When people heard we were in Turkey, the question was always asked, “have you been to Cappadocia?”. Well, I can now say yes. I could also add it was well worth visiting.
The Cappadocia Region of Turkey
Most people think of Cappadocia as the place where the hot-air balloons take off from. Where you can hopefully get a stunning photo. They are wrong. That is Goreme, a town in the region of Cappadocia.
Cappadocia is an ancient, semi-arid region in central Turkey. Its geographically odd landscape includes tall, cone-shaped rock formations, valleys and caves, shaped eons ago by erosion. People have been seeking shelter in the caves of this area for the past 2.5 million years.
Goreme is tourism capital of this region. It’s filled with restaurants, souvenir shops, and it is where we finally found the Asian tourists we normally see on our travels but have been missing lately.
What We Did in Cappadocia
Unlike most people, we did not take a hot-air ballon ride. With medical constraints affecting both of us, it was not possible and to be honest; it didn’t worry me. I don’t like heights anyway, so it was fine to be an observer for once.
What we did do, was get a guide and throughly explore the region.
Our explorations took us to many places, but the most notable were:
Kaymakli, an ancient underground city dating back to 3000 BC. Used as a city defence and hiding spot, its levels extend downwards 8 stories.
Goreme Open-Air Museum – a small well preserve area of the UNESCO listed Goreme National Park. Here we saw frescos dating back to the 1100s and clambered through 1600-year-old churches.
A funny little cafe overlooking Pigeon Valley – named because of the countless pigeon houses carved into the soft rock. Here we enjoyed the stunning view, slurped strong Turkish coffee and ate gozleme.
What Else is there to say about Cappadocia?
It can get hot and cold. Today it is in the low 30s and our guide tells us in winter it can go well below zero. It is also very dusty with a layer of silt covering everything. With erosion, causing the incredible landscape surrounding us, this should not be a surprise.
Some locals may not understand our sense of humour – or Darryls at least. In order to see the hot air balloons, we knew we had to wake early. When told 5 am, Darryl replies that this is too early for us. Can they make it 6 or 7 o’clock? The blank look on the locals’ face was priceless.
Pumice stone covers the first 2 metres of much of Göremes outer surrounding land and rich fertile soil lays 20-30 metres below this pumice. It is becoming a bit of an issue as more pumice factories are being built to the detriment of agricultural land.
Crossing the Plains to Konya
It’s normally a 3 hour drive from Goreme to Konya, but it took us 8.5. With stops at the memorable Ihlara Valley and Asikli Hoyuk, an ancient settlement dating back to 10,000 BC, it was worth the travel time. The highlights of the day, however, were lunch at the Kervansaray at Sultanhari. A stopping point for traders it is considered the end of the Silk Road as thereafter, goods were taken by sea. And Catalhoyuk. An amazing interactive museum located on the site of a major town dating back to 9000 BC.
Rumi’s Konya
Konya is where we catch the overnight train to Izmir. It’s a sprawling city of 2.1 million and is the burial place of Rumi, a 13 century mystic and poet. It’s also a very hot and dusty place, so we spend our time seeking shade. Whether it be in the Mevlana Museum (location of Rumi’s tomb) or under the awnings of the Bedesten Bazaar, it doesn’t matter. We also drink more Turkish coffee and purchase Medjool dates and pumpkin seeds. They will be a much better snack tonight on the train rather than pretzels.
We have also realised that it is a much cheaper place than Istanbul or Cappadocia and much more conservative. Most women are wearing a hijab and my shorts are receiving a second look.
Where Next?
Tomorrow we arrive in Izmir, but only to catch another train onwards. This second train will leave us in Selcuk, a handy location for the ancient Greek city of Ephesus. See you then.
