Turkish Treasures

Arriving in Istanbul, Turkey I was immediately struck by the kindness of strangers. While I was trying to determine how to get to my hotel, a sweet gentlemen came up to me to offer support. He didn't hesitate to call up the hotel to get instructions on the best way to get there. It turned out we were on the same bus into Taxsim square and had a great chat about the development of Istanbul. He further instructed the bus driver to show me where the next connection point would be. Which he did despite not speaking much English. These people are very hospitable.

I joined my GAP group at the hotel and we set off the next day around the country for our two tour of western Turkey. Thankfully I have four days to explore Istanbul when the tour ends. It looks like a fascinating city - more to come on that.

We reached Ankara by overnight train. Not my favourite time spent, but it was better then previous train rides. In Ankara we visited Ataturk's mausoleum. He was the father of Turkey's revolution and still revered highly by the country.

We ended the day in the Cappadocia region with a delightful meal in a local family home. They accepted us with open arms despite our smelliness from not having showered in two days. The food was great, the kids cracked out the music and danced for us, even grandpa giggled in the corner as some of our group attempted the dancing.

The treasure of the region are the Fairy Chimney rock formations. There are tens of thousands of these pillars that have been formed by a combination of volcanic eruption and water and wind erosion. Centuries ago (maybe longer) the three volcanoes in the area erupted and covered the land in metes of ash. They also deposited chunks of basalt rock around the area. Then over time water traveling down to the Red river carved around the basalt rock leaving only the area under the rocks. Wind also carried away the ash and topsoil not held down by the basalt rock. Later further eruptions lead to the pillars being coated in basalt ash therefore creating a protective hard shell around the pillars. They became hard enough to withstand the elements and to form a solid structure but soft enough to carve into.

Over time people in the region turned these pillars into home, businesses, places of worship and more. They would hollow out the pillars to create multilevel spaces. The first forms of condos!

We spent two days hiking through various valleys and scrambling over these formations. It is like a jungle gym for big people. It was so cool. I have always been amazed by nature's ability to create great beauty, but this year I have found a new appreciation for the expanse of diversity in that beauty. Nature is a truly surprising artist.

In Cappadocia the group also decided to go for the Turkish Night event. This include dinner and a show. Normally I stay away from these events as they are very touristy and the food is never very good. This was no exception, but at least there was an open bar. The night included several styles of dance and music. We started with the Whirling Dervish which were not overly impressive. Then we had several forms of folk dances. One of them even included the classic tale of a boy trying to impressive the girl with his strength, dancing prowess, and financial means. In the end, it was when he showed his true heartfelt feelings that she softened and accepted his proposal. Even in Turkish folklore romance wins out. The evening ended with a belly dancer. She was pretty good, but was outdone by our very own Alan. He had been selected to go up with several other men from around the room. He strutted his stuff and shimmied like a pro. Clearly this is not the first time he has strapped on a bedazzled veil and shock what his Mama gave him!

As we left Cappadocia we made a stop at an underground city. My claustrophobia kicked in big time as we descended into the tunnels, but unlike the Chuchi tunnels in Vietnam I managed to get through without a major panic attack. I was glad I did it, but even happier to get back out into the fresh air and open space. Like camel riding, I think I can now say that I have done it, ticked the box, and no longer need to experience it again.
Next stop Konya and then to the southern coast. Yeah - back to the beaches!