Friday, October 23
Today we go Pamukkale to Selçuk
Jill out · hired car · David Littleton in · Akanthus
Daily Diary (photos and notes)- Susan Beans
- John Beans
- Susan Stevenson
Jill’s airport car is 07:00. She does not continue. David Littleton lands Izmir at 19:00 and joins at Akanthus.
Weather
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The day
- 07:00Jill’s car from Unsal to Dalaman, $80, for TK 2555 at 10:25 — Istanbul, then Seville. She does not continue to Selçuk.
- RoadSusan Beans, John, and Susan Stevenson take Elvira’s hired car with driver. She collects us at Unsal at 08:00, then Unsal → Pamukkale → Selçuk, $440 cash to the driver. About 3 hours to Pamukkale, so the terraces around 11:00, then 2.5–3 hours at Hierapolis, and Akanthus in Selçuk around 17:00. Elvira has the Akanthus address. Driver contact is still TBC.
- EntranceThe driver cannot take the car to the site gate. Elvira’s drop-off and entrance — a taxi covers the five-minute gap. Pamukkale / Hierapolis about €30 (card OK at the window), covering the terraces, the ancient city, and the museum. From 1 October, winter hours: walking route typically 08:00–17:00; entrances 08:00–18:00 — go early.
- 19:00David Littleton lands Izmir (ADB) on Pegasus PC 1528 from Barcelona. Elvira meets him at 19:00 and takes him to Akanthus, $90, about 45 minutes. She has his name, the flight number, and the hotel address.
- NightAkanthus Hotel Ephesus (+90 232 892 9212), Atatürk Mah. 1064 Sokak No. 11, Selçuk. Two nights. Check-in from 14:00.
Daily Diary
A day of scattering and starting new adventures. Susan, Susan and John left Oludeniz this morning and headed to Pamukkale. Jill had left early morning to travel to Spain and meet up with Geoff. Dave left Spain to meet us in Selcuk. Catherine has arrived in Orange Beach AL for her niece’s wedding. The Lycian Way adventure is complete. It was wonderful. Visited Pamukkale on way to Selcuk/Ephesus. It has changed quite since Susan and I were here 36 years ago! The water no longer flows down all the calcium formations and pools. The hotels in the area have diverted the water for their own uses and starved the water source that fed the formations. So sad.
Susan B · 4:40 PM (edited)
Nothing yet for this day.
Read
Meals
No restaurant is named. It is a long car day.
Pamukkale · the village by the terraces
Lunch Search
Mehmet's Heaven
How to say it: meh-MET's heaven
Grill, gözleme, and falafel near the travertines. The practical stop off the terraces. No menu online.
Kayas Wine House
How to say it: kah-YAHS wine house
Village wine house in Pamukkale, smaller than the terrace grills. No menu online.
Mustafa's
How to say it: MOOS-tah-fah's
Village restaurant below the site. No menu online.
Yiğit
How to say it: yee-EET
Cafe-restaurant in the village. Lighter if we only want a plate between the pools and the car. No menu online.
Selçuk · Akanthus
Tonight
Pamukkale / Hierapolis
White terraces and the ancient city on the hired-car day to Selçuk — no overnight here. Driver drops short of the gate; a taxi covers the last five minutes.
Oct winter hours (from 1 Oct): walking route typically 08:00–17:00; north/south entrances 08:00–18:00. Arrive early — confirm locally.
Akanthus Hotel Ephesus
Atatürk Mah. 1064 Sokak No. 11. David Littleton joins here the evening of the 23rd.
Cash today
$80Jill, Unsal → Dalaman, 07:00, for TK 2555 at 10:25
- Jill only
$440Hired car, Unsal 08:00 → Pamukkale → Selçuk. About 3 hours to the site, 2.5–3 hours there, Akanthus around 17:00. Driver contact still TBC.
- Susan Beans, Susan Stevenson, John · ~$147 each
$90David, Izmir Airport → Akanthus, 19:00. Elvira has his name, PC 1528, and the hotel address.
- David only
Drivers take US dollars. Bring the exact amount in small bills — they may not have change.
Card, or not cash.
- Pamukkale / Hierapolis — About €30 each · Susan Beans, Susan Stevenson, John · card OK · not in cash
Special for today: Cash plan for the rest of the trip (per person, through Nov 1)
Approximate. Rates assumed: about ₺48 per euro and ₺42 per dollar.
| Category | Per person |
|---|---|
| Food and drinks, about ₺1,000 a day × 9 days (includes ~10% restaurant tips) | ₺9,000 |
| Local taxis, dolmuş (dol-MOOSH) minibuses, Istanbul transit card, ferries, about ₺400 a day × 9 | ₺3,600 |
| A little shopping | ₺250 |
| Small buffer | ₺150 |
| Lira total | about ₺13,000 (≈ €270) |
| Guide and driver tips: about €10 a day for a guide + €5 for a driver, ~5 guided days (euros or lira both fine) | about €75 |
| US dollars | None needed. Keep any as an emergency reserve. |
- Museum admissions are covered by the Museum Pass. Tours are already paid.
- Get lira from a bank ATM (Ziraat or İş Bankası). Decline the ATM’s own conversion. Avoid Euronet machines.
Tips for the driver or guide are not a fixed amount today. The trip ballpark is on the cash page.