We were daydreaming of the “cotton castle,” where royalty bathed in the city of Hierapolis thousands of years ago; struck by the reality of the climb, our soles pricked gently by jagged white carbonate rocks formed by overflowing warm water from seventeen hot springs. Midway through the journey we encountered a travertine pool, the cool jelly-like calcium carbonate pressed gently between our toes. Atop the white rocky hill lies Cleopatra’s Pool where we planned to rest and feast.
Denizli Province, Pamukkale, Turkey