How much fun can we have......?

05.06.2013
And lo! The people of Pamukkale were exceedingly strapped for shekels, and said to the Lord "Lord, how shall we become rich ? " and the Lord said "Oh people of Pamukkale, you have Roman ruins and ABA  (Another Bloody Amphitheatre) on the top of the hill, and a thermal spring so charge 5 lira to look at them and 6 lira to bathe in the waters." and the people of Pamukkale heeded the Lord's advice but pickings were slim and fortunes were not forthcoming. So the people of Pamukkale cried to the Lord "Help us, Oh Lord, we need a gimmick" and the Lord spake thus to the people of Pamukkale - "Divert the exceedingly warm spring water (36°c) over the cliffs where it will form travertines, disgorging calciferous water at the rate of 260 litres per second, forming wondrous pools, turning the rocks white and then charge people 20 lira to walk up them in their bare feet  and bathe in the pools which will take 10 years off their age " And the people of Pamukkale heeded the Lord and are now laughing all the way to the bank as the crowds pour in. I jest, of course,  egged on by an original idea of Ken's, as  it was the greatest fun we've  had in years and is an astonishing experience. We climbed, barefoot , up a mountainside running with water, astonishingly steep but incredibly easy to ascend. It is very difficult to describe, a naturally occurring phenomena, unique and a world heritage site. We paddled in the pools and climbed the cliffs. We then did the extensive ruins and ABA ("the best in the Orient") before walking back down the travertine...our campsite is opposite the entrance and has an uninterrupted view of the travertine hillside. We walked round the village and were accosted by the usual gamut of shopkeepers, carpet sellers and restaurants offering ever increasing deals and discounts. I then made the mistake of suggesting we take advantage and eat out for dinner and before I knew it I was organising dinner for 16. I have never negotiated a price for a meal before sitting down but I got a set meal at 27.50 lira for 25 lira and included 6 beers, 4bottles wine(35 lira each on the menu) and 3 1.5 ltres of water and it was a jolly good meal and everybody had lots of fun and it was very noisy with a great view.