ADHVAGATI

IZMIR is the second largest port in Turkey after Istanbul and is considered one of Turkey's most vibrant cities because of its dynamism and progressive values, that include female empowerment . Throughout its history, it has attracted various kinds of foreign influx and has absorbed multifarious influences to create for itself a pan european character. Appropriately, its logo proclaims :"Rediscover Life". The old Greek name for Izmir Province was SMYRNA . Yes, the same place where Homer was born. We did not visit places related to medieval history in this province, but headed straight to Ephesus of The Classical Period. Camp: Kusadasi. It is a resort town, with buildings that look like freshly painted doll houses and smooth narrow roads running up and down in steep gradients along prettily done up pavements.( Hotel : Dabaklar . unusual location : bang in the middle of a green produce market , abutting the bus station! Interior ambience and amenities : quite OK.) The anc

While visiting historical sites, say the word ROMAN, and the word BATH suggests itself as a suffix ! All ancient Roman cities had elaborate buildings called The Public Baths, which were not merely washing up places, but popular venues for leisure and socialising. Everything from neighbourhood gossip to War Strategies were discussed here and there's no telling how many brilliant scientific and philosophical concepts were inspired by the relaxing waters of the BATH. Not content with devising cunning architectural designs for drawing up a perfect tub of bathwater, the Romans also gratefully appropriated mountain lakes and hotsprings as additional, value added baths. In PAMUKKALE , a whole city called HIERAPOLIS was raised around a set of natural hot springs that were found to be mineral rich. PAMUKKALE, meaning COTTON CASTLE , is a natural wonder, where snow white cliffs , formed from calcarious salt deposits carried by the mountain springs, create a surreal scenery. The cliff and