Pammukale and Olympos

So I rode the "chicken bus" as it's been referred to Pammakale.. The journey took twice as long as it should have naturally, but Hassan was there at the bus stop to pick me up as was arranged on the phone... Once you get in one of these family circles, I think it is hard to leave. It makes everything quite easy though.. But you have no idea if you are getting ripped off or are getting the good deal they all promise... I suspect they are giving you a decent price with a premium. The chicken bus made a few stops.. One to get the bus washed, once for gas, another smoke break and of course the numerous roll bys for ppl to jump on and off. I even had the chance to pee in a hole again.. Incase I forgot how it felt being westernized again in Europe. After 4 hours on my 2 hour bus ride, I made it to Pammakale. The "four seasons" was there to pick me up and take me to my suite.. Another double room all to myself. It was just fine. And the staff soo friendly... Too friendly I've decided.. That's how they suck you in to milk you for all you're worth.. But Hassan quickly took me to the Pammakale site after my arrival... Well he took me to his farm behind it.. And from there I trekked through the wild bush in my rainbows James Bond style to get in for free..

I went over the hill and found an ancient city.. That's not what I was looking for! So I trekked back down and around and ended up at the front ticket booth..not quite where I wanted to be either.. So I went back to the hillside and a tumble and a roll later I was back in the grounds of the ancient city which apparently was the same as the crazy natural spring water dealy. I don't know what to call it exactly.. But it's way cool. Of course I was paranoid the whole time that someone was going to come over to me and catch me.. But luckily I was stealth enough to pull off the free entry. So I walked around, made friends with this little Asian lady who was verry worried about me walkin on top of the calcium or white stuff or whatever that stuff is..

Luckily I can show you pictures that help it all make sense! And the sunset from there was waay cool.. And reflected in the pools.. Even cooler. And I listened to some old dude telling this girl about how this place looked just 15 years ago.. Bet it was soo amazing. The lack of postcard sales in area I think has left them still advertising deals of postcards of a place that basically no longer exists.. And thank god neither do those 80s outfits! Basically there were heaps of pools alll over the mountain side, and you were free to roam and stand and Wade in whatever one you want. Now that unesco is in charge, people can only walk in one little area.. But it's probably a good thing as I'm sure the tourists climbing alll over the place were aiding in the quick erosion.. And the water levels aren't exactly what they look like on the postcards either.. New routing of the water controlled by large plastic garbage bags kept the minimal amount of water flowing just in a small area as well. Nonetheless, it was still pretty awesome.. Something I've never seen before! So after enjoying the sunset and the walk down back to the four seasons, I agreed to buy dinner from the hotel since I was lazy, they saved me 20 lira, and the food was a "good price". I feasted on a plate of chicken, salad, rice and a whole other plate of this eggplant stuff.. kinda like the menemen (a loose scrambled omelette situation) that is my breakfast of choice. Mmm the food here is really good. Delicious always actually. And I spent the night working on backing up my photos and chatting with/ half listening to the Internet man/ the family friend tell me about places in turkey that I wasn't going to.

The next morning I got up fairly early because Hassan was supposed to have the bus times for me.. And I knew somewhere that I read the only bus was at 9:30 to Olympos.. But he had told me the day before that the bus was in the afternoon so I wasn't too worried. By the time I had breakfast and relaxed in the sun waiting around, Hassan told me that the only bus is at 9:15.. And it was already past so I would just haveta stay another night... And tonight we would all go to this Turkish wedding together. Alright. I'm flexible, and it would for sure be cool to see that... except what do I wear and won't it be awkward showing up?? Hasn't this wedding been planned for more than one day too? How come this is the first you heard about it? Skeptical, I said ok.. I wasn't really in a rush around turkey anyway. So I went for a stroll to "town" to check it out..Hassan was weird about that idea.. I didn't get it at first.. He wanted to be sure I'd be back in time for lunch at 12:30... I had over 2 hours to check out the two main roads.. Think I can squeeze ya in buddy! So I strolled, not sure of where I was really headed other than hopefully coming across a pom tree for some bus snacks! I first came across this little old Turkish lady who was filling up some buckets at the local tap down the road.. I hesitated a bit because I wanted to get a picture of her but wasn't sure how that whole situation would go... She stopped me in the middle of my thought process when she turned to me and started mumbling in Turkish.. Pointing as the bucket already filled.. Guess she needed some help carrying it? So I helped the little lady out by picking up the bucket and following her to her house.. Laughing a little out loud that I was carrying a bucket of water down this little dirt road for a random lady in turkey.. Haha who does that!? O yea me! So we went not too far at all, and she said "come! Real Turkish house!" so I stepped in to check it out, getting a little sketched but fully aware I could this little old lady with my right pinky need be. And so we check out her two room house, covered with turkish fabrics and stuff piled everywhere. She kinda pointed to a mat on the floor and I took my seat.. Finally figuring out what was goin on. So I gave in and gave he 5 lira for 2 hand emboridered pillow cases and got the picture of her that I intially set out to get. I got a big hug and a little good luck key chain deal and tried to tell her I had to go now.. I think the standing up signal was all she understood but I got on my way into town.. Well like 10 more steps before I started getting hassled by the bus guys. So I looked into the prices and the times.. They were cheaper and goin in the next hour.. After some debate and discussion, and telling me that Hassan was his friend (after calling him a liar) I walked away to think about it.. and I remembered my golden travel rule: don't let anybody else hold up your agenda. I wanted to get to olympos to sleep in my tree house and so the Turkish wedding and convienient extra night stay would haveta wait until my next visit to turkey.. So I went back to get my bag and peace out of the four seasons.. On the way I noticed full meals advertised for 7 lira.. Hmm half the price of my very good deal meal the night before.. And thus I finally figured out how the Turks are genius Liars. It's all a game and they are just waiting for us white westerners to give in to their kind, sincere, and seemingly helpful smiling faces. Gah. I paid my dues and bounced.. Hassan wasn't around so maybe that made it easier to bounce and I wandered back into town to go buy a bus ticket.. On my 7 min journey I was stopped prolly 7 times by different kids who were all offering me good price bus tickets on the best bus.. The fastest and nicest and actually the same exact bus. On the way to the original bus company, I came across a man from a different company who offered me the same gig on the best bus company in turkey (because it was the oldest) for 5 lira less. I said fine.. Went into his office, and still ending up paying the full 25 lira instead of 20.. And in the middle of paying I was rushed onto a rando bus rollin down the tiny street to go to the main city. I naturally had to stand as the bs was full.. But in the gettin on process I saw the Japanese couple I had met in rhodes walk by, had a quick wave and smile and we both kept movin in our directions. That's when I love traveling. So onto olympos.. On the 3 hour fast bus that was still 4.5 hours.. And the bus was still no match for the spaceship bus I first had, but still good with snacks after our water and tiny cup of juice! At the rest stop along the way, I had the juicer man feel bad for me picking my pomegranate apart and he sliced it up nicely for free :) so I made I to Antalya, and then two more mini buses and 8 more lira later it was dark but I was finally in "the village".. And I was sooo glad I left pammakale and wished I'd left a bit sooner! Ah this place is sweet! The village starts with kadirs tree houses, which unfortunately were pretty wrecked from the flood last week.. Staying in the original place mightve been cool.. But I knew that bayram's down the road was open and doin business. So I was able to drive by the other 26 pensions of "treehouses" in orange and lemon groves that more or less were all identical with the slightest different twist. Bayrams was happening, and they eagerly greeted me and rushed me to the bomb buffet (included) dinner. I overheard some north American accents in my way to the table and decided to join them at the cool little sitting area where everyone was relaxed.. Just hangin and causally playin some backgammon as if they were all locals. There were two groups of ppl.. One was these girls who were just moving to different places all over the world every 3 months while filming themsleves and their lives of finding jobs and whatnot in different places. This was their vacation week in turkey.. And in the two days I never saw a camera between the two canadians and the LA girl who was originally from cayucos. Ha. The other three were a couple from Utah and their Vermont friend. And then at the apple tea table I found a kid who had graduated from cal poly in '03 and he joined us too. Quite the lack of diversity, but I was happy to finally have young ppl to talk to again! Yay! So we chatted for a bit and enjoyed the great night under the oranges... Bummer they were all still green!

The next morning I was up early with the roosters.. Apparently it was daylight savings so the roosters were really goin off at 5 instead of 6..ugh. But I managed to sleep in a bit in my little tree house! K so it's not quitee a full on tree house.. Nor all mine.. But it was still so cool. It was more of a rickity house built of wood on sticks next to trees, and I had to share the dorm with this old Turkish speaking lady.. She didn't look Turkish but she could talk to the owners and neighbor owners only. So I had an awesome buffet brekky, packed myself a vegetable sandwich on the huge bread slices for lunch later, and headed towards the beach. I had a really big decision to make at the gate, where you haveta pay 3 lira to go into the ruins of the ancient city of olympos to get to the beach.. Or a week pass was 5 lira.. Hmm. Would I really go to the beach more than one day??? Everyone else was leavin on the night bus to cappadocia, so I thought maybe I should head with them since I've finally found some friends.. But the happiness and unexpected sunshine helped me put out the 5 lira for a two day pass.. Another night here couldy hurt! So since I payed for the ruins I had to explore them a bit... They were actually way cool too because they were basically surrounded by jungle.. Untouched it seemed, and it felt like you were the first one to come across the old theatre or roman baths or old tombs wrapped in vines down a not so well travelled path.

Cool. Along the way, I found Noah, the Utah kid, and he told me there was this huge cave and castle up this one hill that he could see yesterday.. So we crawled up together.. The rainbows held up pretty well for their unexpected climb.. And we found the castle and a good view of the sea. The cave was way underneath us... And the 42+ feet drop to the water told me from experience that jumping was not the best idea.

So we hiked back down and trekked a bit through the nasty river to get across to the beach where everyone else was hangin out. The beach was a bit rocky, but almost sandy by Greek and Croatian standards. We all went for a swim in the Mediterranean, something decided to chow down on my burn wound, and I was done swimming for a bit. Bayram told me later it was probably a pirrahna.. I think that was a big fat Turkish lie.. But it would be cooler if I got bit by a pirrahna than a dumb little fish! Whatever it was ripped all the fresh skin that I had been working so hard to grow right off, and i was basically back at square one.. Boo. I took in what is probably the last bit of sun for the year as the clouds gazed the sky and the sun set. Back to the treehouses to chill out some more with our apple tea and backgammon. I waved off my handful of new friends as they boarded the minibus the Turkish way... Crazy happy but sad and really waving until the bus is long past gone... I've noticed at the bus stations that bringing the whole family to wave bye to someone is a normal practice. So dinnertime quickly came as I knew by the little boy ringing the cow bell for dinner.. He may have rang that bell a little to vigorously, but it reminded me of Peter pan or something.. Like I was a lost boy being called to the group dinner. O yea. After dinner ı sıgned up for a 'tour' of chımera.. ıt was actually just a taxı rıde that took you to the place where you hıke 20 mıns up a pıtch black hıll to fınd these flames.. the flames are cool though.. supposedly someone-lıke a greek god or hıs son- was fıghtıng thıs monster and ı thınk he won and sent the monster to hates and the flames are stıll burnıng from the monster.. to celebrate trappıng the monster ın the underworld... the people of olympos would run a torch lıt by the eternal flames of chımera.. (ı thınk thats the name of the monster) down to the cıty of olympos every year.. and well... thats where the olympıc flame came from! lıterally.. the flame that burns started rıght there.. and all ı could thınk of was ı wısh ı had a marshmallow..

they used to be bıgger and cooler apparently.. but ı guess thats lıke everythıng around here.. so those were cool.. and ı played wıth thıs 7 year old englısh kıd tryıng to put the flames out before ıt was tıme to trek down teh dark mountaın agaın... and as ı got back to my treehouse for bed, ı found my lovely roommate screamıng ın turkısh ın her sleep..contınuously. that was fun.

the next mornıng ı got up and contemplated a run.. but decıded layıng at the beach would be a much better ıdea... untıl the random downpour started. crap. ı couldnt even go to the beach...and ı paıd to go too! ahh.. ıt was a crazzzy storm brewıng.. lıghtnıng, thunder, the whole shıbang.. you better belıeve ı got out of that rıckıty tree house asap. rıght as ı got under some shelter, ıt actually started haılıng even though ıt wasnt cold outsıde... wow.. ı prolly shoulda headed to cappadocıa wıth the otehr kıds last nıght.. now ı had all day to sıt and watch ıt pour. whoo hoo. ı grabbed a few cups of apple tea and watched the streets start to flood agaın.. ı also had two rounds on the free breakfast.. why not?! around 1 pm the sky kında sorta cleared, and ı was tıred of sıttıng around wıth the old fart borıng tourısts, so ı ventured out ın the lıght raın to check out the rest of the ruıns and go for a stroll.. the ruıns on the other sıde of teh rıver were prolly even better, and teh raıny mısty weather added to the coolness factor.










so ı wondered up and down and all around them, gettıng covered ın mud before ı decıded take my huge ass pomegranate to the beach.. eatıng a pom ıs always a good way to pass a few hours.. especıally when they are bıgger than your fıst.. they take ages to pull apart. so ı walked and pıcked and ate some more.. and saw some black clouds comın at me.. okk tıme to turn around. ı got back just ın tıme.. and just lıke everyone else the treehouse ppl trıed to make me stay another nıght.. so ı could sıt around ın the raın the rest of today and all day tomorrow too? mm no thanks. peace. ı caught the shuttle to the maın road where you hop on the other mınıbus.. and got to the antalya bus statıon lıke 4 hours early.. ıt was pretty yucky and raıny there too.. but ı wasted a good hour wonderıng around.. ı shuoldve shopped for my bus tıcket there ınstead of gettıng ıt at Bayrams.. dumb. o well.. and there ı found another calıfornıa gırl.. apparently turkey ıs the happenıng travel place to be for amerıcans.. you guys just dıdnt get the memo! ı got bored enough to fınd the publıc bus ınto antalya.. ıts supposed to be a cool posh beach sıde resort place... so why not walk around there for a bıt? by the tıme the bus fınally came for town, ı dıdnt have too much tıme to spare, but ıt was worth gettıng out of the bus statıon.. the fact that ı had no ıdea where ı was goıng dıdnt help too much.. and thıs afrıcan kıd helped me out because he was goıng to the town center too.. sweet. ı cant quıte remember where he was from, but he was lıvıng ın turkey for 2 years.. playın for the the turkısh natıonal soccer team.. and he was so excıted to see a young face on teh bus that he ınsısted on takıng me to get somethıng to eat for my long journey ahead... ı went wıth ıt consıderıng the large number of boys ı have so recently turned down. haha. ıf anyone ıs lookıng for a boyfrıend, just come over to these parts and youll have lıke 17 ın one day. ı promıse. we had a huge pretty good meal adn then ı had to get back on the bus to the bus statıon so ı could sıt on another bus for 10 more hours.. so he helped me fınd the bus stop. and even paıd for me to get back because he couldnt fınd the free shuttle he was tellıng me about! o too nıce. so ı made ıt.. got on my shıtty bus.. and attempted to sleep.. apparently the göreme buses dont have free ınterenet adn arent ın lıne wıth the spaceshıp buses.. the bus drıver lıghtıng up and havıng hıs smoke blow through the heater system that was burnıng my left leg the entıre rıde was a nıce put you rıght to sleep remedy too... not. every 20 mıns when ı woke up, there was someone new sıttıng behınd me.. quıte strange.. and they were never ever sleepıng eıther. they just stare. rıght at you. lıke you are an alıen. ım sure ı looked haggard and then they had the rıght to stare a bıt...


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