CAVES AND FAIRY CHIMNEYS

Thursday, November 6, 8:20 AM

Kevin:

It's 5:30 in the morning as the sun starts to breach the horizon and begins to light up our surroundings. We peer out of our windows from seats 11 and 12 on the Nevşehir bus, where we have been for the last ten hours. Though the bus was large and comfortable and even served snacks, drinks and refreshing cologne, it has been a grueling ride. Idalis was sick the entire time and I spent the ride hovering between vomit catcher and comforter. Luckily, Idalis was able to control her facilities long enough to coincide with the scheduled stops that I only had to serve as the latter. All of these hardships from a restless overnight trip melted away as we absorbed the beauty of our surroundings. On either side of the straight, four lane, paved highway were rolling hills blanketed with velvety grasses in various stages of growth and displaying hues from green to blue to brown. In the distance, a backdrop of mountainous peaks giving off purple and gray hues. As we continue to drive, we begin to see hordes of hot air balloons gently and gracefully drifting over the landscapes that have made this region of Turkey so famous. We are about to arrive in the city of Göreme, in the heart of Cappadocia.

Idalis:

Cappadocia truly is a sight to behold. This lunar-like landscape, created over centuries by the erosion of a thick layer of volcanic “tufa,” has resulted in eerie shapes and surreal scenery known as “fairy chimneys.” The region of Cappadocia was originally settled by the troglodytes, who burrowed their homes into these stone cliffs and built many of their cities underground. Some time later, the early Christians continued this trend, by carving vaults and chambers for use as churches, homes, and animal stables. Some of these stone cliff dwellings are still inhabited by locals, and many others have been converted into accommodations, ranging from simple pensions to fancy hotels with bathroom jacuzzis! Walking in Göreme is like stepping into a dream with your eyes wide open.

We arrived very early in the morning at Traveller's Cave Pensiyon, where we would be staying in a cave room. Not ready for check-in, we were allowed to leave our bags and explore the city. Although tired and still recovering from the previous night's sleepless bus ride (rest stops with squat toilets are not what you want with stomach indigestion!), we were revived somewhat by our surroundings and walked to the Göreme Open-Air Museum, a World Heritage site which encompasses Cappadocia's best collection of rock-carved cave churches. We couldn't believe that so many of the frescos inside were in such great condition, even though most were from the 11th century! We walked in and out of the small churches, admired our surroundings, and tried to dodge the many tour bus travelers crammed inside some of them. Arriving back at our pension after a few hours, we were able to check into our simple cave room, and took a very long, much needed nap!

The next day, Kevin and I hiked two of the valleys in Göreme, Love and Rose Valley. Love Valley, given the name because of the phalic-shaped pillars of basalt stone, is also known as “Penis Valley,” for obvious reasons. We hiked up to a cliff and once reaching the summit, I couldn't help myself and yelled at the top of my lungs, “I'm surrounded by dozens of huge penises!” I had to do it ;)

Even more beautiful, though maybe not as funny, was Rose Valley, given its name because of the red hue of the stone. Despite only being 2 kilometers away, it took several hours to reach because of all of the ascents, descents, twists, and turns in the mountainous rock. It was definitely worth the effort, for the view from up top was enough to take your breath away. Shades of pink, yellow, and green could be seen in the distance on the wavy, pointed pillars.

Cappadocia is COLD at night. You can see many of the locals gathering firewood, preparing for the winter. We've enjoyed spending time at Traveller's Cave's common area in the pension, always warm with a lit furnace. Guests gather in the evenings at the toasty meeting place to have tea, nurse a beer, play backgammon, share travel stories and itineraries, or simply read a book. Although our accommodations were very simple, and the weather quite cold, the friendships we made helped warm our hearts! Thank you all who crossed paths with us for making our time here so special: teşekkür ederim!

P.S. Two things worth noting that don't really fit anywhere:

1.Becoming an Ambassador:

On our first day here, as Kevin and I were walking back to our pension, we came across an old man going up the hill with a bucket of soil. As his bucket was heavy, he would walk for several steps, then place his bucket down on the steep climb. He was definitely struggling. Kevin went up to him and asked him if he needed help, motioning with his hands. The elderly man nodded his head yes, and gave Kevin the bucket, which Kevin then carried to the trash to pour out. The man smiled and Kevin gave him back the bucket. We walked a few more feet and ran into a young Turkish gentleman who was working with his crew to rebuild a mosque. The gentleman said he saw Kevin helping the old man, and just wanted to shake his hand and thank him for helping him. We spoke to him for a while, actually on two occasions, and had nice conversations with him about art, Turkish life versus American life, and other topics.

We were a bit worried about entering Turkey, as we had heard some cautious tales, mostly from people who've never been. It has been a wonderful experience, and we have found the Turkish people to be extremely friendly, helpful, and generous. Just as important as the sights, what has really colored our experiences are the people we've met along the way.

As Americans, we felt some trepidation on this trip about how we would be viewed, since our government has done little to befriend our neighbors. Some fellow American travelers have gone as far as concealing their national identities, sewing a maple leaf patch onto their backpacks to pass as Canadians. Kevin and I are against this, and instead of hiding who we are, hope to give others a more positive impression of Americans. We know that we are very blessed to be doing this trip, and will try our best to be goodwill ambassadors to the world!

2.The World Celebrates Obama's Victory!

On our hike in Rose Valley, we stopped near the end at a little cave, where an elderly Turkish man sold refreshments. He made us a delicious drink, squeezing fresh pomegranate and orange to make a tasty juice. With his three words of English and our five words of Turkish, we were able to have an animated conversation (with our hands!) in his small cave. He asked about our presidential elections (we think) because we heard him say something about Obama. Kevin made a small joke saying, “Bush, güle güle!” which loosely translated means “Bon voyage, Bush!” The man started laughing hysterically and slapping his knee! He went out of his cave to tell another person Kevin's joke! The day of the elections, we were we were all huddled around the television at the pension, waiting for the results. The morning after, when we finally knew Obama had won, there was a collective congratulatory feeling. People from all nationalities including American, British, Dutch, Italian, and Turkish, were celebrating, as if we had just rung in a new year.

From the “Obama '08” stickers we saw in Rome, to the old Turkish man's enthusiasm for our new president, the world at large seems to be celebrating. So, regardless of your political affiliation, know that the international community appears to be happy with our country's political turn of events, and feels we've made a good decision. If nothing else, we have learned that is harmful to be a bully. It is unwise to trample on your neighbor's yard and seek refuge inside your home, for one day you will find yourself sharing the same sidewalk again. Many of us are hoping that this change will help to heal old transatlantic wounds. Hopefully, one day, we'll be able to change our new president's effective campaign slogan from “Yes we can!” to “Yes we did!”