Admittedly I’m more of a sunset person than a sunrise person, which is ironic given that I’m a morning person.  All of that aside, this is one of my favorite pictures from our entire trip.  We’re sitting on the edge of calcium pools in Turkey, at a site called Pamukkale, which has been a popular bathing spot for thousands of years.

Called castle of cotton in Turkish, the travertine and calcium hot springs sit just below the ancient greek city of Heiropolis on the side of a cliff in Eastern Turkey.  Today, tourists are only allowed in the man-made baths for conservation reasons, but it hardly takes away from the places ambiance or atmosphere.

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.

IF YOU GO: Pamukkale is worth an overnight stay just to see sunset from the travertine pools.  Bring good sunglasses as during the day the calcium and travertine deposits are absolutely blinding.  Towels and lockers can be rented at the “hot springs” at the top- the lush garden areas are worth the admission price alone.  It’s easy to spend a full day exploring both the ruins and the pools, but avoid being at either during the heat of the day- the site almost completely lacks shade.