Beautiful Houses

Destination #8:  More Cappadocia

The village of Derinkuyu itself is underwhelming but it holds many surprises.  A name meaning deep well is a first clue.  Then a narrow tunnel 60 feet deep into the bowels of the earth is the second.  This expansive underground city – 8 levels of stables, chapels, storage rooms, wells and living spaces – is all carved into the soft “tuff” rock.  Again there was little time to linger; most of us were happy to retrace our steps up and out of that rather forbidding atmosphere.  We couldn’t imagine how life must have been (& smelled) back in the days of occupancy when 20,000 people shared these tiny spaces.  And worse, there was no electrical lighting! 

Light is a bit of an issue too, even for modern cameras

Our final stop for the day was the Disneyesque kale in Uchisar.  This tall cone-shaped rock, riddled with tunnels and steps, is topped by a Byzantine fortress, albeit rather a small one.  The view from the top however is a must do.  The sweeping views over the Cappadocian valleys made every single step up to the top worthwhile….

View of Uchisar's kale from below

View over Cappadocia Valley & Mt Erciyes (snow capped)
in background from the top of the kale in Uchisar

Our second day in Goreme was spent doing crafty things.  Firstly, we had an introduction to the mysteries of Turkish (& other) carpets.  The industry is well known for its “strong-arm selling tactics” (not only in Turkey), so our lesson from Kiwi Ruth (Tribal Collections) proved most interesting.  Mind you, it was rather hard to concentrate as lush carpet after lush carpet was swept at our feet for inspection.  The Cap’n sweated and fingered his worry beads.  Luckily GS had very little room left in her 20kg luggage allowance so he worried needlessly…almost. 

Ruth, oh so happy at work

From weaving to pottery, we bussed into Avanos to visit the workshop and gallery of world famous pottery master, Mr “Einstein” Galip.  Avanos is famous for its red clay and potters have been working the clay deposits for centuries.  Following a quick pottery making demo on traditional wooden kickwheels, we were herded into the underground gallery to view some rather stunning pieces of work, mostly in a traditional style.  Now the Cap’n really started having palpitations, not eased in the slightest by frenzied worry bead massaging. 

OK, so no pottery, but perhaps GS might sneak one of these birdhouses into our luggage

Back in Goreme, GS shopped for last minute goodies while the Cap’n, ever practical, had a haircut and Turkish massage. Too soon it was time to pack and get ready for our overnight bus trip back to Istanbul.  Yes folks, a 12 hour bus trip, with dark ages wifi connectivity and shocking seats.  But we made it!  Debussing at Harem Otogar, then running for a ferry to Eminonu (near to our hotel) made for a quick trip farewell to our friendly fellow travellers.  It had been a wonderful introduction to Turkey and some of the experiences we had were exceptional.

Spoilt for choice (carpets, not cars! )