Left Pamukkale at 7.00am heading east and travelling through Cay and Konya. Moving across broad, fertile plains then through hilly passes; occasionally the plains were very poor soils. Marble quarries on the sides of some hills.
Marble Quarry. Turkey has 40% of world's reserves
Some plains were obviously flood plains with fertile soils while others had impoverished soils and therefore impoverished communities (probably).
We passed through Konya with a population of 1 million people; it dates back to 6000 BC and is the oldest city in Turkey. It is known in scripture as Iconia and Paul was arrested here on his 1st journey. It was the capital for the Selczuk Turks. Had lunch at a restored caravanserai, (essentially a motel for camel caravans). Only four courses for lunch!
After lunch, we also visited the largest caravanserai in Turkey which dates from 1279. It has large stone walls with entry through arches. Very intricate stone work on outer arch leading to open air area for summer then an inner arch leading to enclosed space for winter.
Ornate Entrance
Inside Craravanserai
Passed several other caravanserais on the road. They are good for tourism – and it’s not hard to work out why.
One of several roadside caravanserais
While in Konya, we visited the mausoleum of Mevlana, who died in 1273 – a poet, holy man and philosopher. An interesting character, highly revered in Turkey but not very exciting for us. We think it was a stop to give the Bus driver his mandatory rest break.
Passed through Aksaray as we entered the Cappadocia region. Stopped at an underground city dug into the volcanic tuff in the region. Very interesting with some narrow tunnels opening into larger rooms.
They used big round, flat disc stones (about 1.5m diameter and perhaps 200-300mm thickness) and rolled these in groves across openings to close off access to marauders or enemies. (Our photos didn't work - will find someone else's.)
Some local women were outside with stalls of handmade dolls. Mary acquired a few – you felt you were supporting local crafts rather than some entrepreneur importing Turkish souvenirs from China.
How many could we buy?
While the women work….
Accommodation was in Nevshehir, capital of Cappadocia region. A new and very pleasant hotel perched on the hill – the Peri Tower.
Next day, the balloon ride adventure started early and we were all on site before dawn.
A cup of tea!
The balloons take shape...
... and grow!
Our balloon took 16 people in 4 small compartments with 4 in each. The pilot was English (and a bit odd) but language was no problem.
Overall about 25-30 balloons took flight and it was spectacular in all ways – the views of the landscape, the sight of the other balloons and just the sensation of balloon flight – utterly quiet except for the occasional ‘burn’ as the pilot ignited the gas burners to maintain or increase height.
Many balloons in flight.
Firstly, the unusual landscape. Volcanic activity c.10-20 million years ago blew out tuff with a thin layer of basalt covering it in some areas. The tuff is essentially volcanic froth with a bit more substance to it, very much like pumice stone. It was (is) fairly soft and able to be dug out for rooms and tunnels. Exposure to air has hardened the rock over the years as minerals have oxidized. Subsequent erosion over thousands of years has produced the landscape which is best described by photos. (Plus much video, not on here)
Out of the valleys they rose!
Underground dwellings.
The landing got the adrenalin pumping as our first attempt was aborted due to the close proximity of power lines. As we neared the ground for the second time the ground crew emerged out of nowhere (shades of Turkish Pirates boarding a victim vessel) and grabbed trailing ropes and jumped onto the sides of the basket to weigh it down. This took some effort and was dramatic to say the least. Then the manner of wrestling the basket into the trailer had us all a little anxious. The pilot turned on the burners to lift the basket off the ground and with much pushing and shoving all was strapped down in the trailer. We had to stay in the basket until they had the balloon nearly deflated.
Dismounting was not elegant.
The bogged truck didn’t deter the ground crew joining in for champagne, certificates and photos.
Certificates were presented.
Kate and Friends had no trouble convincing ground crew to line up for a photo.
Even the early start didn’t deter Ahmet, the Tour Guide, from organizing a busy schedule around Nevshehir and nearby Goreme to find out about the lifestyle of the cave dwellers. The cave-dwellers date back to 11th or 12th century and have persisted to present day where about 20 families still live in their cave houses in ‘old Nevshehir’. All the other dwellers were moved out in the 50s and 60s by the Turkish Government when many areas were listed as World Heritage.
The 'old' blends with the 'new'.
The so-called Fairy Castles have a resistant layer of basalt on top.
Several outdoor museums highlighted the aspects of the culture including many small churches with Christian icons and scenes painted on the ceilings depicting stories from scripture for the illiterate peasants of the time.
The tourist areas also had a few camels available. They are not endemic to the area… but anything for a quid!
The lunch stop set a new benchmark. The restaurant was a large round space with a circular dome and 6 rooms or spaces coming off like spokes from the hub of a wheel – all carved out underground. It is a new restaurant and the 4 course lunch was superb for the princely sum of 15 Turkish Lira (approx $9.40AUD) each.
The afternoon saw visits to a Ceramics Factory – lovely stuff but quite expensive.
The potters demonstrated their talents and were highly skilled.
Some were not so skilled.
The pressure to buy continued.
The evening entertainment was a cultural, folklore dance show at another underground restaurant (same layout but an older place). The dancers were great. It started with Whirling Dervishes, a traditional dance of this region, originally performed by the Dervishes who were, sort of, religious missionaries. (It is interesting to note that Ataturk, in establishing the Turkish Republic in 1920s, banned these and other potential zealot groups)
This was followed by wedding dances and gypsy dances as well as other cultural dances which Turks have brought back from Central Asia, the Black Sea and other remote areas. The night ended with a traditional belly dance which was quite spectacular and entertaining. Our guide, Ahmet, rates her as the second best belly dancer in Turkey – the best is apparently off somewhere shooting a series of ‘Survivor’.
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