Turkey is where,
a belly full of dinner still feels a tad bit empty without a cuppa moonshine. And you can drink the finest of its kind from any Turkish terrace.
Goreme at sunset and night!
Turkey is where,
you will know better than to order sides with a main course, because every meal comes with a complementary loaf of bread. Menemen, Burek, Tukish delights and Tea, apricots fresh from trees, simits, and Kunefe, are just few of the many delicacies to try.
Mouthwatering Turkish treats!
Turkey is where,
every dining experience is aesthetic; made complete with Ottoman-style cushioned chairs, tables carpeted under the vibrant glow of Turkish lamps, and the Nazar charm lurking in the most unexpected corner to ward off the evil eye, because who knows what the consequences of a hearty meal might be :D
A Nazar charm tree.
Turkey is where,
cultural tastebuds are on an all time high, as one adheres to traditions and dresses in a fine headscarf to visit Ottoman marvels like the Blue mosque.
The Blue Mosque gets its name from the sublime blue tiles used to adorn its interiors.
Turkey is where,
a church once got evangelised to a mosque and then the royal museum, that is the Hagia Sofia today.
The Hagia Sofia was originally a basilica for the Greek Orthodox Christian Church when Istanbul was still Constantinople, and got its name from the 1st ruler of the Byzantium, Constantine I. Having survived significant damage through the Roman and Islamic eras, it was later converted to a mosque during the Ottoman rule. Presently, it is a museum, and one of the main attractions of Istanbul.
Turkey is where,
you can fly a magic carpet and buy unique trinkets like Aladin's lamp from kind pedlars, with whom you converse in the universal language, that is a smile!
Beautiful Turkish lamps!
Turkey is where,
ugly tans are worn joyfully, by the tepid, calcium pools of Pamukkale. Overlooking verdant hills, and brimming with natural spring water coloured blue by its minerals, the cotton castle here, redifines leisure for holiday makers!
Pamukkale or the Cotton castle is formed completely by the carbonate mineral left behind by the thermal spring water. Much of it is suffering corrosion due to the accelerated urbanisation around, that aims to monetise from tourism.
Turkey is where,
you ride an insured ATV, really wishing you had also gotten a life insurance cover, because navigating the rocky vadisis of Cappadocia is not for the faint-hearted!
Turkey is where,
real experiences transcend all the vivid dreams that your eyelids have caressed about the vacation.
Hot air balloons soaring over Goreme at sunrise.
Turkey is where,
cats seized Istanbul from the Ottomans, who took the erstwhile capital of Constantinople, from the Byzantine empire and renamed it.
Turkey is where,
you can bond with the pot-bellied natives of Anatolia. The posterity of the faithful camel companions graze on in style, unlike their ancestors that endured long, unforgiving journeys with silk-route traders, who took respite in the Caravanseries/deserted underground cities-turned into traveler inns, earlier used by the Byzantine empire as hiding joints during mercenary uprisings (before Turkey fell under the rule of the Ottomans). Also be prepared to greet bizzarre fauna, like the helmeted guineafowl, in Cappadoccia.
These fairy-chimneys, are a prominent feature of Capadoccia's geography and are part of a labyrynth of cave systems that connected the underground cities, used during the Byzantine era. Like the Derinkuyu underground city, which runs as deep as 85m, many were used as a defense shelter against mercenary uprisings from Arab lands. Therefore, they were also self-sufficient and had facilities like a church, stables, and a kitchen, as shown below.
Pigeon holes are still neatly visible on the walls of the rock-cut Selime monastery, that dates back to the Byzantine era. Later, it became a prominent bazaar, where caravans passing the silk routes stopped for respite and trade.
And finally, Turkey is,
quintessentially pigeons, that own entire valleys of the Byzantium, which housed them in perfect holes as a token of gratitude for the abundant manure which nutured the vineyards of the gentry, in the past. The region of Anatolia is a hotbed of history and the best place for exploring natural wonders like Mt. Hassan, the Ilhara canyon, the Aegean Sea, and the valleys of Cappadoccia. If time travel is a thing, then good luck returning from the world that this adventure shall trap you in. Rehmat! (Blessings)
Spectacular views of the volcanic Mt. Hassan!
The Aegean as seen from Mt. Babadag (1400m)
The 150m deep Ilhara canyon was formed by the eruption of Mt. Hassan, an active volcano wihose last eruption was in 6200BC. Might just be that Mr. Hassan is now old enough to be dead!
DIY TIPS
DAY 1-DAY 3 IN CAPADOCCIA
a. Stay in Goreme, as it is central and easy to explore the Vadis of Capadoccia from here. I stayed with Goreme Art Stone in their backpacker's hostel. But other single/double room options can be looked up at the same property on booking.com.
b. Fly into Capadoccia at Nevsehir Kapadokya Airport. Make sure to book an airport transport with your accommodation (just email them or message them via booking.com), to avoid taxi scams.
c. DAY 1: First thing upon arrival, book an ATV sunset tour for the same/next evening, with one of the local tourist shops in Goreme. The ATV tour takes you to all the touristy spots in Red Valley and gives you a lot of information on the area, as well. You will also have a chance share the quad bike with new friends if you are going solo. You can spend the afternoon exploring Goreme on foot-visit the Goreme Open Air Museum, savour the food scene, meet with the camels, and shop at the bazaars. Also remember to book a bus ride to Oludeniz with one of the local bus companies for the evening of DAY 3 on DAY 1 itself, to have a guaranteed seat reservation. The buses run only until Fethiye, so ask for a ticket from Capadoccia to Fethiye. Oludeniz is only a short way off from Fethiye and all paragliding tours/onwards bus/taxi travel can be booked at the drop off point in Fethiye.
DAY 2: Make sure to a book hot-air balloon tour, the red or green valley tours with your hotel itself, in advance. I opted for the Green valley tour, as it takes you to further places like the pigeon valley and Ilhara canyon, that are hard to explore from Goreme on foot. Plus, I had already visited the red valley on the ATV tour. After your tour, in the evening, hike to the sunset point in Goreme here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/GcPfXmmt4tGyVLQDA, and listen to the blissful Adhan. The balloon tours are very early in the morning, so you can cover both the hot-air balloon ride and the red/green valley on the same day. If you are not planning to do the hot air balloon ride, just climb one of the nearby points at sunrise to watch the balloons soar. It's a beautiful sight. In fact, the easiest way is to book in an accommodation with a terrace that opens up to the balloon view. I spent one morning watching from my terrace, and the other, from the sunrise view point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/VUjza3oiLureSsce9
DAY 3: Book a taxi with your accommodation/at the Goreme bus station, to take you to the Imagination or Deverent valley. You can then hike from here to Pasaba valley and then onto the Zelve Open Air museum, where you can catch one of the mashrutkas/local buses back to Goreme. At night, it's a long bus journey from Goreme to Fethiye.
DAY 4: OLUDENIZ AND PAMUKKALE
a. First thing upon arrival in Fethiye, book your bus to Pamukkale. There are many bus companies at the drop off point in Fethiye. At the same place, you can also book to either go paragliding or request one of the paragliding tour companies to take you to the top of the Babadag hill for the views of the Aegean sea, for a small price. Had I had more time in hand, I would have spent a night in Oludeniz/Fethiye, but due to the lack if it, I had to cover Pamukkale and Oludeniz on the same day. I would certainly recommend a full day and a night's stay in Oludeniz, to avoid the stress of squeezing everything in.
b. Spend the evening relaxing at the hot springs in Pamukkale. I stayed in Hotel Anatolia, which is at a walkable distance from the springs. You can book a taxi for early next morning drop off at the Denizli Çardak Airport, for your flight to Istanbul.
DAY 5: ISTANBUL
I flew out of the Sabiha Gokcen Airport
a. Take the airport bus into the city and take the tram to the Sultanehmet square, where you can explore the markets, street food, the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia museum, and binge on Turkish ice creams, to your heart's content. There is a mandate on covering your head with a scarf and dressing modestly, when visiting the Blue Mosque. The queue to visit Hagia Sophia is quite long, so leave enough time. Again I would recommend spending 2 days in Istanbul instead of 1. If spending only 1 day, make sure your departure is late at night. I flew into and out of the Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen airport.
b. For a lunch with good views over the city and the Bosphorous river, head to the Seven Hills restaurant, which is at a walking distance from Hagia Sofia.
Rain, a pain!
Some bizarre rock formations in the Deverent/Imagination valley. They blend well with the the surrounding valleys, where these rocks were sculpted and turned into habitable underground cities. However, the Deverent valley remained untouched. The taxi driver who drove me here was curious to know, what they looked like to me. One looked like an eerie hand, others resembled mushrooms, and some just looked like odd rocks. From the imaginations that I have read about on the web, I am glad mine stopped right there!
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