So, I lied.

True, Camels and Tacos is officially retired, but it seems to be more popular now than when it was active. The post that gets most hits is the Egyptian Beer Guide, why, I'm not sure. If you aren't following our new blog Tibs Tummy about our Ethiopian adventures you should check it out. Additionally, I started a new book/blog on growing-up punk rock in Denver in the early 80's: Bob's tips on becoming a successful punk rocker.  Here are some photos from both Tibs Tummy and Bob's tips on becoming a successful punk rocker. Hope to see you soon.

Pamukkale, Turkey

We first learned about Pamukkale via a poster outside a travel agency near the Hagia Sophia in the summer of 2007. Our first thought was, "why are people in swimsuits hanging out in the snow?" Pamukkale, lit. translation cotton castle, are terraces made of travertine-a type of limestone formed by hot springs. 

We arrived in town with our bathing suits ready to splash around in those gorgeous white pools. The above is what expected to see. The reality was quite different. The pools were shallow and many parts of the sight were closed off. We did note a determined tourists or two desperately, in vain, attempting to reenact the postcards and posters.

The bottom.

At the entry point, shoes are not welcomed and must be removed. 

Where are all the fashionable hotties with their speedos and bikinis? Sounds like we came during the off season. 

Ana's feet getting wild.

Closed off.

Detail

The town below.

At the top was a museum, gardens, ruins, and an angry German shepherd mom with pups.

My Silly Girl

Ruins in the setting sun.

Inside the theatre.

The bad news was we had to walk back down the wet rocks after the sun had set. The detail of the stone looks like the moon's landscape. 

Hello kitty. Since swimming in the terraces was no longer an option, we took a bus 5 km north to the village of Karahayit for their famous red springs and mud bath. We also loaded up on nuts, olives, soap, and other goods.   

Locals taking advantage of the free hot springs.

Freshly squeezed pomegranate juice.

The big town of Denizli wasn't overly exciting. We did run into a souq and saw this friendly man making minarets. Someone mentioned we should catch a bus to Kaklik. So we did.    

 4 km north of Kaklik is a cave. The bus dropped us off on the highway. We looked around and didn't find a taxi, so we walked over to a cafe and one of the men playing dominos offered us a ride. 

Our ride dropped us off and left, there was no one at the cave taking tickets or otherwise, so we just walked in and noticed some flooding and broken stairs. It was a little erie. Overall, the cave was like an underground Pamukkale. Ana wasn't keen on disappearing, so we didn't spend too much time exploring. 

Our main concern was getting back to our hotel 50 km away. We hitchhiked and one of the cement trucks coming down form the quarry offered us a ride. The driver gave us each an orange and showed us his personal hygiene products, maybe he was teaching us how to say "toothpaste" in Turkish. He even squeezed his lemon-scent alcohol hand cleaner into our palms. He dropped us off outside his cement plant. We eventually found our way home. Stay tuned for Cappdocia.   

Hello Antalya, Turkey

Ana and I spent a week in Istanbul during our honeymoon back in 2007. In many ways, the trip was significant because it helped shape our decision to go teach in Egypt two year later. We found the people friendly and country slightly exotic considering we hadn't really be beyond our own backyard. During our stay in Istanbul, posters outside of travel agencies left a huge impression on us, especially Pamukkale-that place looked like it was from another planet. We always wanted to return and go investigate if those places really existed. On the agenda: Antalya, Pamukkale, and Cappadocia.     

The trick to any adventure is go to where locals eat. We've discovered that several countries we've visited have their own version of what we call a California burrito (some sort of wrap with meat, sauce, and fries).

What university did you attend?

Our Pink Floyd suite at Kale's homestay was pretty sweet. The place is run by Katja, an expat German lady who showed us a great time. If you're looking to make a new friend, stay in the old city center, and eat at cool places, hit up Katja.   

Our rooftop view.

Finally, someone speaks the truth.

Have a desire to ride on a pirate boat? We did. 

Antalya was a nice break from being landlocked in Ethiopia. The city is very walkable and easy to navigate. 

Only if we had our swimsuits.

In general, we are not big fans of Roman artifacts, but then again we never had the opportunity to be immersed in it.

It was interesting to see giant statues stitched back together. Ana and I talked about what if the American empire fell, would the Lincoln Memorial be pieced back together and displayed in a museum like this? 

Detail of a sarcophagus.

Farnese Hercules-the original? 

The museum had everything from a natural history, statues, Ottoman period pieces, coins, ethnographic items, etc. 

For my sheesha smoking friends.

A popular pirate boat destination is a visit the Lower Düden Waterfalls. If you are lucky (unlike us), the boat captain will take your photo and mount it on a porcelain plate that you can buy at the end of the ride. 

Pulling back into port.

If you are a pomegranate fan, a visit to the Anatolia region is a must. 

Perga is a short bus ride from Antalya. near the city gate.

We were disappointed that the Roman Theatre was closed.

Stadium

Katja not only runs a homestay, but also an laundromat. She keeps her soap in this cool tin. 

Buy a bag of pistachios and get a free newspaper cone for the shells. 

Hıdırlık Tower

A stroll around town. Stay tuned from Pamukkale.