Pamukkale Turkey

13th August
That last camp site on the lake was quite amusing. It was large with plenty of shade, both gums and oak trees. The good thing was there was hardly any one there. What was amusing was the menagerie of poultry and other birds on hand. There would have been at least 5 different types of chooks, white and normal pea fowl, three types of pheasants, doves, pigeons, ducks, turkeys, guinea fowl as well as couple of rabbits and a dog or two. All loose to wander around apart from the pheasants. I loved the guinea fowl though. I was sitting out having a cup of tea yesterday morning when the 7 of them studiously walked past in line, the leader calling out something in guinea fowl language to its followers who seemed to chortle to each other as they walked past. Suddenly the last in line seemed to show an independent streak and took off in another direction. The others carried on then suddenly the last two peeled off, came tearing after the stray, seemed to say something to her, and off they tore to form the line once more. Don't know if the leader said something about getting Dopey back. It was all so funny to watch.
During the night I woke up to a sound of a tinkling bell, couldn't for the life of me work out what it was, my curiosity got the better of me; a flock of long eared sheep were passing each side of the van, the tinkling was from the bells around their necks.
We stayed two nights there, Joan was not feeling the best. We are now at Pamukkale, famed for its white terraces formed by the silica in the thermal water flowing over the rocks. We visited it 31 years ago but remember it was blowing a howling gale and the water spilling over the terraces was been blown back up the slope. We couldn't even get out of the van.
Time is slipping by, just over 2 weeks before the first rugby game. We might go up via Serbia and Croatia to Italy instead of taking the ferry from Greece. It is still the high season and quite expensive by boat.
Been looking back at the trip the last few days. Apart from the trouble we had in Northern Pakistan which was something we could've bypassed, the trip has been quite simple and not too hard at all. Once we entered Iran on it was plain sailing and Turkey is so close to be coming part of the European Union it's like being in Europe already. Roads are generally good and the drivers also are usually pretty good. The trip up the KKH was an experience and hair raising at times but well worth it. After the polo at the Shandur Pass we should've, in hind sight, gone back to Gilgit then up to the Hunza Valey before driving back down the KKH. Easy to say these things afterwards of course. The trouble that erupted in Pakistan while we were there was unfortunate and caused uncertainty and some strain but we never felt in danger, it was what others make you feel. The embassies had extreme risk warnings about travel in the whole of Pakistan, they have to cover themselves but if you were to take heed of all those warnings you wouldn't even go to New Zealand where they have a warning for. It's a case of listen to the locals, don't take risks and keep a low profile when you are in these places.