Adventures in Cappadocia

As promised!

Oh, what a very fun weekend we all had in Cappadocia! It all started on Thursday, March 12, when a group of about forty students piled onto a very nice charter bus that conveniently parked for us in front of the Superdorm. We left Istanbul around 10pm, everyone chattering gaily away, talking about the upcoming weekend, studying for our Turkish exam, reading, what-have-you. Aside from a couple stops, it took about 10 hours to get to Cappadocia. Folks slept for most of the trip, but it's not easy to sleep on a bus, let me tell you, especially you're sitting in the very back and the seat doesn't recline and you just can't get comfortable no matter what you do. We made a stop for breakfast in the early morning and then continued onto the hotel. There we dropped off our bags, but as our rooms weren't ready, we couldn't get showered or change clothes. Still it didn't seem to matter, because we were quickly on our way into Cappadocia itself.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the region, I guess you could liken it to the Grand Canyon of Turkey, and even that isn't quite right honestly. Between Istanbul and Cappadocia there isn't too much, just meandering fields and hills, with little towns randomly tucked here and there along the main highway. But when you get to Cappadocia, it's different. There are hills and valleys, deep canyons that roll away from you as you drive along their edges, and far below, there are these enchanting structures, towers, pinnacles, cliff sides, all cunningly carved out with doorways and windows, fantastically old and all inviting. The photos speak for themselves truly. "Fairy chimneys" aside, there are high plateaus with variegated lines and stripes of rich colors - clay reds, golden yellows, loamy browns, mottled sands - so beautiful and for me, rather reminiscent of the Painted Desert of the American Southwest. So much of what's historical in Cappadocia dates back thousands of years, including Hittite, early Christian, Persian, Roman, you name it. And the most beautiful thing about Cappadocia is that you can go right out into it and experience it for yourself. There are no red velvet cords, no signs saying "Do not touch", no stern guards frowning at you if you get too close. No, Cappadocia is a glorious hands-on experience.

The first place we went to visit was aptly-named Pigeon Valley or Uçhisar in Turkish, and as you may guess, yes, there are pigeons in said valley. We paused here for a little while, and we got out to look around and take photos. (We did this all throughout the trip. “Okay, we're going to stop, you have x amount of time and then we'll move on.”) The first thing I noticed was a nazarlık tree, which is just what it sounds like: a small tree hung with dozens of nazarlık charms. I'm now very tempted to buy a bunch and make my own nazarlık tree for my ev (home). There is something so simple and pretty about it. There was also a quaint souvenir shop and then the canyon itself. Of course, people immediately flocked (no pigeon pun intended) down into the canyon to explore. At the very bottom, we found some ruins, a dwelling carved out in the rock, with doorways, windows, little shelves, and colored paintings. Getting up into the house was a little difficult, but with a boost from other students, a bunch of us were able to climb inside and look around. Little did we know that it would only be the beginning of such adventures.

After too short a stop, we continued on to the real Uçhisar fortress. It's the highest point in Cappadocia, so after going inside and slowly making our way to the top, we were treated to a fantastic view of the whole valley. Up top there was a Turkish flag flying (you see a lot of Turkish flags flown here honestly – there is a lot of national pride here), and the wind wasn't too strong, so you could just stand and gaze for hours. I only wish that the weather had been better. It wasn't too cold but the sky was grey, so my photos aren't as good as they could have been. I can only wonder how much more beautiful it is in the warmer weather. On the top were carved holes that we had to guess were graves; they were the right size and dimensions. So, of course, that inspired morbid photos. :) (Hey, when you're the girlfriend of a mortician, you like these sorts of things.) But oh,
the view. The view really was amazing. I can't say enough. Even the photos can't say enough.

We made a stop for a buffet lunch at a large restaurant, and on the way out, paused at a souvenir shop where I bought a scarf and an embroidered satchel together for 20 TL. The scarf will be a gift but the satchel I'm keeping. It's a patchwork quilt-type bag, very colorful and quite practical. After lunch, we made another stop, longer this time, to go explore more of the fairy chimneys. A few other students got to experience a camel ride, and the rest of us dashed out like a class of elementary school kids to go climbing on an enormous ancient playground. Everywhere you looked, there was something new to see – a window to peek out of, a hole to crawl into, a doorway to duck through, somewhere always higher and better to climb up and see. We moved from structure to structure, and there was plenty of “Look up here! Look at me! Hey, cool, come here, look at this!” I swear, really, we were just a bunch of kids playing again. It was dusty and dirty, and we came out filthy and scratched-up and bruised, but we had an absolute ball. Lots of oneupmanship (is that really a word?) as we climbed higher and higher, and I'm actually quite surprised that no one got seriously hurt. It was just a delightful challenge – seeing a hole or platform that was just a little higher than we could easily reach, but with a lot of cooperation and helpful boosts, we could able to reach all kinds of nooks and crannies that others that might only be able to see but not climb up into. I have to say that it felt like being on one of those self-esteem exercises – a grand glorious playground that you have to work with your friends to investigate. Stress relief, I tell you.

After lots of climbing, sliding, peeking, and thankfully no falling, we headed back to the hotel to much-needed showers and naps before enjoying a buffet supper in the hotel dining room. We then went out to enjoy our “Turkish night”. This was deliciously touristy, but no one really seemed to mind. We went down into the spacious basement of this large restaurant, were served wine, beer, and rakı, and plates of sliced citrus fruit and nuts. The night was quite fun actually. A troupe of dancers first treated us to a performance of the whirling dervishes (not the real thing, but entertaining all the same), and then several traditional dances, including a courting/wedding dance, bellydancing, a display with a horse (!), an elaborate Turkish conga line of sorts which pulled everyone on the floor and right out of the restaurant, into the cold night, and around a large bonfire. Yes, it was a little surreal at times, and yes, quite touristy, but as I said, we had fun. They played a number of Turkish and American pop songs, and everyone got up and danced, so that was silly and fun. Hell, when you're drinking, it's all silly and fun. :)

The next morning we woke up to snow! It's known to snow in Cappadocia during the winter, and I knew that it was going to be cold (which it was), but the snow was still a pleasant surprise. After a hearty traditional Turkish breakfast (sliced meat, cheese, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, yogurt, bread, muesli, tea, coffee and sweets), our first stop was Derinkuyu Yeraltı Şehri, one of many underground cities in Cappadocia. Like most everything else in the region, many of them are ancient, dating back thousands of years. People tended to live above land, but in times of attack, they could retreat to the underground cities and hole up for up to six months a time. The one we went had multiple level, with several ventilation shafts and wells, as well as a church, stable, graves, and many little rooms and holes riddling the place like Swiss cheese. As you descended into the city, you could see large (about 3 or 4 feet in diameter) round stone doors which could be rolled across the entrance of a hole to protect the people within. Seeing how narrow the passages were, it would have been very effective.

Now let me tell you – should you ever come to Cappadocia and want to see the underground city, be forewarned: it's more than a little claustrophobic. I didn't know going in how narrow and tight the passages and rooms would be at times. Somehow I was thinking more that it'd been large natural caverns that were converted for human usage, you know, large airy spacious rooms, but it was anything but. I'm a claustrophobe, and there were a number of places that I had to stop and take several deep breaths to keep panic attacks at bay, and no, no, I'm not kidding. The ceiling is quite low in places, and tunnels from one level to another are rather slender in many other places, so I just took a deep breath, and dashed through quickly. I kept reminding myself how unique the place is, and I might never come back, and look, how cool was this, and keep taking pictures, Kristina, you'll be fine. It was a little nerve-racking, more than a little actually. But I really enjoyed it, and I'm glad that I went. There's nothing that I've seen quite like it back in the States, and when you think of how incredibly old the place is, and in still such good condition (Turkey is prone to invaders, earthquakes and tourists, and all of them destructive), it was really staggering. I really wish the photos could tell you it all, but really, if you go to Cappadocia, visit Derinkuyu. You won't be disappointed. It's worth the 15 TL (though if you have a museum pass, it's free!).

After a quick lunch at a local shop, we headed off to a local pottery store. There are many of these in Cappadocia as it's where a lot of the beautiful Turkish pottery is made. After viewing a brief and humorous “this is how we throw pottery” demonstration, we browsed the large shop, and I picked out a couple of little bowls as souvenirs. Aside from tea, rugs, and scarves, Turkey is known for its ceramics, and there are such lovely designs and rich colors incorporated into the pieces. Different regions will have distinctive patterns as well, and many of them date back hundreds, if not thousands of years. So I will definitely be picking up a number of ceramic bowls before I head home. :)

Amid the snow and chill, we went climbing up to another ancient church built into a cliff. Several of the others climbed up higher, but I erred on the side of caution and explored the lower parts. There was plenty to see again – beautiful views, neglected nooks and crannies, forgotten holes and rooms, all of it waiting to be explored. I cannot tell you how many photos I took; too many. I poked around in buildings many times over older than my own country , ducked my head through doorways and windows carved carefully by hand and simple tools, and scrambled over structures that housed people for hundreds of years before being abandoned. And still they draw people. The locals, many of whom live traditional lives, eat and drink the same foods and drinks as their ancestors, farm the same traditional ways, and live their lives in much the same fashion as those who came before them. It may be modern day but they live alongside these ancient ruins as they have all along. It's amazing. We just have nothing like this back home. Amazing.

As it began to grow dark and even colder, we stopped by a local winery for a brief tour and wine tasting. Turkish wine! Quite tasty. We wrapped up with dinner back at the hotel, and while several other students went out to enjoy nargile, Lessa (who shared a room with me) and I retired early. Rock climbing is hard work, you know. :)

We checked out the next morning and braved the cold again after breakfast to slowly make our way out of Cappadocia. Our last stop in the area was Ihlara Valley, which is honeycombed with dwellings carved out of the rock but is especially famous for its many churches. It was a long slow walk to the bottom of the canyon which was wooded and had a rushing river running through it. The stairs down were icy, so I slipped a couple times, adding more bruises to ones that I had already from the weekend, but when I got to the bottom, it was well worth it. Again, the view was so breathtaking, and this time it was almost all looking up. Many of the churches were built underground, so again students ran and played and climbed in the holes. I went off on my own a little to peek in little corners, take yet more photos, and see what I could see. The whole thing was very peaceful and serene. Even though it was a touristy area, it didn't feel like it. As many people as there were in our group, there were plenty of places that you could go and not see anyone. I only wish that we had had more time to see it all. I think you could spend hours and hours there and still not see it all. Before too long, it was time to go, and we piled back on the bus for the long trip home. That in itself wasn't too eventful, but we did get in a lot of reading, studying (especially reviewing our Turkish vocabulary) and napping. All in all, it was a simply fantastic weekend, and given the chance, I definitely think I'd like to go back to Cappadocia. I highly recommend it.