Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
A NEW-FOUND RESPECT FOR MOLE RATS!
From Olympos we travelled up to Antalya and spent a day exploring the old city and eating more doners. Joel says he is now a doner-expert and would happily write a blog ranking the best to worst doners he's eaten across Turkey. We also found a little sea-side cafe/platform where we spent the afternoon cooling off before catching another overnight bus East to Cappadocia.
Cappadocia is an amazing place - we had a busy few days exploring the Goreme fairy chimneys, the open air cave museum, the old rock churches, traditional pottery and weaving exhibitions, the Ihlara Gorge and an ancient cave monastery.
Our second day in Cappadocia was one of extreme highs and extreme lows (literally) . First, we were up at crazy-o-clock to go hot air ballooning over the Goreme rock formations. Hot Air Ballooning is surprisingly smooth and a very peaceful experience and floating at a height of 8000ft (2500m) over the beautiful dawn landscape with 90+ other balloons was absolutely spectacular! It was an expensive treat for us but well worth it!
Later in the day we went out to the township of Derinkuyu where there is one of many underground cities that you can explore. This ancient multi-leveled city goes down to a depth of 65 metres below ground via narrow passageways and staircases. Neither Joel nor I are claustrophobic but when we were 65 metres underground in a tiny room where ancient Persians used to bury their dead we were feeling far from comfortable! Turns out that we are both much happier 2500 metres above the world than 65 metres below it!
After Cappadocia we took yet another overnight bus back to Istanbul to explore some more of this amazing city. We took a ferry out to Princes' Islands for a day to wander around the car-free islands where naughty Princes used to be sent to get "straightened out". We walked along the Bosphorous strait and checked out the lavish Dolmabahçe Palace where the last Sultans of the Ottoman Empire and the first Turkish President lived. The palace is far more spectacular and ornate than Topkapi Palace and what made it even more special is one of the ladies on our tour was the great-granddaughter of Sultan Abdülaziz, one of the six Sultans to have lived in the palace. (We thought it was a bit rough that she still had to pay to get in to see it!)
Turkey is a beautiful country with so much to see and do. Rich history, family-orientated people, incredible scenery, (delicious food - says Joel) all has made for an amazing 'first stop' on our journey!
High: Magnificent views of Goreme from a hot-air balloon!
Low: Sleepless, humid nights in dodgy dorms with no A/C!
Next stop - Cairo, Egypt!
- comments