Round Turkey with a market trolley

During our time in Kos it became apparent that since the start of my travels several months ago I’d had my backpack set up was all wrong. The length was way too short, so that instead of resting on my hips I had all the weight on the top of my back. A schoolboy error I know, and one that eventuated during our time in Greece to a constant pain in my back between my shoulder blades, making carrying any weight an uncomfortable experience.

Departing Kos for Bodrum in Turkey, a short hydrofoil across the deep blue seas, it was apparent that if we were to backpack around Turkey, with its extensive intercity bus network, and bus stations, I’d need to find a solution for hauling my luggage that didn’t involve my back.  After contemplating purchasing suitcase with wheels Susi came up with the idea of modifying an older ladies market day trolley.

Bodrum

Picturesque Bodrum fancies itself as the St Tropez of Turkey, with a host of high-end stores and flash restaurants, over looked by the imposing Castle of St Peter, the stronghold of the Knights of St John in the 1400s.  Perversely it also promotes itself as a Centre of Excellence in imitation clothing to the hoards of Kos daytrippers that peaks with the weekly Tuesday textile market. We headed in that direction in search of a suitable market trolley and quickly spied one outside a hardware store across from the market. After insulting the proprietor with my haphazard bartering I became the proud owner of a market day trolley and three occie straps for securing the backpack. 

While Greece and Turkey aren’t on the best of terms (although Turkey has a solid track record with this on a few fronts…Syria, Armenia, Iraq, Iran…), there are similarities, such as large groups of men sat around doing not very much. 

In Turkey these groups seem to be focused on perfecting their backgammon game and contemplating the strength of the latest round of tea, while presumably their female relations, wife, mother, daughters, are at home hard at work.  In such a culture the sight of a man pushing a market day trolley is a source of high merriment amongst the local male population as I found alighting from the plush bus from Bodrum to Selcuk.

Selcuk is the closest town to the ruins of Ephesus, the eastern capital of the Roman Empire after it split into west and east, and despite the masses of annual visitors retains its authentic Turkish flavour, in part due to a vast majority of Ephesus visitors bussing in on a day trip from the cruise town of Kusadasi.  Ephesus is one of the best preserved Greco-Roman cities and while, like Tikal in Guatemala, only 20% of the site has been uncovered, is a fascinating site to visit.

Ephesus

After several days in Selcuk including a highly informative guided tour of Ephesus, punctuated with obligatory stops at a traditional pottery and carpet store to be charmed by smooth talking Turkish salesmen we were back on the bus to Pamukkale, who’s correct pronunciation is a constant mystery to me. 

Where Selcuk has retained its own sense of being outside of the tourist drawcard Pamukkale has rolled over, put its feet in the air and accepted its fate as service town to the Travertines (or Cotton Castle as the Turks refer to it), the amazing white calcified pools that have formed on the side of a mountain at the base of the ancient city of Hierapolis.

Waiting till later in the afternoon to visit I was pretty stunned by how much I enjoyed our time clambering over the calcified mountain and wading into the naturally warm turquoise pools. I think my enjoyment sprung from the uniqueness of the Travertines, never having experienced anything like it before we were both donning wide smiles as we slowly ventured up the mountain, stopping numerous times to wade into the warm water pools as they appeared on the side of the path. 

While visually you feel as if you’re in the midst of a snow field, you’re conflicted by other senses which feel the Turkish heat and glare and the ribbed white surface beneath your feet that is like you’re walking on the surface of giant cats tongue, albeit one that's been licking a bowl of bleach. Following a fleeting visit to Hierapolis we returned once again to the Travertine’s to enjoy the descent at dusk and early evening.

The Turkey Lonely Planet rates the Travertine’s as the 17^th top experience in Turkey, with eating a kebab coming in at 5^th…I think it would need to the crème del la crème of kebabs, maybe prepared by Ataturk himself to top this experience.

The next morning I prepared the market trolley once more and trundled to the bus station for our next destination and experience, Fethiye and a Gulet cruise.