2006.05.09_White Valley

After a brief rest, we ventured out to tour Cappadocia for the last time. This time, we headed towards the romantic White Valley. It wasn't a easy walk. There were places where we needed to climb and jump and cross farming fields.

At 20:15 in the evening, we left Goreme for Kayseri, where we switched to another bus which departed for Hatay (Antioch or Antakya) at midnight.

2006.05.08_Caravanserai and Fairy Chimneys

After Yaprakhisar, the tour bus took us to a pottery shop. HC had his chance to try out pottery making using the turntable. He made nothing but a donut shape mold. A brief stop at the nearby Agzikarahan Caravanserai. The ancient complex was built in the 11th century as a travel establishment for Silk Road caravans.

Lastly, the bus brought us to the final destination, which was a site full of fairy chimneys. The guide Shalif described the formation of those mushroom-like rock towers as a product of volcanic actions and rain erosion. Surreal curvatures under the late afternoon sun. A photogenic place it was.

2006.05.08_Underground City, Ihlara Valley and Yaprakhisar Village

At 09:30 we joined a local bus tour called the Greenline. The first stop was the famous underground cities of Derinkuyu. With 11 levels and roughly 85m at its deepest, Derinkuyu is the deepest underground city in the region. The guide explained that since the periods of Hatti and Hittite, people in Cappadocia had recognized the softness of the volcanic rock tufa and began to dig and carve to build. In many cases like the Derinkuyu, the underground cities were gradually developed over many generations and greatly expanded to the current scale during the Byzantine time. Ancient citizens often stayed underground for months during wars. Ventilation shafts, food storage, kitchens, and other essential amenities were provided, and so as underground church. We stayed at the underground city for about an hour.

The tour continued to the 1.5 hour hike at Ihlara Valley, a lush green gorge carved out by a stream. It was a pleasant walk along the stream. Along the cliffs on both sides, caves and pigeon holes could be seen everywhere. At the end of the hike, we visited a cave church, and then headed our way to a local restaurant for lunch. After lunch, we arrived at the village of Yaprakhisar, which is often mistakenly recognized as the filming site of one of the Star Wars movie. Local women and shepherds sat on the slope. Stone houses and caves dotted the hill slope, topped with some bizarre looking rock formations that remind people the landscape of a faraway planet.

2006.05.07_Goreme

After the Open Air Museum, we decided to visit the Rose and Red Valley. Soon enough, the weather changed dramatically and we found ourselves walking in a thunder storm. We ran into a wooden shelter near Goreme, where a large group of football (soccer) players were also sheltering from the rain. Luckily the storm didn't last long. We gave up the hike and returned to Elifstar to get change. Rested for a short while, MC discovered that she'd lost her watch, probably at the wooden shed where we sheltered from the rain. SH and I went to the shed with her. Fortunately she found her watch at the shed. On our way back, the three of us walked up the hill to the lookout we visited in the morning. It wasn't the most beautiful sunset. Though after the rain, everything seemed refreshing and delightful. By the time we returned to Elifstar, dinner prepared by Jacky was almost ready.

2006.05.07_Open Air Museum, Goreme

We continued to head north to our second destination of the day, the Goreme Open Air Museum, a site of many cave dwellings and cave churches. There are a few fine example of Byzantine cave paintings well preserved. The site was really crowded with student groups and local tourists. Many secondary school students were curious about us and wanted to take pictures with us. It was pretty fun to chat with them in simple English.

2006.05.07_Love Valley

A short walk to the east from Goreme brought us to the "Love Valley", a little valley with really bizarre fairy chimneys, earth towers capped with basalt. We pretty much had the valley by ourselves, except a few hikers occasionally walked by.

2006.05.07_Elifstar

Our bus arrived in Goreme at around 08:00. Surprisingly the bus went all the way to the village centre, instead of otogar at Nevsehir. Arriving in the area of Cappadocia in early morning felt like waking up on another planet. Cave dwellings here and there. A few tourists and some souvenir shops. Minimal traffic and occasional herds of sheep. But it was the bizarre rock formations, some of which towered straight up to the sky that captured everyone's attention.

We checked in at our hotel Elifstar, another fun of Cappodocia: to stay in cave dwellings. The owner Jacky and her cat were both very friendly. Jacky pulled out a map and showed us various hiking routes around the area, and recommended a lookout spot. It did offer a fine view of the village of Goreme.