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Cappadocia

    Benedicts in Turkey: Cappadocia

    After our brief stop at Tuz Gölü, we headed onward to Cappadocia. (We visited Cappadocia several times while we lived in Turkey. It was a five hour drive from Ankara, which made it an easy getaway.) It’s a unique place with a bizarre landscape! There’s lots to see and eat and little shops to browse.

    We had about a day and a half in Göreme. We stayed again at Vineyard Cave Hotel and can’t recommend it enough! Mom, Dad, Sam, and Ben had one of the completely underground cave rooms, and David and I were in another. The owner and his son could not be more hospitable. They have one of the best Turkish breakfasts! I’ll dream of Turkish breakfast and wish for salted roasted apricot seeds for the rest of my life.

    After we dropped our bags, we went to the Göreme Open Air Museum. (A UNESCO site, 20TL or free with the Müze Kart.) Cappadocia is the best place for boys. It has ALL the rocks to climb.

     

    Open Air Museum, boys climbing

     

    Turkish Poppies

     

    Mom and Dad in the Open Air Museum

     

    Sam climbing rocks

     

    We had dinner that night at Old Cappadocia Restaurant at the recommendation of a friend. They include free bread and are a lot more wallet friendly than some of the other restaurants in Göreme. David ordered testi kebap where they cook the stew in a pot and break it open to serve it:

     

    Testi Kebap

     

    The next morning, our host Hasan Bey took us on a private tour! He has wonderful childhood stories and a rich knowledge of the region.

    This is one of the few cave churches with a pulpit:

     

    Cappadocia cave pulpit

     

    He also took us to Beyzade Kuruyemis & Lokum for Turkish delight and dried goods (salted roasted apricot seeds!!!), Özler Onyx for jewelry shopping (zultanite is exclusive to Turkey), and then to the Love Valley:

     

    Cappadocia rocks

     

    Love Valley

     

    This was our rental car for the trip – a Fiat Freemont. It served us well, even though the six of us were quite cozy inside with our luggage. It had a half-sized trunk:

     

    Rental Car

     

    Hasan Bey had to cut the tour a little short because his son got engaged! He went back to prepare for a party and we went onwards to Avanos to look at the pottery shops. The boys got to try their hand at the wheel:

     

    Boys at the pottery wheel in Avanos

     

    Hittite wine decanters

     

    We had lunch at Mado along the river:

     

    Avanos river, mosque, gondola

     

    Turkish tablecloth pattern

     

    Our last stop of the day was Kaymaklı Underground City, another UNESCO World Heritage site. Entrance cost 20TL or was free with the Müze Kart. We hired a tour guide for 50TL. He was the same guide we used when we visited with Mom in November!

     

    Kaymaklı tunnel

     

    Kaymaklı Underground City

     

    On our last morning, we woke up at the crack of dawn to catch the hot air balloon launch. Even though I’d watched it many times before, it never loses its magic:

     

    Goreme sunrise balloon launch

     

    After a quick nap and another hearty breakfast, we packed up the car again and drove south to the coast! Next up: Çıralı!

     

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    Cappadocia with Mom

    We took Mom to Göreme for her last weekend in Turkey!

    Where we stayed
    When we planned our travels to the Cappadocia region, we knew we wanted to stay in a cave hotel. Some of our friends highly recommended Vineyard Cave Hotel. We loved it! We stayed in Room #5, which was completely cave except for a very small window by the door. The room was large with two queen size beds, a flat screen TV, fridge, and a seating area. It also had a massive bathroom complete with a hammam-style water basin. Even though it was a cave (originally a stable), there was electricity and great Wi-Fi. 🙂

     

    cappadociarocks

     

    vineyardcavehotel

     

    After we dropped off our bags, we visited the Göreme Open Air Museum. (A UNESCO site, 20TL or free with the Müze Kart.) Cappadocia rocks:

     

    openairmuseum

     

    openairhole

     

    davidclimbing

     

    cappadociasunsetrock

     

    Our host Hasan Bey took us on a personal tour for a couple of hours Saturday morning:

     

    privatetour

     

    He showed us one of the few rock churches in the area with a pulpit:

     

    oldchurchpulpit

     

    I love seeing the frescoes. Many of the caves were used as churches and monasteries, and there are lots of frescos of crosses and Biblical scenes. This was the first time I had seen drawings of pomegranate trees. At first glance, I thought they were Christmas trees:

     

    oldnarpainting

     

    We also visited Özler Onyx and watched a man carve an egg:

     

    onyxfactory

     

    After looking around the store, Mom asked if she could buy the egg we watched being carved and polished. Instead, the store worker gave her one as a gift. Turkish hospitality cannot be beat!

     

    momandegg

     

    Next, we walked around the edge of Love Valley. Can you guess how it earned that name?

     

    lovevalleyrocks

     

    lovevalley

     

    Our last stop on Saturday was Kaymaklı Underground City, another UNESCO World Heritage site. Entrance costs 20TL or is free with the Müze Kart. We hired a tour guide for 50TL. I strongly recommend hiring a guide. While there are a few signs indicating rooms, there are no written explanations of what you’re seeing.

     

    kaymakliundergroundcity

     

    There are 36 excavated cities in the area, but our guide estimated there are closer to 100. Kaymaklı is the widest one open to visitors. We walked and crawled through four levels of the city. We saw animal quarters, living quarters, storage areas, churches, millstone doors, and the kitchen. People lived in the caves for up to six months hiding from their enemies.

     

    kaymaklicity

     

    We woke up early Sunday morning to watch the sunrise and hot air balloon launch:

     

    momsunrise

     

    leahjumpcappadocia

     

    We had a fantastic time! It was the perfect finale to Mom’s travels in Turkey. I’m so glad she was able to visit. (She returned safely to the States on Thursday!)

     

    morningballoons

     

    Where we ate
    Pumpkin Restaurant: The Pumpkin Restaurant raised their price since the last time I visited. They offer a set four-course menu each night for 40TL. It was so delicious! Definitely one of my favorite places to eat at in Turkey.
    Kale Terrasse Restaurant: Kale Terrasse was moderately priced and the food was decent.  Mom and I shared a testi kebap – a meat and vegetable dish slow cooked in a sealed clay pot. They break the pot open when they bring it to your table.

     

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    Ihlara Valley & Picnicking with Turks

    Some of my friends hiked the Ihlara Valley several years ago, and we decided to check it out on our girls weekend. (Ihlara is about 50 miles southwest of Göreme.)

    We asked the hostel owner how best to get there. He said there were too many of us to hitchhike and public transportation would require too many transfers. He said we could go with a tour group, but we didn’t want to see the other parts of the tours. We ended up hiring a mini-bus. There were 7 of us, and it cost 38TL each (about $18 USD). It worked our perfectly. The driver dropped us off at the entrance and picked us up about 5 hours later at the end of the trail.

    Ihlara Valley has four entrance points. We decided to hike the entire 16 km. Entrance to the valley cost 5TL (or was free with the Müzekart).

     

    ihlaravalleyentrance

     

    For whatever reason, I thought we were going to a crater-type area that would be very flat and desert-like. I couldn’t have been more wrong. It didn’t look or feel like we were in the Cappadocia region!

     

    ihlara

     

    The canyon was absolutely gorgeous. The Melendiz Stream ran along the trail:

     

    ihlaravalley

     

    watermoss

     

    oldtree

     

    talltrees

     

    rockcave

     

    There were a couple of rock churches along the way. Two were right next to each other. I wonder how that worked way back then… Was it like parts of America where there’s a church on every corner? It’s always cool to see the frescoes:

     

    churchwall

     

    Very few people hiked the first section. As we got closer to the middle of the valley, the trails became crowded. There were several restaurants near the entrances. The tour groups and Turks didn’t go very far, though. By the time we got to entrance three, we had the trails to ourselves again.

     

    ihlaramap

     

    riverrocks

     

    sticks

     

    It looked like we lost our way a couple of times on the last stretch. It weaved in and out of farms. These ladies waved and said hello. They were hard at work!

     

    turkishfarmers

     

    We ran across a shepherd a little further down. He was excited to meet us and offered to take our photo.

     

    turkishshepherd

     

    This is what he took:

     

    farmerpic

     

    Carved into the canyon walls were rock houses from the Byzantine period. Wikipedia says: Due the valley’s plentiful supply of water and hidden places, here was the first settlement of the first Christians escaping from Roman soldiers. In the Ihlara Valley there are hundreds of old churches in the volcanic rock caves.

     

    rockhouses

     

    poppy

     

    Near the end of our hike, we passed a family of Turks picnicking by the water. The little boy with the yellow ball motioned to us and said, “Come!” The Turks also motioned and said, “Gel!”

     

    turkishpicnic

     

    And so we did. They had a feast of a picnic set out. After we finished eating, they packed everything up, so I think this was all their leftovers:

     

    turkishpicnicfood

     

    The family was so sweet. The boy and one other man spoke some English. Between that and the Turkish we know, we had a grand time. They took lots of photos with us and we enjoyed the mid-hike snack and çay. Turkish hospitality is the greatest. This was one of my favorite Turkish cultural experiences:

     

    grouppic

     

    ilharamounds

     

    The trail ended at Selime Monastery. We explored it for a little while, but were all tired. Our driver picked us up and we went back to Göreme. I loved Ihlara! I definitely want to bring David back here sometime.

     

    Girls Weekend in Cappadocia

    I love Cappadocia. It’s a 5-hour bus ride from Ankara and our go-to getaway for long weekends. Even though it’s kind of touristy, it’s a relaxed place. We always stay at the same hostel in Göreme and have a routine when we visit. Coffee, shopping, eating, sightseeing, repeat. Two of my friends are moving back to the States, and we had a last hoo-rah trip with them in the middle of May.

    One of our favorite coffee stops is Cafe Şafak (and our second favorite is Mydonose Cafe):

     

    Cafe Şafak

     

    Cafe Şafak coffee

     

    We took a minibus to Avanos for some pottery shopping:

     

    Avanos pottery shop

     

    Avanos pottery

     

    The first time we visited Avanos, we found the Chez Galip Hair Museum and were so freaked out we ran away. After researching it online, I found out they weren’t actually going to murder me and keep my hair. A friend and I went in for a closer look.

     

    Hair Museum Avanos

     

    The man wouldn’t let me take a photo in the room. (But Google has lots of photos!) It was a lot bigger than I thought it’d be. So, so creepy! It’s the largest collection of human hair. Women donate a lock and write their contact info on a note card. The museum started in 1979 and is in the Guinness Book of World Records. Here’s just a peek of what’s inside:

     

    Hair Museum Avanos

     

    You know when you come across those amazing little restaurants or shops that just make your trip? One of the best surprises on our trip was the Pumpkin Art Gallery Restaurant. (Check out their Facebook page here.) It was opened in September of 2013 by a man who had worked as a chef in Istanbul for 15 years. He and his wife are originally from the Cappadocia area and wanted to move back.

     

    Pumpkin Restaurant in Göreme

     

    Every day the owner goes to the pazar and creates a set menu based on what’s available and in season. The food was the absolute best I’ve had in Turkey. For 35TL (about $18 USD), we enjoyed an amazing four course meal (soup, meze salad, beef and noodle entree, and baklava dessert). This little restaurant was Turkish hospitality at its finest. They were so sweet and even gave us little gifts — Turkish coin pouches a key chains.

    One of my friends is gluten free. She uses a card that explains her dietary needs in Turkish, but bread is such a staple in Turkish food that a lot of times her meals come out wrong. That was NOT the case here. The owner altered every course perfectly. He also helped us celebrate her birthday and they gave us an amazing cake.

    I cannot say enough about how wonderful this place is. It’s our new favorite restaurant in Göreme:

     

    Pumpkin Restaurant in Göreme

     

    A couple of us got up early to watch the hot air balloon launch. Since sunrise is a lot earlier now, it was tough waking up. But this is worth it every time:

     

    Göreme balloons

     

    Göreme balloons

     

    Göreme balloons

     

    Turkish hot air balloon

     

    We also hiked Ihlara Valley on our trip. I’ll share more about that soon!

     

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    Roses, roses!

    Turkey has so many beautiful roses! They were in bloom when we came in August, and there’s so many in bloom even this month.

     

    Roses in Cappadocia, Turkey

     

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    Cappadocia Balloons

    Cappadocia is a city about 180 miles southeast of Ankara. We took a quick weekend trip and got up early one morning to see the balloon  launch. There were over 80 balloons in the sky! It was an incredible sight to see over such a unique landscape.

     

    Cappadocia Hot Air Balloons

     

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    Weekend Trip to Cappadocia

    Over the weekend, we took a quick trip to Cappadocia with five other teachers. Cappadocia is about 180 miles southeast of Ankara. We took a bus after school on Friday, and after grading many papers and a couple of stops along the way, we arrived in Göreme around 11:30 that night.

     

    Map of Ankara to Cappadocia

     

    Göreme is a tourist town right outside of Cappadocia. Cappadocia has rich historical and cultural heritage and has been inhabited by the Persians, Hittites, Assyrians, and Greeks. It has a distinct alien-looking landscape created from harsh weather and volcanic activity. The rock formations are referred to as “fairy chimneys.” There are also some underground cities in the region, but we didn’t visit those this trip. Cappadocia is mentioned in Acts 2:6–11 and 1 Peter 1:1–2.

     

    Goreme Open Air Museum

     

    We slept in and relaxed at the hostel Saturday morning. After stopping at a coffee shop, a few of us walked around the Open Air Museum. Hundreds of years ago people carved out the rock formations to create living quarters, chapels, and churches. Several of the chapels still had remnants of the frescos that once adorned the walls. One in particular was called the Dark Church. It cost a little extra to go inside, but was so worth it! This cave had the best preserved frescos because it is protected from the light. Many of the faces were defiled, like the rest of the caves. Cameras weren’t allowed in the Dark Church, but you can see pictures online. I need to brush up on my history of the area, but it’s incredible to think how these were some of the very first churches.

     

    Frescos in Cappadocia Caves

     

    Frescos in Cappadocia Caves

     

    Later Saturday, we took a short bus ride to one of the next towns over called Avanos to check out some pottery shops. The craftsmanship was remarkable. The piece pictured below with the hole in the middle is a Hittite wine vase. The server would stick his arm through the middle of the vase, hoist it over his shoulder, and tip it to serve the guests. On the shelf below are hand painted Turkish bowls. Gorgeous!

     

    Turkish Pottery

     

    A funny story – we entered one of the many pottery shops and got a full tour from one of the employees. On the second floor, I noticed a sign that said “Hair Museum.” I asked the man what a hair museum was, and he motioned us further back into the store. This section was not lit, and he walked up a set of stairs to another room. “Fear?” he asked as we hesitated to follow him. “Yes,” we told him. He flipped on a switch, and the room came into view. From floor to ceiling were pieces of paper with locks of human hair stapled to them. David stepped up closer, though not into the room. The room extended very far and was filled with pieces of hair and pictures of women. He got pretty creeped out and told us we needed to go. We booked it out of that shop as quickly as we could! I looked it up online after the trip – apparently women donated their hair and the shop made it in the Guinness World Records. It was CREEPY! (Check out an article and photo of the place at Atlas Obscura.)

    The next morning, we woke up at 5:30 to catch the launch of the hot air balloons. What a sight to see! As the sun rose, over 80 balloons came into view and flew over and around us and the strange rock formations.

     

    Cappadocia Balloons

     

    Cappadocia Balloons

     

    Cappadocia Balloons

     

    Cappadocia Balloons

     

    Cappadocia Balloons

     

    It was a fun, relaxing trip with wonderful new friends. We hope to go back again sometime soon!

     

    [box] PRAYER REQUESTS

    1. Continued wisdom: in how we teach and interact with our students, especially those who are learning English.
    2. Our Health: Leah had a slight fever earlier today. She rested, took some vitamins and meds, and it went away.
    3. Time Management: We are still learning how to balance our time at the school and our personal time. There will be many long hours at work this first year, but we also don’t want to wear ourselves out!

    [/box]

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