Turkey!
No. Not that turkey.
It was late September. Year 2007.
No. I do not have such a great memory and it does not seem like it was yesterday.
Thankfully, I like taking photos and it was enough to take a quick look and remember it all.
I was planning Greece that summer actually.
All summer.
And it was not easy.
It included visas too.
But I have managed to plan a great trip.
Crete for 7 days.
Santorini 3 days.
Plus a visit to Mikonos *over a daylight, thank you.
And this trip should have included some speed boats as well.
Imagine my devastation when in last minute I found out we had to cancel.
Oh poor me.
I was really sad.
So much that I have decided to go to Turkey.
Turkey is fine, you would say.
But no.
Not for me at that time.
Because that year of 2007 was very popular among my fellow citizens to travel to Turkey.
I kept on hearing about resorts at Marmaris, Bodrum, Antalya, Alanya... on and on and on.
And I am like that - when everybody goes to Turkey, I decide to go to Greece, when everybody goes Greece - I choose Italy.
Meaning - I ended up not going to Greece. At all!
Though Croatia being close kind of influenced it too...
Since I was planning Greece all summer a place of choice in Turkey, consequently, was Side.
It turned out I liked this trip.
Now I regret I did not make a detailed plan before I left.
I stayed at one of the infamous all inclusive hotels just 15 mins ride by dolmush (taxi minivan) from Side.
This hotel was packed with Germans.
Old married couples.
Drinking and singing all day.
Yes you have guessed it right - the beach was my sweet escape.
I went to Side as many times possible.
Day and night.
And loved it.
Nice things to see there like Ancient Theatre and Temple of Apollo.
It turned out that All-inclusives are not my thing.
It ties you to the hotel.
And after couple of days you start thinking about food only.
I even managed to pile some fat on my ass and belly.
And that one thing kept on itching me...Cappadocia.
I swore to myself that if I ever go to Turkey - I will visit Cappadocia.
Even if it would mean taking me there by plane.
Turned out you can go there by a simple minivan :).
That one evening I went to Side, strolled around the center alley watching how crowded tourist shops were and I randomly selected the one that was most crowded.
Ok, starting point.
You can chose two or three day trip.
They show you nice photos of places you would be visiting along with photos of luxurious air conditioned buses.
I needed that bus.
Even though it was late September, it was really warm still.
Three days in Cappadocia it was.
120 EUR per person (back then).
Three meals included (one each day).
Two night stay at Nevsehir.
Plus a guide fluent in at least three foreign languages.
PERFECT!
Now I can say I regret I did not stay at Cappadocia for at least a week.
I could go again.
If I had someone fun to join.
This is not one of those trips I like to do by myself.
So if you are up for it, have no one adventurous enough to go with and you don't mind me tagging along you know where to find me :).
Cappadocia was known as Katpatuka during the Persian rule in this area.
Means - Land of beautiful horses.
The history of this place is amazing.
But I can not write about it here.
Would take me months to finish...
Do buy a good guide if you plan to go there.
I bought two simple guides just out on the street in Side and was quite pleased with both.
We started this little adventure at 4:00 a.m.
'Yeey!' was my first reaction when I saw the lights approaching hotel.
It was a minivan.
Turned out that if they show you that they have a bus - it does not mean you will be taken by one.
Hehe. Turks.
And then I remembered (since I haven't prepared well as always) that I haven't asked how far are we from Cappadocia.
'650 km' my guide answered.
Say WHAT?!?
'Round trip?' I asked.
'No. One way' he said.
Oh dear God.
But what is done is done.
I fell asleep.
And this trip was quite easy to take.
We stopped often, and often it was boring so you would fall asleep.
And did you know that there is a road to Nevsehir that is 250km strait line?
You can see it up from the sky when you are flying commercial flights.
Our guide was very funny.
His accent was very much Borat like.
When he opened his mouth and started talking, I would laugh instantly.
But learned to control myself after couple of hours.
We were told he was fluent in English and German.
And we had this old german couple with us that spoke only german.
After talking for 40 mins our guide asked if anyone speaks german.
And this one guy with backpack raised his hand.
'Then you go and tell them what I have been saying'.
UnFREAKINGbelievable!
One of our stops included stone crafting place and very interesting underground city of Derinkuyu.
Magnificent.
Our guide.
He was good actually.
A stove.
Not that I have recognized it :).
Going down.
I would like to apologize to you,reader of this post, for it will be packed with less and less words and MORE&MORE&MORE photos.
But you will forgive me.
Because these are photos of Cappadocia, of course.
The hotel that the agency booked in Nevsehir for our small group was very tiny and quite modest.
And no, this is not our bus in front of the hotel.
Lobby and restaurant of this hotel were packed with weird looking handmade dolls.
They even had them in rooms.
I had to move mine in the closet.
They reminded me of that clown in The Game.
I get chilling goosebumps still when I think of them.
Land of fairies for me.
It offers so much, apart from magnificent scenery.
Wine, open air museum with rock churches, balloon rides and many other things.
And there are rather nice hotels you can stay in - including ones at caves.
Now sit back and enjoy the scenery.
I will enjoy it again too.
Pasabag chimneys.
Derbent rock formations.
Urgup and Pancarli Valey.
Beautiful, isn't it?
But the most striking were the villages.
Houses built in these rock formations.
My personal favorites were Uchisar and Ortahisar.
Take a look why.
You may enter to see how it is inside.
Have a look.
Our little group grabbed a lunch on a way.
Nice restaurant with great views.
Can't remember its name now.
This is the view from their terrace.
Cappadocia offers open air museums.
I highly suggest you take some time and visit churches at Goreme Valley.
Rock churches of Cappadocia along with the underground cities are the real treasures of Cappadocia.
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Very rich in history and artifacts.
And the people are nice.
You go out in the evening for a nice walk.
Dinner and drinks.
I was kind of sad that I had to leave this place.
Tranquility and magical scenery.
A wish tree.
Along with magic lamps.
Wish I had such a lamp now...
On our way back we visited Avanos famous for its pottery.
You could try yourself to make a pot.
It is quite easy actually :).
Some souvenirs on the way.
And we got a glimpse of the famous Anatolian Silk Road.
Al in all,
great tour.
I would do it all over again.
I regret only one thing.
I missed the balloon ride.
Next time I guess.
...................
My good friend V was really fascinated with my Cappadocian story so she decided to pay this fairy tale place a visit in 2013.
She did exactly the same trip - Side with three day tour to Cappadocia.
Take a look what I have missed.
* plus V got to meet some really nice people on that ride ;).
Cheers V, apple of me eye :)
See!!!
Niiiiiiice.
:)
Turkey turned out to be quite interesting.
Big country it is.
With many interesting places to visit like:
Assos, Pergamon, Sardis, Ephesus, Kaunos, Myra and the tombs, Aspendos, Kizkalesi and its Maiden Castle, Sumela Monastery, Ishak Pasha Palace, Mount Ararat, Castle of Mahmudiye, Hill tomb of Antiochos I, Lake Van, Adiyaman with its treasures like Nemrut Dagi.
Amazing isn't it?
Only it would take you at least a month to see it all.
Notice how if I got to go again I would be extra prepared this time.
Top of the class!!
Hehe.
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