Cappadocia: Tour-riffic!

I got up early the next day, before even the sun was up. One of the key tourist activities on Cappadocia is to take a balloon trip at sunrise over the region, and I was not about to miss out. Not only was it extremely exciting to be in a hot air ballow, it was breathtaking, the scenery.

(It was freezing so early in the morning!)

(There were tons of balloons everywhere. I wonder if any of them every collide...)

After this exhilarating ride, I headed straight back to my "cave", as I called it. I was staying in a cave hotel, actually quite a lovely place! I was picked up promply for my tour at 9am. The mini bus was full of 18 people of variying nationalities: 6 from Spain, 2 from Brazil, 3 from Mexico 2 from Australia, 2 Canadians, and 1 Turk. And, of course, one American. It was an awesome mix, and I had an amazing day getting to know these people. Our guide Cevdat, was great, too. He had graduated from university with a degree in tourism; he was THAT good.

First we visited a scenic view of point of the valley, were dozens of souvenier shops were conveniently located.

After this, we took a ride to an underground city, Derinkuyu, dating back to the 6th century A.D. The city, carved into the rock below our feet, was over 50 meters underground. Some of the passages were so tight that even petite little I was crouched and nearly  crawling through. The rooms were expansive and numerous.  With a kitchen (containing a stove harnessing the heat from deep within the earth), storage, chapel (in the shape of a cross), living quarters, stables, all connecting with a maze of "hallways", I found my internal compass completely knocked off it's spinner. It was incredible - but definitely not an experience for the claustrophobe.

Next, we headed to the gorgeous Ilhara Valley for a hike through the gorge. I snapped a few shots before... my battery died!

 I always forget how quickly the cold drains batteries. My cave home and the balloon ride were both chilling, and I guess my camera felt it too. At any rate, I felt helpless and lost, near a state of panic thinking I would have no photos. How much I have come to rely on my camera!

With or without camera, life continued (at least in the Ilhara Valley). We hided a spectacular trail through the valley for about one hour. I was astounded by the colors- the expansive pallet of neutrals in the stones, the array of greens in the vegetation, and the crystal blue of the sky. The river clapped along, minding it's own business. The caves watched nonchalantly from above.

We stopped for lunch at a restaurant in the valley. We sat in open huts, elevated about 3 feet off the earth. Sitting indian style around  low round table, we enjoyed our traditional Turkish meal and some interesting conversation. And, of course, a Turkish coffee to top it all off. Mmmm.

After our stomachs were sufficiently full, we took a ride to the Selina Monestary, and important stop of the Silk Road. We clambored up the rocks to explore the cave rooms, including three chapels. THe sun beat down on the boulders, warming out chilled bodies. The monestary had a calm and timeless atmosphere- I really enjoyed some contemplative philosophical thoughts. A rare occurrence, we all know.

The Pidgeon Valley was next, but was mostly just a last minute push for souveniers. It was a pretty view though. Here, in ancient times, the size of a man's pidgeon house was a deciding factor in his success with wooing women. A number of inappropriate jokes ensued.

I never thought I'd say it, but "I can't wait to get back to my cave!" were the words on everyone's lips, including my own. I was exhausted from a long day, and fell asleep with a smile on my face.

Cappadocia: Around Göreme

Growing increasingly tired on the constant full throttle atmosphere of Istanbul, I took a cheap flight away from it all- to the region of central Turkey known as Cappadocia.

Kapadokya is an ancient area of Turkey with some surreal landscapes, yet remains widely unknown to most. Famous for its' "fairy chimneys", or strange rock formations in which the locals have chosen to make their homes. I discovered much more than this. An ancient berth of Christianity and civilization awaited me here. I explored Cave Churched with fantastic faded frescoes, stone alters, complete underground cities, caravanserais, huge kangal dogs, and beautiful treks through untouched nature.

My first day in Göreme, a small tourist town in the regions, I visited the Open Air Museum. Tiny churches carved into the rock filled the area. The frescoes and ancient paintings were fascinating. Most were heavily damaged by the light, or during the Crusades (the radical Christians, believing them to be worshipping the paintings in place of actual God scratched the eyes out of nearly every painting!).

The "Dark Church", located in, you guessed it, a dark, dark cave, was by far the most breath-taking. The paintings were almost perfectly preserved die to the lack of natural light. I was struck for a moment by the timelessness of the place; It was as if they were painted yesterday, not in the 6th century!

I took a few walks through the valleys, taking in the scenery. Stunning. I met a kindly old farmer selling fresh nuts and dried fruits, which I purchased. As I walked, I munched, and snapped away on my camera. 

"A Whirl of a Night", "Out of This 'Whirl'd", "Of Nuts and Sq-Whirlls", and a Million Other Cheesy Title Possibilities To Introduce a Blog about the "Whirling Dervishes" Ceremony In Istanbul

The Whirling Dervishes, aside from sending a million galavanting blog-post titles through your brain, are  one thing that Turkey is famous for. When I learned about them, it rang only a distant bell in my memory; most Americans, myself included, know too little about this amazing country. Due to my recent fascination with Islam, as well as a growing obsession with politics (just finished "Confessions of an Economic Hit-Man, by John Perkins. Unbelievable!), this ceremony couldn't have happened at a better time in my life. 

This is a mystical form of Islam started by Rumi, a Persian mystic and poet. The ceremony, once outlawed by the secular founderof the modern Republic of Turkey, Ataturk, was once again allowed due to its high tourist potential. A combination of entrancing music, with lyrics in both Turkish and Arabic, and, well, spinning, was performed over the course of an hour.

The music was fantastic. I was completely mesmorized by the calm, exotic sound of the instruments in this small auditorium.

We don't have this instrument in the US, but I've seen it before... in a musical Christmas Eve celebration in China.

After about half an hour of music, the Mevlevi Order, or Dervishes, appeared.  

They shed thier coats and began to spin, fantastically rooted their fixed spot on the stage.

They paused a few times, seemingly unshaken by the vertigo, and meditated for a bit. Then, they got right back to spinning. I loved it - such a cool experience!