Cave Life : Cappadocia

So we got on another overnight bus to get from the southern coast to the most beautiful part of Turkey, the central region of Cappadocia. Three hours into our bus ride and we realized (to our horror!) that snow covered the ground.  I mean, inches and inches of it!  And it was cold.  - 15 C cold.  No hate mail please, I'm just saying...-15 C for Turkey is pretty damn cold !  We had avoided snow until now.  But the trip there was worth every flake of snow. It is Cappadocia after all.

So what makes Cappadocia so special?  The rocks,

the caves, which have been subjected to Mother Nature's chisel.  Another area that shows that she is indeed quite the artist.  These rock and cave formations (called fairy chimneys)  are spread across the landsape, most of them having housed nomads or persecuted Christians in hiding.  As a matter of fact, many people still inhabit these caves.  We met a few locals who call the rocks their home. 

 

Welcome to our new home !



Where's Chris?



Supper tables.





Squatters' delight !



We stayed in the small town of Göreme.  It's a very small quaint town which has been built amongst the fairy chimneys and caves, incorporating Mother Nature's masterpieces into the architecture.



What we liked the most about this place was that it was a hiker's heaven.  There's always so much to see and trails and trails galore.  We did a few big hikes and got lost along the way.  Not that it matters as small towns dot the area so there's always a place nearby.  Hikes should be done durnig the day though, as wolves like to come out at night.  In some areas, curfews are imposed to avoid any unfortunate confrontations.  This is where the Kengal dog comes in.  Feral Kengal dogs (bred to kill wolves, remember?) are everywhere.  They're friendly giants but along the hikes, you just can't help but be a little bit apprehensive when one is charging at you from a cave above.  One time, Chris and I just froze (Chris insists he was ready to punch) and the dog charged right as us....and rolled on his back for belly rubs ! Words can't describe the beautiful scenery in this area, so I will leave it pictures.

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This cafe was over 1 km into our hike. It was empty but the cooler was full.  We supposed it ran on the basis of honesty.  We left a few liras and took an iced tea.

The police station

Immaturity at its best !

 

Fairy chimneys

Monastery carved inside a cave

<>                                     Sitting down for lunch, in a cave of course. <>

 

Cave life

"Hey Renee ! Nice hat!"

This is what I think of you making fun of my hat.

For my birthday, Chris suggested a hot-air balloon ride over the area.  It's a Cappadocian specialty and I was THRIIIILLLED !  We got up really early (the morning is the best time to fly as the winds are at their lowest and sunrise!)and headed out to the take-off area.  Our balloon was laying on it's side (along with 15 or so other balloons), getting filled with hot air.  We stood their impatient with our coffees and camera ready.  They showed us how to climb up into the basket (we had about 15 people in our basket) and what to do during landing (which is pretty much "hang on to the basket and bent your knees right before we toucvh ground")  We got a longer than usual ride as the pilot was havcing trouble landing it...the winds were increasing.  We were alright with that, as long as we didn't run out of ignition fluid !

The take-off area, where all the balloons are getting ready, 6:40 am

We're ready...

 Here we go !

A beautiful sunrise

The view of Cappadocia's landscape from up there...

Valleys and caverns and fairy chimneys oh my !

I was wondering why there were handles down there...

And I soon found out ! Being overexcited, I decided to sit over the basket (what?!  The Chipettes do it in Alvin and the Chipmunks movie !) and I leaned forward a bit too much.  Suddenly, Chris took this photo and next thing I knew I was hanging from the basket with my feet hooked into the rope handles on the outside.  Everyone in the basket went wild.  The pilot told me to swing back and forth and that he would grab my hands once I had enough momentum. He grabbed on but I had just had too much momentum and swung him right out of the basket.  Shoot! Now I was hanging and holding on the pilot, who was also hanging.  Our weight was starting to tip the basket, but worst was that my feet were slipping off the handles.  Crap.  The captain and I started swinging together and soon enough we got enough momentum.  The captain got close enough to the basket that Chris grabbed on to his pant leg and pulled him in.  I hung on to him for dear life as he dragged me back up into the balloon. Phew.  What an exciting ride !

We heart Turkey

Another cool thing worth mentioning is the underground cities that we visited.  Like I said, Christians used the region as their perfect hide out, as they were being persecuted by Pagan worshippers.  They would built their monastaries, churches (with beautiful frescoes made of bird poop!) and homes from these caves.  And, when times got really scary, they started building underground cities.  These things are amazing and crazy deep.  The one we visited had 16 floors and was inhabited by 4 000 people.  Only 8 were accessible, but 8 floors underground and we were still 55 metres down.  The stairs got narrower and narrower the further we went down.  Definetly not for the claustrophobic.  Can you imagine?  No sunlight....EVER. I can't.  They also had tunnels that connected to the other cities which dotted the area.  Chris started going down one which sprawled a 9 km to the next city.  Thank goodness he turned back and I didn't have to go find him.  It was really dark and creepy in there !

This tunnel goes on 9 km to the next village

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The city on the 8th floor underground.  Cozy, a little dark.



The passageways were getting pretty small.

And this final destination concluded our just-over-a-month trip to Turkey.  We enjoyed it so much, although we only touched the west side.  Next time, it's the east.  You know, no matter how much time you spend in a country, it's never enough.  You always find out about new places and you just add it on to your list.  Next time, we're hitting eastern Turkey.

 

So tonight, we head out for India.  We are flying an overnight flight, so we'll be there in the morning.  We are leaving with a big heart, a little sad that we have to say goodbye to this beautiful place and its beautiful people.  But travelling is all about leaving, saying goodbye and arriving and saying hello...or well, namaste.



 Goodbye doner kebaps

Good bye Turkish breakfasts 

Goodbye pottery kebaps (veg ones to boot !)

Goodbye Turkey

Got scrubbed, Turkish style : Antalya

We've been scrubbed. Manhandled. Cracked.  Soaked. Slapped. Bathed. We indulged on a hamam (Turkish bath), a Turkish tradition of public bathing. The hamam dates back to the Roman and Byzantine tradition, when water (hence bathing) was scarce at home and bathing became a social ritual. Men would come go to hamams to bathe and chit chat over sports and politics while the ladies would go and keep a watchful eye for wives suitable for their sons. The one we decided to go to was in Antalya, the biggest port city in Turkey. It was 600 years old and the bathing chambers used were still the originals. 

First, we entered the camekan, which is the area with the  changing cubicles that usually surround a marble fountain. There, we were told to strip naked and handed a pastamal , a checkered cloth which we wore like a sarong.

Then, we were off to the hararet (steam room) which was a fascinating place to be in. Architects put ALOT of work in the hararet. A domed, octagonal room with intricate water basins  and of course, the heated marble platform in the middle known as the navel stone. The accoustics were amazing (x6 they told us). You could hear every water drop and the door slams always made you jump. It somewhat made me think of dungeon sounds (although this would be one heavenly dungeon!!) If you've seen alot of mafia movies, this is where the secret discussion scenes take place, on the navel stone. We lied down on the stone for a while. I felt like a lizard enjoying a heated rock. 

You can also use the hamam as a place to give yourself a bath (and not get the full rub-down). Men were bathing themselves in the basin.  Big bellies, lots of hair.  Others were also laying on the navel stone.  THANK GOODNESS Chris came with me.

Then, the attendants came (Chris' was an old fella who enjoyed some navel stone time before getting to work.  Mine was a short, big-bellied man who reminded me of an overweight Cheech), soaked us in hot water and scrubbed and scrubbed with the exfoliating mitt, without missing a spot (okay, maybe a couple of spots that are no-no places for attendents). Under the arms, the neck, the armpits...we were a couple of rag dolls. Chris admits he's never had another man so close to his junk before. At one point I opened my eyes to check out what was happpening on his side and he had the pastamal  (sarong)  bunched on his thang....I laughed quietly and closed my eyes.

Then came the actual bath.  We were doused with bubbles and then messaged, well no, more pummeled clean.  After getting every nook and cranny (including the face, minus the no-no parts), they rinsed us off with hot water.  My attendent liked to SLAP ! and then message whereas Chris' like to CRACK ! and then message.  We were told to sit up and our hair was shampooed.  Wow, we had been bathed.

Enjoying some çay and fruıt

Sleepy, dehydrated yet very very clean.

Antalya is a beautiful harbour city with great views and a very unique old part : Kaleici. Pensiyons are the Turkish guesthouses, or hostels if you will.  They were everywhere in the old city of Kaleici.  The best part was that they were usually restored Ottoman homes made of timber or stone.  This was ours, Abad Pensiyon.  But it was not a bad one at all (hyuk hyuk).

Abad Pensiyon was all good!

Many old buildings in the old city that were in dire need of restoration

Kaleici neighborhood

A big crash

Decorative cabbage.  It's everywhere.