Cotton Castle Pamukkale, Turkey, Nov 2012

Dear Diary,

The insanely breathtaking view that I talked about at the end of my previous entry is Cotton Castle of Pamukkale, stunning white calcium pools which cling to the side of a ridge. When I say stunning, I do really mean out of this world surreal landscape. It’s difficult to put it into words, to describe the place. You’ve got to be there to appreciate it.

In Turkish, Pamukkale means Cotton Castle. It is located adjacent to Hierapolis of Phrygia and is also declared as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. So when you visit either one, you’d get to visit the other one too. Natural geological phenomena in which deposits left from waters abundance with minerals that flow from a mountain formed this visually spectacular site. Calcium cascade terraces developed over time from the process.

We dipped our feet in the knee high pool. The water was not hot, just lukewarm - suam-suam kuku. Visitors cannot simply step anywhere on the travertine since it can easily damage and change color. There is, however, an area allocated for visitors to walk bare foot. It is believed that the water is able to heal ailments.

My pictures don’t do justice to the splendor of this place. Again I stress, you have to be there to fully grasp its uniqueness. Everywhere you look it is so white with steam coming from the hot spring it looks like a scene from a fairytale.

Apart from Niagara Falls and Grand Canyon, Pamukkale’s Cotton Castle is another awe inspiring landscape that I had been blessed to witness. At these places, I felt so tiny so insignificant in this huge world.

Source: www.pamukkale.net