As I sit down to write my last Blog for Turkey 2019, I find I have a lot of photos and I didn’t really want to leave anything out. Cappadocia is a fitting end to what has been a fabulous previous 14 days with yet another equally fabulous group of 12 New Zealander and 2 Australians ( who I think are on their 5th tour with me)
The Cappadocia region is a huge contrast from the blue coastal Turkey and here the soft pinks, creams and sand colours accentuate the unusual landscape. Its a semi-arid region in central Turkey and is known for its distinctive whimsical fairy chimneys and peculiar rock formations, tall cone-shaped rocks cluster in valleys called Monks Valley, Red Valley, Chicken Valley and many more, even throughout the touristy town of Göreme. These strange formations exist because of volcanic eruptions and were carved beautifully by the wind and erosion.
Cappadocia’s magic includes caves everywhere, inside the weird rock formations. The caves were built many centuries ago and some are still inhabited. Today lots have been given creative, imaginative, ingenious make overs and have been turned into rare unique hotels. We stayed at Hasan’s nephews cave hotel called Asawari suites. His love of Owls are everywhere and 4 days sleeping in our vast bedrooms was a relief. The caves stay cool and feel like a natural air conditioner. Eating our delicious Turkish breakfasts each morning of tomatoes, cucumbers, cheeses, olives fresh bread along with baked eggs, pancakes with rose jam and turkish coffee, outside on a high terrace each morning was a real treat, but sleeping in comfortable temperatures was another.
Our long 10 hour journey from Antalya over the Taurus Mountains and onto the plains of Konya was a marathon. Stopping for glasses of fresh orange juice, coffee and the all important bathroom. Lunch is aways long Turkish pizza and every year we always eat too much but, they are so good!!
Konya is a very religious town and visiting the tomb of Mevlana is a pilgrimage for many people. It is always crowded and the Turquoise tiles on the mosque dome glisten in the sunlight. As we traveled on in the late afternoon we could count old Caravansarais. They are located on the side of the road and it is where travellers could stop and recover from a days journey – so they are about a days travel apart and were important safe places for the trade routes.
The Cappadoccian villages hugging the hillsides portray another world and yet they are still home to many people. Life here can be simple and whether you still drive with a horse and cart or something that looks like a mechanical cultivator the locals will always smile, wave and often stop and talk.
Alison and Hasan organise special lunch stops and our surprise family lunch down a beautiful narrow valley by four wheel drive was exceptional. This immaculately kept property was lined with lavender, full of fruit trees and olives and home to ducks, geese, chickens, turkeys and several very cute kittens. At the end of the road our delicious vegetarian lunch was set out under the shade of fig trees. These creative people have developed a wonderful business, not only providing long lunches, but accommodation and functions, all in a unique gorgeous setting which is their home and where they have lived all their lives. After a few wines and sitting in the heat, carpet shopping in air conditioning was a fun few hours for the rest of the afternoon. Ali from Sultan Carpets in Goreme always provides informative and accurate information of the carpet trade today in Turkey and rolls out a massive number of carpets to help us understand the variety he sells.
Cappadocia shares its villages with many underground cities. These were created many centuries ago and some of them are more than ten levels deep and are connected to each other via tunnels. Our 3 days are like a mystery tour and I am sure my group think ‘What Next ‘ But what I love most is finding the unexpected and as we spied bread being loaded on a tractor trailor we had to stop.
The most delicious flat bread was being made by woman – some preparing the dough, others shaping and more baking the round bread in a wood fired oven and then cooking their beans in clay pots in the discarded ashes. To see this group carrying on their traditional role of bread making in literally a shed, baking in a very old oven and today transporting the bread by an open trailor on the back of a tractor (where the only man was responsible) was for me a highlight. They were generous with the bread and of course what tastes better than warm fresh bread straight from the oven.
Traditions are all around you in Cappadocia. The women make many craft items to sell to the tourists and little dolls are my favourite. Lunch at Soganli is always delicious and my favourite old lady was there to greet us again this year. Her family prepare delicious Gozlome and the best chargrilled chops you could ever wish for.
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Our last night dinner near Uchisar was the perfect setting to watch the sun set over the stunning landscape. We touched the surface of Cappadocia and yet did so much. Each day was unique and one day especially long after getting up to take a famous balloon ride over the intriguing landscape while the sun came up. 120 balloons all over the sky at once is quite a sight.
Afternoons together visiting the Hamam for the best scrub and massage, a real Turkish haircut for our men complete with flames and the never ending gifts to buy for friends and family. For me I was blessed to travel with my dear friend Nicky, join Neil and Judith for their second tour with me this year, and Helen and Robert for their 5th tour over many years and meeting new happy travellers who enjoy a good laugh, have fun and most of all travel together.
Turkey is a special place and as with any tour its about providing a unique special experience. Alison and Hasan ensure this tour has all of this with their contacts and relaxed style. I loved this tour and can’t wait to go back next year.
