Olimpos to Cappadocia via VW Jetta: August 22
Our new lawyer pal Kate from NZ piled into the back of a VW Jetta (same year as mine – ah familiarity) with Becky and I for the long 10 hour ride to Cappadocia. It sure beat the bus in terms of speed but not space (can you say sardines?). We traveled through amazing winding roads with rocky mountains and pretty pines to our left and the Mediterranean Sea to our right. Eventually, we headed north inland to see the sunset over countryside homes nestled into the mountains. We finally arrived after 11 hours of car time in Goreme (population of 2,500) and saw the fairy chimneys lit up at night. We stayed at the Star Cave Pension in an actual cave room which was awesome (aside from the excessive moth ball smell).
Cappadocia: August 23-25
Cappadocia is a fascinating little town where the locals live in fairy chimneys and tourists flock to see the amazing geological formations. Becky and I headed to the Goreme Open Air museum to see the fairy chimneys firsthand. From 1800 to 1200BC Hittites first settled there then Persians and eventually Romans. From the 4th to 11th century it was a refuge for Christians and the churches and monasteries were underground. It was intriguing to wander through the fairy chimneys and visit the living quarters and churches with Biblical paintings on the wall.
Becky and I then scrambled up a neighboring hill to see the views and take some pictures. We continued to be lured further and further away due to the awesome sights. Before we knew it we had hiked for four and a half hours through the Red and Rose Valleys. The unique rock structures varied a ton in color and shape – the formations were smooth, jagged, curved, pointed, and layered with colors. Some of the rock faces glowed in red and yellow while others were a more mild tan or white color. Around each turn and up each new hill the views shockingly improved.
Finally, we ended in a small town called Cavusin. We got lucky and got a ride back into town since our feet hurt and it had gotten hotter. After a 4PM lunch we headed up a small hill to see the sunset. A full moon shone and the sky around the rock formations was a purple hue. We ended the day at the Safak Café with Kate for a fun dinner complete with local favorites like lentil soup, apple tea and a chocolate banana crepe.
The next day we took a formal tour of the broader area. We stopped at Honey Valley for pictures and views and then headed to the underground city in Derinkuyu. This crazy city has seven stories below the ground and is 55 meters deep (182 feet)! We saw the kitchen, church, stables for animals (true story), wells etc. There are 137 similar cities where Christians hid from the Persian and Arabic armies in the 6th and 7th centuries. After seeing the dark city it was time to head above ground to hike through a gorge in the Ihlara Valley. It was a pretty hike through the huge walls of the gorge, and we saw the small Kokar Church built into the gorge with its unique frescoes and wall paintings of Jesus. Later we visited the rather large Selime Monastery which was cut into rocks like the fairy chimneys. Finally we ended the tour with a stop at Pigeon Valley where the birds used to act as messengers during dangerous times.
The next morning we dragged ourselves up at 5AM to see the sunrise over Cappadocia. It was initially pitch black and cold as we slowly meandered up the hill. It quickly became one of the most peaceful and exciting sights I have ever seen. Thirty-six hot air balloons broke the morning silence as they slowly inflated from the ground all over the area and eventually lifted themselves off of the ground as the sun peaked above the fairy chimneys. The balloons were a wide variety of colors especially while illuminated by the sun and they dotted the sky at various heights among the fairy chimneys. We looked on from the hill above and a few balloons passed closely right over head. We even talked to and felt the heat from one basket load of people.
Sadly, after two hours of gazing and picture taking it was time to pack up and leave Cappadocia. We had an eleven hour bus ride back to Istanbul through primarily dry scenery, but we powered through with limited stops.
Istanbul: August 26-27
Becky and I were back in Istanbul seeing the newer Beyoglu side of the city. This side of Istanbul was much more modern and western feeling. We walked across the Galata Bridge and headed to the historical sightseeing tower. The 61 meter (201 foot) high 9 meter (30 foot) diameter tower was built by Justinianus in 528AD. There were amazing views of old and new Istanbul, including numerous mosques, several bridges, and colorful homes. After visiting the tower we went to Taksim Square and strolled down Istiklal Caddesi Street. This street was extremely western and had Michigan Avenue style stores (Adidas, Nike, Starbucks, and even Pizza Hut) combined with a San Francisco-esque trolley on the hilly cobblestone roadway running through it. We completed our last night in Istanbul on our favorite street catching up with our New Zealand pal Kate. That night I finally got my flights back to LA and Minneapolis, so I will be returning to the US officially on October 29th!
I got up early and roamed the quiet streets of Istanbul on my own. It was very peaceful since people have Fridays off, so I shared the road with some cats and a few people. Soon after Becky and I were on the move again with a mid-morning flight to the Kingdom of Bahrain where we connected to Dubai. The airports were fancy as expected and the flights went smoothly. Turkey was an amazing trip and we were very sad to leave. Until next time…Sarah.
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