Annie Thoe's Feldenkrais Blog

July 6, 2008

Hello all

I wıll wrıte wıth mıstakes sınce the keyboard here ıs so dıfferent

ı ve been here about 5 days wıth an incredible local guıde named Lutfi Atay who has a PhD ın Tourısm and knows hıs country very well.  Because one of my clıents worked wıth Lutfı  he has gıven me a very specıal tour so far.

I've vısted Ephesus and Pumekale which are near the west coast-- Ephesus just 10 miles from the water.  Pumekale was inland a couple hours by bus and had a similar ancient city - Hieropolis (approximately 2000 years old or more with a population at that time of 150,000 or 200,000).  Pumekale was known for it's hotspring mineral pools and the healing waters drew many people, including Cleopatra and Mark Anthony- for their honeymoon.  I swam in the same pool which had acquired some large fallen marble columns that were submerged under the water and dangerous to bump into when you swam. 

(these pools are too fragile for swimming, but there were adjacent pools people could soak in as well as the ancient Cleopatra pool that had been built with marble nearby)

Pergomom was also an old city on the west coast near Ismir and like Pumekale's Hieropolis, built high on a mountain.  Really stunning view.  While I was in Pergomom, I visited a very old rug company of Pergomom that went back at least 15 generatıons and employs 1500 woman to hand-dye and hand make all theır rugs.  It's a special company since they salary the women to ensure they will continue to make rugs and are given a good wage.  I took a tour where he showed me how they make them, served me tea, and of course bought some small beautıful rugs!

So much to wrıte but have to go!  The eggplant dıshes here are beyond words.

Ciao!