2010.06.30 - 07.05 #3 Turkey (CAPPADOCIA - East of Ankara)

2010.06.29 - 2010.07.05


#3 Turkey - East of Ankara
CAPPADOCIA - GOREME - Nirvana Cave Hotel (and comping)

We left Yalikavac early in the rnorning, well-rested and ready for the next part of our Turkish adventure.

We visited the Halikarnosses Mausoleum (400BC), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancien World) - today merely a pile of "rubble" after having been plundered by the St. John's Knights between 1402-1522 to build the Bodrum Castle.

This is the entrance to the Pre Mausoleum staircase and tomb chambers.

The maussollos [sic] tomb chamber.

We managed to catch the 09:30 ferry to Datcha.

Goodbye Bodrum!

Two and a half hours later we said: "Hello" to Datcha (the town is reached after a 20 minutes busride).

At Datcha we boarded another bus to Knidos - Datcha's pavements being upgraded.

Some of the countryside which we passed on our way to Knidos.

The blue Mediterranean Sea.

A steep downhill.

Almond trees - a speciality of the region. Especially the thin-shell variety.

One of the many sharp turns in the road.

The bus stops to transport tomatoes/almonds/ec to the next village - the bus driver greeted everybody along the way with a cheerful honk of the horn!

From high inland down to the seaside village, Palamutbuku.

Palamutbuku has a 13 km stretch of pebble beach - te best on the peninsula.

Even the bus driver bought some supplies.

Back up the mountains. On to Knidos.

Why did we want to go to Knidos? Two seas meet at the tip of the peninsula. The water on the left  belongs to the Mediterranean Sea and the water on the right belongs to the Aegean Sea.

And Knidos has a beautiful small harbour.

And a museum which traces the history of ancient Knidos.

Then we returned to Datcha - retracing our steps and enjoying the beauty of the Marmaris Peninsula again.

We saw ruins of ancient Knidos well beyond the boundaries of the museum.

Back past Palamubuku again.

And in Datcha we caught a bus to Marmaris.

Once again the journey passed beautiful scenes: the blue Mediterranean

green mountains.

The peninsula of Marmaris is only 800m wide where it joins the mainland. This is the Mediterranean side

And this is the Aegean side. Howeve, this fine destiction is not made on many maps - perhaps it's just a good marketing tool?

We approached Marmaris from the mountains.

Within 30 minutes after we had reached the Otogar/bus station we were on our way again - goodbye, Mediterranean Sea!

We changed busses at 
Denizli during the night, but even at 00:00 the Turkish bus system worked flawlessly.

We arrived at Konya at 04:30, had Turkish tea and breakfast - soon Hidayet came to chat as he heard we could speak English!!

We wanted to visit Konya (as St Paul had done in 50AD). This vehicle was a tempting option - just a joke!

We set off to the Mevlana Museum in Konya where Rumi's mausoleum is. The turquoise tiled turret is impressive.

The couryard of the Mevlana Museum where Whirling Dervishes were trained from 1231-1925.

The gravestones of some of the deceased whirling dervishes / sema dancers.

The Rose Garden - incredibly strict security inside the museum forbad photos - many devout Siffi Muslims still pray at Rumi's mausoleum. We left.

This was the meat for the best Doner Kebab we had had in Turkey.

The amazing last remaining wall of the Palace of the Seljuk Sultans (12th century AD) covered by a dome.

And after this whirlwind tour of Konya - we left on the 1pm bus to travel to Cappadocia. Just look at the change in the landscape!

This was one of our first views of the tectonic masterpieces for which Cappadocia is famous. It looks just like a bowl of ice cream!

People still live in many of these fairy chimneys.

In Goreme, we walked the streets to find the perfect cave house for us.

We found Nirvana Cave hotel. This was our own cave room for 6 nights (2010.06.30 to 07.05).

Supper at Dibek Restaurant - Guvec (Aubergine) Stew and cooked white beans.

When in Turkey at least look at the handknotted carpets, the Kelims, the Cicic, the ... too many styles to remember. Overwhelmingly beautiful.

An antique carpet dealer showed us remains of a carpet more than 350 years old which he uses for exhibitions.

One morning (very early) we took a balloon trip. These are balloons a various stages of inflation.

Balloon baskets waiting for their passengers.

We're in - waiting for take off!

Our pilot, Saher, working at our lift off.

When the flame is not burning, one drifts silently over the beauty below - this is the Rose Valley near Goreme.

30 (or more) balloon took flight.

A good pilot (such as ours) can let the balloon "walk" up the mountain - I could nearly touch the grass on the side of the mountain!

A vineyard - the white dust/sand from the cliffs is very fertile!

The lime stone cliffs are often used as dove cotes - the manure is used as fertilizer.The small holes in the cliffs are the pigeon houses.

Time lines - different layers over the millennia.

On the left, new Cavasin. On the right - the cave houses that were still inhabited 50 years ago (until a rock fall forced the government to move all inhabitents to the new town.

Our pilot was very pleased/surprised that in the 14000+ flights which he has flown, the balloon went through the gap which you saw on the previous photo!

Just look how close we are to the rock face!

A few typical mushroom shaped fairy chimneys.

Balloons, balloons and more balloons ...

Isn't it incredibly beautiful?

Zelve Open Air Museum from the air. Can you see the row of rock churches in the centre of the valley?

Our own shadow.

Are we playing follow my leader?

An intricate rock lace pattern.

Patchwork fields with Avanos and the Red River in the distance.

Urgup.

We started landing.

A vineyard up close.

Will all these balloons find a suitable spot to land?

Our landing team at the ready.

But the wind had other plans for our balloon. So up,up and away ...

Our second landing effort. See the input from captain and crew"?

Too difficult to get the vehicles here!

Should we drop in for breakfast?

No - the landing team drags us towards the pick-up vehicle.

And we land safely on the trailer!!! Amazing.

The balloon also lands and is deflated, folded up and crated. Very tidy.

Cherry and champagne to celebrate a super flight!

After lunch, we take a bus past Cavusin - this is a typical pottery product of the area.

A load of garlic being taken to the market.

One of the potters in Avanos - the red clay makes its potter world famous.

A Hittite design - incredibly fine!

This should pour wine well!

A pottery demonstration.

Did I mention that so much  pottery was overwhelming?

And a certain pottery master, Galip, received a lock of hair as a gift 50 years ago. This started his collection  - here are some of the 20,000+ locks in his museum - gruesome? Not quite, but certainly weird.

Aren't these plates beautiful?

This is how the designs are done.

We rounded our visit to Avanos off with an icecream. Mrad and the vendor.

A last look at Avanos' pottery island in the Red River.

Next stop: Zelve Open Air Museum, 9th and 13th century settements. See the gap in the one rock?

Direkli Church - one of the 3000 rock churches in Cappadocia. Its entrance.

Direkli Church - a pillar.

Direkli Church - vaulted ceiling.

Some of these rock houses were still inhabited in 1952.

Mrad using the pulpit of Vaftizci Church - the acoustics are excellent.

A typical Byzentine cross (8th century) carved in the wall of the church.

The monastery in the 1st valley of Zelve Open Air Museum.

The "roofs" of some of the houses.

The way out of a hidden tunnel / escape route in the limestone cliffs.

The 3rd valley in which there is a mill and church.

The mill.

A damaged frescoe of the Balikli church.

We left Zelve. Even a public bus ride back to Goreme delivered this type of scenery.

Sunset over Cappadocia.

That evening we went to Urchisar for a Turkish evening. Urchisar Castle from a distance.

Urchisar Castle from close up.

One of the dance performances at the Turkish night. An enjoyable evening as Mrad and I had a chance to dance as well.

Breakfast with Harun (one of the owners of Nirvana Cave Hotel) at Local Cave Hotel (his main business).

The view over the valley we walked down.

Guess which valley we were headed for?

We found delicious apricots next to the road.

This retired "professor" invited us into his cave house and gave us apricots and healing mountain water.

We also found a tree with the sweetest mulberries.

The top en of the valley is known as White Valley.

As the valley descends, a red colour emerges.

Sometimes the path was straight.

Sometimes it was crooked.

And at the bottom end it lived up to its name: Love / Sex Valley.

Plenty of ...

Obviously it draws enthusiastic crowds.

Another day, we set off on a typical tourist tour.

Mrad sat here to view the Goreme Panorama.

Our tour visited Derinkuyu (Deep Well) Underground City. It is eight stories deep and housed 5000 people during the 1st century AD and again 7-9th century AD when Christians were being persecuted.

I think there were 5000 visitors too - the underground city was crowded.

Here is a "door" on the left of the photo - it was rolled across the tunnel in case of danger.

We went down to the fifth level - I am soooo pleased that I did not live in those times.

Eventually we surfaced and drove on past Hasandagi (3267m high) - one of the two vulcanoes which erupted millions of years ago covering the area with tuff (lava, ash and mud) which eroded to form the fairy chimneys. Do you see the snow on the mountain?

We arrived at Ihlara Village.

And entered Ilhara Valley.

It is a lovely canyon. Locally very popular but as one walked further it became less crowded.

Here, too, there are many rock churches.We visited Agacalti Kilisesi (Under the tree Church). This frescoe depicts four angels bearig Christ to heaven - or so out guide said!

A close look at the frescoes, showed how Islam and Christianity were accommodated. A Christian church but the frescoes were embellished with "evil eyes" to ward off evil.

We had "chai"/tea along the way.

The walk along the Melendiz River was relaxing - although it was very hot (33 C).

Some trout for lunch?

Next stop: the Selime Monastery set in this imposing mountain.

Mrad went up into the monastery in the mountain. Oops - he's just left!

On route home we stopped at Pigeon Valley.

And at an Onyx Polishing demonstration where they have amazing jewellery - "just looking!"

At last "home" in Nirvana Cave Hotel where Mustafa and his team made us feel so at home.

We said "Goodbye" to Massimilliano, our informative Italian/French friend who is such a good traveller. Thank you, Massifish!

When our stay finished, we left with Goreme Bus Company (Nuri, you're a star).

The sun set over Cappadocia as we left on 5 July for our next destination - Nemrut.


Liiewe familie en vriende! Dis eintlik onmoontlik om die ware ervaring neer te pen of selfs in prente weer te gee - maar hierdie is darem 'n poging.


Mense vra vir my - waar kry jy die tyd o soveel rekenaarwerk te doen? Onthou dat ons nie elke minuut van die dag nuwe insette kan inneem en verwerk nie - mens word darem ook moeg. En dus is die blog 'n manier om te rus (nie sonder grenslose frustrasie weens sukkel met die internet nie), en om al die inligting wat ons toer ons bied ook te verwerk.


Ons ervaar die Genade van die Here elke dag: kom ons by 'n busstop aan, jaag die mense met gebare ons in die regte bus, wys hulle vir ons waar billike skoon hotelle is, help hulle ons met beplanning vorentoe - en dit dikwel sonder veel Engels. Ons voel beskerm en geseend.


Dankie ook vir julle wat kommentaar lewer met SMS of epos - alle kontak is heerlik!


Baie liefde vir julle.
Mrad en Inge