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balloons from the tent site
Early sunrise over Rose Canyon I sit listening to traditional Gypsy chanting music in a most helpful internet cafe (finally!!). We are in the most incredible little town I think I have ever been in! Sandstone ?? I don't even know what to call them, - oh, yes, formations! (We have been doing so many right brained activities, my left brain is just waking up). These formations rise up from nowhere dominating the landscape in a kind of Disney fashion. It is so surreal and mind boggling (wondering how it was people carved into them to create homes and churches in 3 AD!)~ gazing around town I see the mosque nestled next to one and restaurants and hotels peeking out of these gnome- like sandstone cones!
Guy has gone to talk with a really sweet man we met here who sells rugs and kilims. This man has a passion for the kilims and has connections with the nomadic gypsys and many others who sell him camel bags which he then converts to rugs or hangings. We decided this was a good person for starting the rug buying process with since he is so knowledgeable and passionate about the kilims.
It has been unseasonably chilly
Starting Love Valley Hike
Talking w Mustafa ~ and drinking his fresh squeezed OJ here and quite windy. We decided to camp - bought camping gear for about $150 US in Ankara, a fairly large city, and figure we have already made our money back in camping and cooking on our own. We are relieved (well, I think me more than Guy) to be able to make our own food - we pick up veggies at local farm stands and then have been cooking at the campground. But it has been so windy, we haven't really wanted to hang outside much there when we come home from a day's hike.
Last night we decided to take a Turkish Hamam (bath) because it was so cold! This was our second bath - first one we did on Guy's birthday at the end of May...this one was waaay intense for me! It started out fine, the nice Turkish woman led me to the sauna after painting my face with clay. After I entered the bath room. A large round tiled room with a kind of round tiled bench in the middle where all the subjects lie in waiting - it is very hot and steamy in this room. Then, I think because I might have
been the last customer, I had two ladies work on me and they scrubbed the $%#! out of me! I thought about screaming but they would just keep on going as they were COMITTED!!!! And I kept thinking, wait, do I like this or is it tooo much?? and then thinking that I paid for this and maybe they would lighten up soon - which they eventually dit... after the intense scrubbing they take this big pillowcase type thing filled with warm, really suddsy soapy water and wave it in the air and the puff it on top of my belly - it was very soothing . Then they suds and swish, also with vigor - up and down my arms and legs, feet and hands and lastly face. Finally they take really warm water and splash it all over me a few times, then cold water then off into the cool pool...ahhhh
Back to today ~ we wake up to a sea of hot air balloons, make b-fast and off to our hike (after some shopping at the local market).
Now we just finished a fabulous meal of delicous humus, lentil soup and vegetarian kebab at a
little restaurant on the cobblestone street after our hike in Love Valley. We'd heard about Love Valley and have saved it until, what we thought was, our last day here in Goreme. We started off at a little cafe at the foot of the hike - drinking fresh squeezed orange juice. Then up the trail into the valley which, we soon realized got it's name from the HUGE, beautiful and unique, shall we say!, wind carved sandstone wild things! Everywhere we turn there is another spectacular photo opp. and amazing view. We dawdle though the valley which is about 5 km long and end up hiking out of it at the other end and catching a bus back to Goreme.
The sun is setting in a while and we need to get back to our car which is still at the head of the valley - where we will camp for the eve in the full moon!
Happy Interdependence Day for those of you in the US.
With love from Cappadoccia!
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