Cappadocia

This past weekend I traveled to Cappadocia with the other international students. Cappadocia is an area of Turkey that is famous for rock formations created by the wind. They are often referred to as fairy chimneys. For centuries, people have lived in these rocks, because the rock is a softer rock made from volcanic ash and can be easily carved.  This area of the world has been ruled by the Hittites, Phrygians, Persians, Alexander the Great, and the Romans. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Christians hid in cave dwellings because they were being persecuted. Cappadocia also is famous for its pottery and carpet weaving. It is also a place for horseback riding, as displayed in its name. The Assyrians named Katpatuka, or Cappadocia. It means land of beautiful horses. All of the information was given to us by a professional guide on our Saturday tour.

But here is an overview of the entire trip:

We left Friday morning. Along the way to Cappadocia, we got to see the diverse countryside of Turkey. When we left Ankara, there was snow on the ground. About 1-2 hours away, there were green pastures with snow-topped mountains in the background. It was breathtaking. We stopped at Lake Tuz, the second largest lake in Turkey which is also the saltiest lake in Turkey. It seems to be quite shallow. D
uring the summer, much of the lake evaporates, leaving large expanses of salt. I did taste the water (don't worry mom. I had anti-diarrhea medicine with me just in case!) and I wanted to see if the lake was salty enough for something to float in it. However, the water was too shallow, so it did not work. I will just have to go to the Dead Sea someday and float in it.

We made many stops along the way, for food, bathrooms, and smoking. And then, all of a sudden, we saw the rocks emerging out of the earth with the houses carved into them. It really felt like you were in a science fiction movie, exploring another planet. We stopped at a panoramic view just as sunset was coming. I, of course, took many pictures. The closest thing I can relate it to is Utah with its many national parks dedicated to arched rocks and other amazingly shaped rocks. There are hardly any tall trees in Cappadocia, just like in Utah. Instead, the ground is covered with small shrubs and many apricot trees. The Cappadocia area produces 40% of all the apricots grown in Turkey. Yes, apricots are very important in Turkish culture. There are a few tall, but they are all very skinny. The growing season must not be very long in Cappadocia

That evening was a Turkish dinner and traditional dances from all across Turkey, including the whirling dervishes, Black Sea coastal dances, and a traditional Turkish wedding. It was definitely geared towards tourists, complete with unlimited wine, beer, and raki, which is a very popular drink in Turkey. It is mixed with water as it is very alcoholic. But the food and the dancing were very good.

Saturday a few people woke up at 5:30 am to ride in a hot air balloon and watch the sun rise over the landscape, which is a very popular thing to do in Cappadocia. I plan to do it later when my family comes to visit me, so I got extra sleep instead. I cannot wait to go in a hot air balloon though. It will be breathtaking.

Our hotels had wonderful dinners and breakfasts with traditional Turkish food served at both. During breakfast, they serve at least 10 different kinds of jams and honey. It is so yummy! It is like unlimited Kehe family orchard!

Our tour guide then joined us and led us around Goreme, one of the cities in the Cappadocia area. We again went to the panoramic overlook, but this time with the sun shining brightly and with other tourist groups. The line of buses at every major stop in Cappadocia is funny to me. We just follow one another from one site to the next. At almost every stop there was an ice cream stand. What is it with tourists and ice cream? Even in winter time. But Turkish ice cream is a bit different. The shop keepers will play around with it for a while, making it a game for you to try and grab the ice cream cone. There was also a stand selling freshly squeezed orange juice and pomegranate juice. Pomegranates are also very important in Turkish culture like the apricot, although I'm not sure they are as massively produced in Turkey as apricots are.

Next we traveled to the Goreme open air museum, comprised of houses and churches built by Christians as hideouts from persecution. The caves of Cappadocia are a wonderful place to live, as year round the temperature inside is around 55 degrees Fahrenheit. It is also easy to conceal a large living area with only one door showing. It amazed me how large the rooms were for the houses and how tall the ceilings were for the churches. Every church had the domed ceilings similar to every church or cathedral built during the 12th-13th century. It really does not feel like a cave whatsoever. The colors on the wall paintings are still very vibrant. Some have started to chip away, but the majority of the artwork is still intact. You just stop and think what it would have been like to live during that time in history, hiding in a cave surrounded by beautiful artwork praising the One True God. There was one church that had especially tall ceilings, at least 20 feet tall, with arches and domes everywhere covered in amazing paintings depicting the Bible stories of Jesus' life. It was definitely the most spectacular thing I have seen thus far. I was not allowed to take pictures inside though. I wish I could bring it back and show all of you, but I guess you will just have to come to Cappadocia instead.

We next went to a pottery demonstration using the traditional Turkish way to make pottery. Seriously, these pottery makers are unbelievable. He first made the top of a teapot. Then, without any measurement tools, he crafted the teapot to fit exactly with the lid. The craftsmanship to use a pottery wheel to shape clay is amazing to watch. I wish I could do it I feel so honored to be in the same room as this master pottery maker and artist.

Next we went to see the fairy chimneys. Some things are better described with pictures, so here you go:

How does wind create something like this? I have no idea. It is incredible. It is like no place on earth. There are also rocks shaped like penguins, with a small rock on top of a large rock.

What is interesting is that other parts of Cappadocia look green with pastures, farms, and rolling hills, which reminds me of South Dakota, with its Black Hills looming. So I guess the best way I can describe Cappadocia is a mixture of South Dakota and Utah. What an interesting combination.....

Sunday we stayed at a thermal hotel, meaning they had traditional Turkish baths available. The Turkish bath includes a extremely heated mineral water pool (think hot tub but about 10-20 degrees hotter) that you stay in for a maximum of 10 minutes, otherwise you basically overheat. Then you go to the marble looking room and pour cold water over your body. You are to do this combination a few times, which will improve your circulation and overall health. For me, I cannot stay in normal hot tubs for more than 10 minutes at a time, so in this one, my maximum was about 2 minutes. Then I would go pour cold water over myself and sit in the marble room, sweating due to heat and humidity, which is also supposed to be healthy for you. At any rate, the entire process made me sleepy, and so I slept for a while on the ride home from Cappadocia. The drive is about 4 hours without stops. 

That was my experience in Cappadocia this weekend. It is always amazing to look at pictures of places for so long and wishing you could see them. Then while you are at these places, you cannot believe that you are actually there. Now that I have seen Cappadocia in person, I cannot look at pictures the same anymore, because I think "wow. I was actually there." I have to constantly remind myself that I have been to Cappadocia and seen it with my own eyes. These "wow" moments are incredible, and I know I will keep having while touring Turkey.