I have been in Cappadocia (specifically staying in Goreme)
for three days. I had high expectations for this region of Turkey based on all
the reviews and things I had seen online. I arrived 2.5 hours late on the
overnight bus from Istanbul and immediately began one of two separate tours I
took of the region (one around the north, one around the south). I planned to experience
my first hot air balloon ride on my third day; however, the entire time I have
been here, I have consistently felt a lack of connection to the region. There
is a tremendous amount of biblical history (300 AD Christian hermits built
compounds in these rocks), amazingly dated artistry (paintings from the 11th
century) and a unique topography; however, all the tourist exploitation and the
sheer number of tourists detract from every place I visited. Cappadocia started
to click this afternoon when I walked out of the city and wandered around the
nearby formations. Thousands of other tourists definitely add an unwavering
noise to the magnificence of this place.
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| Painting from 11th Century - 3 Wise Men |
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| Rose Valley |
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| Christian hermits built into these rocks around 300 AD |
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| Cities carved from rocks |
(I met three Aggie study abroad students [studying in Qatar,
2 petroleum engineers, 1 mechanical engineer] at one of the sites. They took a
picture and I forgot to ask them to email it. Oh well, I’m not good with the
whole picture thing.)
Overnight bus to Antalya, then immediately to Olympos…
My 4-day cruise around southern Turkey is fast approaching…
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| Sunset Over Cappadocia |
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