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Published: June 12th 2014
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Goreme, Kapadokya, Turkey
June 8th 2014
“Up in the atmosphere, up where the air is clear....”
Mary Poppins
“The mother of excess is not joy but joylessness”
Frederich Nietzsche
Kapadokya is now one of the 'musts' on the very well worn tourist route of Turkey. It is indeed a magic place born of fairytales and sci-fi scenarios. The pointed rocks themselves are known as 'fairy chimneys' and they are in abundance in the Goreme National Park. Thankfully UNESCO has done some work here to preserve them and put a stop on further transformation of them into luxury but funky cave hotels. There are enough of those already. Unfortunately nothing was done to limit the other rampant development of hotels in the valley, which now form eyesores that obcsure the natural and historic landscape. But all is not lost for the place still abounds with unexplainable awesome beauty and there are many small and remote trails in gorgeous valleys that come straight from another planet.
The 'fairy chimneys' were formed by volcanic eruptions, creating the surreal moonscape: the lava flows formed rock, which wind and rain sculpted
into sinuous valleys with curvy cliff faces and pointy fairy chimneys. Past civilisations chiselled homes in the soft rock, paving the way for cave-dwelling hippies and today’s boutique fairy-chimney hotels.
The area’s most extraordinary phase was during the medieval era, when the valleys were a refuge for Byzantine Christians. The religious troglodytes established monastic settlements, and their cave churches add a biblical solemnity to the Flintstones-like region. The Göreme Open-Air Museum, a World Heritage site, has the best collection of chapels and living quarters, most dating to around the 11th century.
Somewhere along the way someone got the brilliant business idea that tourists would get a great view of all this from a hot air balloon. Fair enough. But now ,there are in excess of 100 balloons every morning (wind conditions permitting), each with up to 20 – 25 punters aboard, who each pay 150 euros for the experience. It has become one of those 'if you did not do it, and not get the pictures, you weren't there' tourist events. Part of 'doing' Kapadokya. Very big business indeed, and sadly for the locals a lot of it goes to non-local investors. For my stubborn and cheap self
(well, on a travelers budget too), it was enough to just stay grounded and observe. At 5.30 am it is something surreal to see these giant jellyfish rising slowling as if from the ocean floor.
For my sins (stubborn and cheap) I was stung at the cave house I stayed in (I had been recommended to the owner by a friend in Istanbul). I was told (and I have a witness) that I was being given the special price of 40 lira a night. This was very acceptable as I was sharing with a friend for the first two of my four night stay (and she gave me her 40 lire contribution before leaving). But it was very early in the morning after arriving on the overnight bus, and the owner may have been a bit tired..... When I checked out four days later and offered the 'agreed' 160 lira, I got the rude shock to be told that the tarrif was in fact 40 euros (more than twice the price at 100 lira a night). Seeing my discomfort we settled at 300 lira for the four nights (i.e. a personal cost to me of 260 lire after my
friends contribution). Oh well.... let it go.
I met the penultimate relaxed Turkish 'baba' in Goreme. Ahmet inherited a fairy chimney and surrounding land and turned it into a hotel with some pinache. His Japanese wife seems to have made most of the design and finish decisions and also does most of the day to day work running the place. Ahmet spends his days enjoying the proceeds, smoking weed, and just 'being', or so it seems. His wife is not entirely happy about this, but accepts that she is probably married to the most relaxed guy in Turkey. When challenged by her to spend more time at the hotel, he responds “but if I stay around, the tourists are going to ask me questions.... and then I am going to have to answer them!”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cappadocia
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/turkey/travel-tips-and-articles/76629
scroll down for more pics
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Beautiful balloons
Great photo.