I took a bus from Selcuk to Pamukkale, which took about three hours. I arrived in Pamukkale around 7 pm, the sun was still up and the sky was not dark yet. I got off the bus with other tourists. A young Turkish man came up to me and asked if I had a hotel yet. I said yes, and he asked me the name of the hotel. I showed him the name, and he pointed me in the direction, not far from the bus stop. The other tourists called their hotels to pick them up. Turkish people are very good at serving tourists. I travel alone regularly, and I usually choose a hotel that is not far from the bus stop, in case I arrive late, the hotel will not be too difficult to find.

The sun was still shining brightly. It would be another hour or so before it got dark. My hotel was not far from the snow-white mountain. I dropped my bags at the hotel and rushed out immediately. A young Turkish man rode a motorcycle past me and stopped to greet me with a smile. I smiled back. He said he was a tour agency, so I could stop by and talk to him. I smiled and nodded, but right now I wanted to see the white mountain in front of me more.

I walked to the front of the white mountain. I didn't climb it today because it was already getting late. I have all day tomorrow. I walked down to the pool below. The pool was turquoise blue, and there were many people sitting around it relaxing. There were girls sitting with their feet in the water, enjoying the view. I walked around. The weather was nice. The sun was about to set, and there were gray clouds covering it. A few drops of rain fell, and I hurried back to the hotel.

I walked hurriedly. I was afraid of the rain. I wasn't ready to get wet. As I approached the hotel, I heard a man's voice say, "Where are you going in such a hurry? Come and talk to me first." I looked up and saw that it was the tour agency man. The rain started to fall heavily. I decided to stop here first and wait for the rain to ease before continuing.

He started a conversation with me about everything and nothing. He asked me where I was going next. I told him that I was going to Cappadocia tomorrow. He started selling me tours in Cappadocia. I pretended not to be interested. I told him that I was just going to walk around, but deep down I really wanted to buy the tour. But I didn't know where to buy it. I read on the internet that if you buy it in Cappadocia, the Green Tour costs 120 liras, or if you buy it at the Metro bus company here, it costs 90 liras. I asked him how much he was selling the Green Tour for. He told me 100 liras. Oh, he's taking a 10 lira commission.

He was a great salesman, very talkative and cheerful. When he saw that I wasn't buying anything, he stopped talking. He asked me if I could drink beer, and I said yes. He went and bought me two beers. He asked me what I was going to do that evening, and I said I was probably going to go back to sleep. I was a little tired because I had been walking all day. He told me that if I wasn't too tired, I should go have dinner with him. He would pay. Or, I could have another beer and chat with him. That was all it took for me to decide to buy a tour from him. He only made 10 lira from me, but he bought me two beers and even wanted to buy me dinner. But I didn't go to dinner with him. I wasn't hungry.

Between the second bottle of beer, I told him that I would buy a green tour. He looked happy and wrote me a receipt. I asked him if I had to pay the full hundred liras. He told me no, just pay him ten liras and the remaining 90 liras to the tour in Cappadocia. He treated me to more than the 10 liras he got. This is the sweet Turkish guy. The rain stopped. I told him I was going back, I was tired. He told me to come see him tomorrow, he would take me to the south entrance so I wouldn't have to climb up and down the same way. Oh, the handsome Turkish guy is so lovely.

Image: Turkish man who is raising a bottle of beer behind his back^^

Image: The entrance to the south side this morning. I woke up late this morning. I didn't intend to leave early. The bus to Cappadocia leaves around 7:30 pm. Today I have all day here. I checked in and left my luggage. I'm ready to go out in the sun. It rained last night, so it's not too hot today. I stopped by to buy some bread and a bottle of water so I'll have something to eat when I'm up there at noon.

I walked towards him, and he was riding a motorcycle towards me. He told me that he was going to the hotel to see why I hadn't gone to see him yet. I smiled and thanked the young Turkish man for caring about me. I got on his motorcycle and he took me to the south gate, which was on the hill. He parked his motorcycle for me at the top entrance and walked me to the ticket booth. He told me that he would wait for me downstairs. He told me to come down quickly, he would be waiting. I smiled and waved goodbye, telling him that we would see each other later.

Above is an ancient city called Hierapolis, which means "sacred city". The Romans settled here because they used natural mineral water as a therapeutic treatment. I bought a ticket and walked in. The sun was scorching hot. There were hardly any tourists in the ancient city, probably because of the extreme heat. There wasn't much to see except the ruins of Roman houses and ancient monuments. But for me, who loves these things, it was a joy. There were no people jostling or crowding around, no one to block my camera. I could take my pictures however I wanted without anyone looking!

I walked across the small hilltop above Hierapolis, looking at all the ancient ruins. It was so peaceful and there was no one around. I felt more relaxed than I did at Ephesus. Not that Ephesus wasn't beautiful, it was, but there were just too many people. My favorite part was the ancient aqueduct. The people of the past were so clever.

Image: A large theater under renovation, with a capacity of 20,000 people. I walked around, stopping to rest under the shade of various ruins. Sitting there, admiring the scenery, I realized the benefits of being alone. No need to wait for anyone, no need to make anyone wait, no need to worry about time. I had time to sit and contemplate, to admire what interested me the most.

I walked from the south to the north, walking all the way, sitting and watching paragliding in the sky. It was beautiful but scary. I stopped for lunch. I ate the bread I bought. My water was gone. I walked and saw a vending machine but it was locked. I walked to ask the officer, "Do you sell water?" He shook his head, but called me to follow him. I followed him to his office. He poured water into a glass and handed it to me. I drank it all in my thirst. He asked if I wanted more, I shook my head. Thank you very much, kind Turkish people everywhere I go.

Image: The northern end is at the Domitian Gate.

I walked out of the north gate and continued walking up, which is a vast Roman necropolis. I stood looking at the various tombs made of thick stone coffins, some small, some large. I thought it must have been due to their status.

At the very top, I walked back along the path on the white ridge, which was well-maintained and served as a dividing line between Pamukkale and Hierapolis.

I walked down the path on the Pamukkale ridge. Pamukkale in Turkish means "cotton castle". It is white due to the calcium carbonate mixed with the groundwater flowing out and clinging to the rocks, creating strangely shaped pools. Some places may look dry because they are preserved to be with us forever. It's beautiful, really beyond imagination.

Many people wear swimsuits to play in the pool for money, or even play in free pools. Girls wear bikinis to show off their bodies. I will tell you that even though Turkey is a Muslim city, it is not like other Muslim countries. The girls here are quite open. Looking at it, I don't think I'm in an Islamic country. Men here will work in front, while most women will work inside the shop. So in various shops, we will see men selling things, no matter what they sell. But I won't buy bras, panties, or swimsuits. I'm shy.

I didn't play in the water, I came alone and didn't know who to leave my belongings with. I could only walk around with my feet in the water. The water wasn't hot, it was normal temperature. It was almost 5 pm. I walked around with my feet in the water until I was satisfied and then walked down the hill. It was time to go back to the hotel to change clothes and wash my face. I had to stay on the tour bus all night.

I walked past the tour shop. The young agent stood smiling in front of the shop, inviting me to sit and chat. We chatted idly until it was almost time for me to leave. He looked into my eyes and told me if I could stay another day, he would take me on a tour of the area. I would like to stay, but my time is too fixed. I have already bought a bus ticket and paid for the hotel. I have to go. I looked at my watch, it was time for me to leave this place. I will miss you, I told him. He looked downcast. He took my hand and kissed it, telling me goodbye. The touch of his lips was warm and gentle, making my heart flutter. I waved goodbye. Goodbye, young man of Pamukkale, thank you for liking me. If I have the chance in the future, I will come back.

Image: Pamukkale is a small village at the end of Pamukkale. The next episode will be about Cappadocia. We stayed there longer than anywhere else. There were many lovely stories that happened there. It's a place where we have many good memories. Thank you for following. If you're going there soon, have fun.