the calcite cliffs of pammukale

i did made it to see pammukale which i would have been sad to miss. i did not know what there was to see there except that mo said it was on my must see list and there is a tourbus company named for the attraction. the village of pammukale is about three hours from selcuk and astrid and i made the trip by bus, playing backgammon part of the way, being hot and sticky the other part.

the there are natural hotsprings in the mountains surrounding pammukale and the hard water runs down the hills and has turned entire faces of the cliffs white. there is a path leading up to the top of the cliffs, glassy but somehow not slippery. there are little ridges like pondripples in the mineral deposits that form down the path leading up the mountain and around the rock pools that have been built up to trap the water which is said to have the properties of healing. a guard at the bottom has you remove your shoes. you can hear the lukewarm water running down the cliffs, pooling and overflowing, as you pad up in bare feet.



camera-happiness and the view from behind of three girls spreading calcium paste on their thighs and shoulders (to exfoliate, sensual tactile delight) prompted a discussion about empathy and we went silent up the last half of the climb. when we got to the top, little white flowers. astrid played a conspicuous game of She Loves Me She Loves Me Not.

then holding out the flower with a single petal left attached she said, "make a wish."

i thought.

"what is it?"

"i can't tell you, otherwise it won't come true," i said.

"you can tell me," she said, "you can tell me anything."

(pause.)

"what did you wish for?"

"i wished for compassion," i said.

(pause.)

"well there," she said, "you have it --"

-- and i think she thinks that is all that it has to take, but to me that seems a bit of linguistic trickery. astrid kerr is good with words.

from here it was over to the ruins that cover the entire top of the mountain.