sahara Desert, Todd and I got advice for our travels through Turkey, a place that at the moment seemed as far away as the stars in the black night sky. Sam, a chatty Chicagoan told us to "hike barefoot down Pamukale's travertines at sunset. All the tour groups will be gone and you'll have the place to yourself."
Two months later, Todd and I have spent the day with new friends Cara and Zac (read their blog) clambering around the salvage yard-like ancient ruins of Heiropolis, gleefully mocking bikini-clad tourists posing for photos on the steps of the Roman theatre, and enjoying a barefoot walk down the white travertines at sunset – just like Sam suggested.
Though we didn't have any travel suggestions from Sam for our next stops, we had the Turkey guide book she gave us when we parted ways in the Sahara. The book may not have told us that we'd find wild blackberries in Ephesus or kitchy propaganda in Ankara's Ataturk Museum, but it got us there.
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 Archway at Heiropolis | Photo by Lauren Girardin Travel Tips – Pamukale/Heiropolis, Selcuk/Ephesus, and Ankara, Turkey
Where we ate:
- Edjer Restaurant, Selcuk – They had vegetables. I'm not talking tomatoes and cucumbers – real vegetables like pickled beets and sea beans and...well, ok, they're not the most desirable of vegetables, but after weeks of too much doner kebap, you'll be digging it too: YEH
- Donerci Kural, Selcuk – A little place near our hotel that was doing a bumping business, they made a nice doner: YEH
- Okmus Mercan, Selcuk – The hummus was tasty, the beans and schnitzel were just ok: MEH
Where we stayed:
- Kervansaray Pension, Pamukale – The room was tacky, with bright yellow walls, orange sherbert polyester curtains and bedding. They said they had WiFi, and they didn't. When we went to ask about the internet, there was no one at the hotel. We left after four hours for another hotelo: NAH
- Venus Pension, Pamukale – This place is such a great deal, I can't imagine that the prices will stay so low for long. The food from their kitchen is not that good, but there are not a lot of choices in town: YEH
- Jimmy's Place, Selcuk - Well located two blocks from the bus statin, unfortunately they've let themselves go. Needs a new paint job, bathrooms are dirty, and wifi doesn't reach the rooms. However, the hours-long generous Turkish breakfast buffet almost makes up for all the flaws: MEH
What we saw:
- Travertines, Pamukale – The entrance price doubled in Spring 2008, then went up again in August when the price of all sites in Turkey doubled. Take Sam's advice, go in the late morning, bring snacks, and stay through sunset: YEH
- Heiropolis, Pamukale – Included in the entrance to the travertines, this is a sprawling area of ruins – almost too much. Take your time and explore: YEH
- Ephesus, near Selcuk – Go at lunch time when the tour groups vanish. A nice set of heavily restored ruins, though they didn't blow us away: YEH
- Ataturk Memorial - We broke up a long bus ride with a stop over in Ankara, and just about the only thing to do is visit the Ataturk Memorial. It was a bizarre, propagandist site, filled with mobs of kids and soldiers on field trips. The museum has various collections of nationalistic paintings, overly-detailed historic displays, an unnerving wax figure of Ataturk and even more unnerving taxidermied figure of his dog, and collections of Ataturk's fancy-schmancy personal possessions. Hugely entertaining: YEH
Photos from Pamukale, Heiropolis, Selcuk, Ephesus and Ankara, Turkey
If you can't see the photo slide show above, view the photo set on Flickr.
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