Back on the Road

Antibotics are a beautiful thing. 36 hours after starting the Cipro I was feeling improved. 48 hours and I think I'm pretty much cured. Yesterday we checked out of the cave hotel. Yes, parts of this hotel were actually carved out of the rock surface. Cappadocia is covered with this peculiar kind of volcanic rock that is soft to cave but strong enough to maintain its integrity. I wasn't completely well, but nonetheless checked onto the night bus to Pamukkale.

Ten very uncomfortable, cramped hours later we arrived. After an interminable delay twindling our thumbs at daybreak outside a travel agency office, someone came to take us to our hotel. We were only there for about four hours: long enough to shower and take a much-needed nap in the A/C.

I still wasn't hungry enough to eat much for lunch, but I did enjoy seeing the strange hot spring formations at Pamukkale. (I should have pictures to post soon). Yet even more interesting were the ruins of the city of Hierapolis. People have been living here since the 2nd Century B.C., but the place was abandoned by the 14th Century C.E. Many of the structures were damaged by earthquakes, but what remains is impressive. Betsy and I particularly enjoyed seeing some of the Byzantine-era churches on the site.

The cathedral, for example, had two features I noted. One was the Synthronon--a kind of half circle of seats used the priests behind the altar against the wall of the apse. Sitting there looking down the nave I could easily imagine presiding in the place. It has a nice feel as a church--not too big. The other thing I noticed was the adjoining baptistry. It was a large room with a huge font decorated with lovely marble. Having such as elevated view of baptism is a good thing to express architecturally, I think.

The last and most ambitious part of the site we visited was the Martyrium of St. Philip. It was a hot day and were exhausted and probably dehydrated, but we really pushed ourselves to the limit to climb the hill up to this ancient church. It's an usually church, so it was good to get some good pictures and video for Betsy. Then we climbed down and downed as much water as we could stand.

Back on the mini-bus a smooth ride to a town near Ephesus. This was soooo much better than the inter-city busses we have been braving. It was three hours, but with room to spread out and plenty of air circulating (alas, no AC). We stopped at a roadside service station where a man was selling one of my favorite drinks in the world--fresh squeezed orange juice. They sell this all over, and my interest was a good indication that my bug is mostly gone.

Indeed, by the time we settled into tonight's hotel I was hungry for the first time in days. Had Calamari and Chicken Shish.

Early to bed tonight (we really didn't sleep much on the bus last night) and tomorrow we'll see Ephesus. We also might get to the Basilica of St. John the Evangelist and also the last home of Blessed Mary. Strange to think that Mary, the mother of Jesus, used to haunt these grounds. Nor was this place foreign to John the Evangelist. Fascinating.

By the way, the town of Gorme, where we spent a few days, is a stone's throw from Nyssa (as in, St. Gregory of Nyssa). it's a small, small Christian world.

-t