Kusadasi

Tonight we're by the Agean Sea in Kusadasi. I've done the last of my sink laundry and am beginning to look forward to being home again. It's been a grand trip and we're glad you wanted to come along. Please let me know if you'd like to see some of our pictures on a "Smile Box" I hope to make soon.

This morning we drove up to Pamukkale-an area where warm 87 degree water and calcium bicarbonate have emerged continuously over the past 14,000 years to form sparkling calcified clifts. The hillsides look like they are topped with heavy snow. We could wade barefoot through the warm waters at the top.

Later we swam through natural hot spring pools. The area was first settled in 2 B C and large Roman columns used to surround these waters. These columns tumbled earlier because of earthquakes and we swam around them at the bottom of the pools. Mark Anthony and Cleopatra were said to have honeymooned here. We could just imagine their pleasure as we floated beneath the palm trees.

There are many ruins there including a 2 A D ampitheater from which they could be entertained by naval battled enacted on the thermal springs as well as plays enacting the life of the gods. It could hold 12,000 people.

The Romans built aquaducts and lined them with lead (pb) which gave us our word "plumbing" but caused them much craziness from lead poisoning They had fountains every 800 feet.

We passed the remains of hundreds of stone tombs. Many looked like small houses into which the bodies were placed. Some had lettering, sculpted pictures, and other decorations on them. There was always the fear of grave robbers as even the poorest person was buried with a gold piece under his tongue to pay his way across the river Styx. Others had much treasure buried with them as it was thought they would need it in their next life. Some wrote curses on the outside of the tombs and other arranged for poison gases to escape and kill anyone who tried to break into the tomb.

We were lucky to only have a shower while we were swmming, but when we got on the bus the rain came down in sheets and we could see lightening over the mountains. We were driving through clouds and were thankful not to be behind the wheel.

We rode through the very fertile Meander Valley known for its strawberries, figs , citrus fruits, and vegies. I noticed more color ( yellow, pink, blue, orange) on the originally grey cement structures

We stopped for lunch along the way. The highway restaurants put our truck stops to shame. All have had a wonderful selection of warm dishes, salads, and desserts for very reasonable prices. Most are cafeteria style We even had table clothes on our tables!

Tomorrow Ephesus!