Photo O.D. in Cappadocia

July 7, 2012

Today was nothing more than a LONG drive to Istanbul, but the last day in Cappadocia was amazing!  One of my new favorite areas.  I wıill certainly have to come back and do some backpacking.  Our last night in Cappadocia was spent watching traditional Turkish dancers, in a cave of course because that's just how things go around here.

 Traditional Turkish dancers A.

 Traditional Turkish dancers B.

 Kaymakli Undground City - and this was one of the taller tunnels!

Although maybe not encouraged, one could drop through holes and fınd secret stairs and tunnels to the other rooms and floors in this 9 story (only 4 floors opened to visitors) underground city that once had 2,000 residents!

I can't believe I couldn't talk anyone into playıng tunnel tag with me!!!

You can email me privately if you have any requests . . .

The ultimate in The Eye of the God protection.

The view of Pidgeon Valley.  Pidgeons were once kept in caves here.

Uchisar Castle.

 People use to live inside these rock formations before they were deemed unsafe.

Although they were awfully fun to climb in and on . . . if your hand grip didn't crumble away.

Panaroma Valley - aptly named.

Paşabağ Valley- or the more commonly used named - fairy chimneys!

That's me climbing to a second floor.  Thank you Travis for being such a dedicated photographer.

And now if you look on the second floor. . . TADA!!!  Much better picture, Travis!

The camel rock at Imaginatıon Valley, although this one doesn't leave much up to the imagination.

Now you can make up your own pictures . . . it's like cloud pictures but with giant sized rocks.

The Güray ceramic center in the town of Avanos, which is famous for it's ceramic pieces.  Apparently it's the men who are in charge of throwing all the pottery.

Artists hard at work free styling their ceramıc pieces... in a cave of course!

The Göreme Open Air Musuem - another UNESCO site.

All the cave buildings are actually churches and housing to support clergy.

A well preserved frescoe from the 11th century .. . inside a cave of course!

The 1st President of Turkey's Memorial in Ankara, the capital.

Is this a solider or someone from Monty Python's Ministry of Silly Walks???

Much like a British Beef Eater . . . there is no aknowledgement.

Crazy in Cappadocia

July 5, 2012

It's been a whirl wind last few days ... made especially more so with a trip to see the whirling dervishes (good pun or what! Ha!) and visiting the Mevlana Museum in Konya!  Cappadocia is far more beautiful than I ever could expected ... wait till I visit the underground cities and post more photos!  In the mean time enjoy these ones below!

Marie and I standing outside our room ... not quite the tree cabin I had imagined, but fun all the same!

Kadir's Tree Houses in Olympos ... complete with a vegi dinner for all!

The Eternal Flame of Chimera. Gas leaks out of the rock all over the mountain top and has for years.  I can't believe I forgot marshmellows!!!

Travis and I outside the Mevlana Museum.  Rumi, the famous poet and philosopher, is buried here, where the religion Sufi started.

Measures all can live by.

Vogue, vouge ... strike a pose!

Maddie, Deanna, me and Marie - right before take off . . .

The famed fairy chimneys of Cappadocia.  Our pilot was so good he could drop us into valleys to pick apricots off trees!

Hot air ballooning is clearly the in thing to do!

Champagne celebration at 6 a.m. - we didn't die!

The view of the town Ürgüp - where I am staying in Cappadocia.

Marie and I went wine tasting at the local wineries . . . not nearly as good as the ones in Cali!

Winery number two ... or was that three. . . hmm . . . I don't remember.

The famed whirling dervishes.  I just can't believe they could spin for 30 mins and still stand afterwards.

A cave room at my hotel: Melis Hotel.  

Boat Life

July 3, 2012

The hardest thing I have had to do in the last three days was figure out what day it is today.  I just got off a traditional gullet boat, which has been my home for the last three nights while İ sailed from Fethiye to Olympos.  Man is life tough!

 Marie, me, Maddie, and Deanna on the gullet.  You can tell we just started the trip as after this photo there were no clothes, only swimsuits, for the next few days.

 Butterfly Valley - true to the name there were plenty of butterflies fluttering around.

I hiked to the waterfall in the back of the valley!

 The ice cream boat man . . . all he needed was the music!

 And if you didn't want ice cream, the pancake lady was there making fresh Nutella filled Pancakes! Notice the circular griddle in the middle of the boat . . . how does she keep it hot???

 We did have cabins and beds but sleeping out was much better - stars and mosquitoes!!!

 Hard at work . . . working on my tan!

 My floating home - Blue Key.

 The town of Kaş where we stopped for a couple of hours to fıll up on supplies.

 The Sunken City of Kekova . . . no swimming allowed - those damn protected archaeological sites.

 Simena - a traditional Turkish fishing village - no car access!

 That's me swimming into Pirate's Cave.  Caesar was actually kidnapped by pirates and taken here until his ransom was paid.   We took a dingy in the night  to see the bıo-luminescence in the water - glowing water!

My boat family the last few days . . . no one wanted to get off!