We drive along the Mediterranean Sea. Our next big destination is Ölüdeniz. There we want to do a safety course for flying (SIV). We don't have any contact yet, but we don't have any stress either, but - as always - plenty of time.
On our way, we pick up hitchhikers. Many are travelling with their tents, or were hiking somewhere over the weekend. That's how we meet a Russian. He tells us how many of them have fled since the war broke out because it has become too dangerous for them. Many are now in Georgia, Armenia or Turkey, because here they can get a visa relatively easily. The news coverage in their country is very different from ours. The hitchhiker who tells us all this would actually like to go back - just to see how his friends and family are doing, because he hardly gets to see anything of them any more. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
We spend the next few days roaming around the south-west of the country. We sweat on beaches and visit a vegan restaurant in Izmir. Luca loses his hat in the city, and at a stop at a petrol station we meet Kurds who tell us exuberantly about their country. We should go to Iraq rather than Iran... maybe we'll even think about it, but that's still far in the future.
Pamukkale Tourist Trap
Ok, tourism trap is perhaps a bit harsh. But maybe not... Attention, Wikipedia knowledge follows: Pamukkale (türkisch für Cotton castle) ist eine natürliche Stätte in der Provinz Denizli im Südwesten der Türkei. Pamukkale erhielt seinen Namen durch die Kalksinterterrassen, die über Jahrtausende durch kalkhaltige Thermalquellen entstanden sind und eine Touristenattraktion darstellen. Die Terrassen stehen zusammen mit der oberhalb von ihnen gelegenen archäologischen Stätte der antiken griechische Stadt Hierapolis auf der Liste des Weltkulturerbes der UNESCO.
So much for the facts. The terraces look beautifully white everywhere, filled with turquoise water. In addition, you can fly over them from the mountain next to them. Reason enough to go there. We thought, and we did. When we arrived at the landing site, it was already insanely hot. At times it was up to 37 degrees and it hardly cooled down overnight, and that in May. There were no trees, and thus no shade, on any of the sites. Everything was really barren. The village itself consists almost only of restaurants and hotels, everything seems far too expensive and once again we are glad that we can connect with locals by paragliding. Because how else we could do that here is a mystery to us. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
Flying and bathing attempts
We couldn't fly on the first day because there were countless "dust devils" at the landing site. Small whirlwinds that are simply far too dangerous. As a result, the take-off sites were closed. The next day we were woken up at 5 am by the hot air balloons that were inflated next to us. We couldn't fly with them either, the wind was unfavourable. After a few registrations and a lot of waiting, we finally made it. That day and the next day we managed to fly one flight each. The view is impressive. But without finding thermals, we landed after only five to ten minutes. What a pity.
Well, never mind, that gives us time for these limestone terraces. Upon entering, we notice once again how overrun everything is. New, packed tourist buses arrive all the time and leave again after about 2 hours. Everywhere along the path people pose for Instagram, there are hardly any really free and cosy places in the water (which is only about calf deep).
At the top we see a stand with fake angel wings that you can rent for an influencer picture (80 Lira = 5 Euros). Somewhere between old people, children and women with headscarves and even burkini, two women in thongs stand shaking their booties for the perfect photo. It's absurd to see the worlds that collide here. We take a break at the top under a huge Turkey flag and then move a little further back, away from all the hustle and bustle. As we are still considering whether to pay the entrance fee for the hot springs, the weather completely changes and a huge thunderstorm piles up over us. Good for us, because most people flee from it. However, we take a leisurely walk back and finally have almost all the pools to ourselves. So we can take a bath after all 🙂
Shade urgently desired
But then it gets too hot for us. We long for a shady spot and thus continue on our path. From the pilots in Pamukkale we have received a contact in Ölüdeniz. Sinan Çalışkan will be our instructor for a "Full SIV" course at the beginning of July. But before that, we are drawn to "Salda Gölü", probably the most beautiful lake we have seen so far. It is a turquoise crater lake with white and black beaches and the clearest water you can imagine. We park our van in the shade of the trees and happily jump into the cool water, leaving the sweat and heat of Pamukkale behind us. Afterwards, we make a fire and enjoy the thunderstorm that soon builds up over our heads, and even gives us a triple rainbow.
Side trip Burdur
But instead of sitting out the days here, Luca has an itch under his wing again. He got a contact in Burdur, a town very close by, and we go there to fly. Unfortunately, however, we don't meet him there. Instead, the 22-year-old, slightly crazy pilot Mustafa shows up. He can hardly speak English, we can't speak Turkish, but he wants to go flying with us. A couple of translation apps and a few misunderstandings later, we are on our way to the take-off site. The road is bad and steep....
Freddy unfortunately doesn't make it, so Bianca drives back and Luca walks the remaining kilometre (or so) with Mustafa. After a short flight, respectively a short drive, everyone arrives back at the landing site. Mustafa is so happy about the contact with us that we let ourselves be persuaded to spend the rest of the evening in town together. First we stop for ice cream, then we roar in his car on to a billiards hall. There we try to learn the Turkish version of Rummikub, but the translation tool fails at this task.
But we also meet Milad, who plays a game of billiards with us. He was a translator for the German Embassy in Afghanistan, and then had to flee when they withdrew last year. He has been living in Turkey for a few months now and is waiting to be able to move on to Germany...
City bustle and lake retreat
After a joint dinner with many, many funny translations and attempts to explain our different cultures, we spend the night in the city after all. The next day we return to our favourite lake, "Salda Gölü". It is a place full of fresh energy, peace and relaxation. Last time there were hardly any other people there, but on our second visit here - a weekend - it looks a bit different. Other campervans are there, we meet a Turkish camper who has just discovered this lifestyle for himself, Luca gets another haircut and we spend the evening with a Turkish family.
They can hardly speak English and we have to rely on the translation app again, but the laughter in the group is enormous. There is a certain astonishment on their faces when we say that we are not married and have no children. But much greater is the astonishment of the mothers that we are travelling for so long, because for them such a long separation from their children would be unimaginable.
Grateful that we can live our lives as freely as we do during this trip, but also grateful that we can share all this so openly, we fall into bed. The next day we set off for Ölüdeniz, where we have rented an AirBnB for the following 2 weeks... But that will be another chapter.
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