http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Central-Anatolia/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Middle East , Turkey , Central Anatolia en-us Thu, 31 Dec 2009 22:29:59 +0000 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 22:29:59 +0000 Well onwards and upwards is a good way of describing this next leg of the triphellip After departing the ldquonotsosnowcappedrdquo hill of Pamukkale we transited back to the coast and enjoyed a few days on the beautiful Aegean Sea. It brought back memories from our time in Greece last summer with the warm weather and crystal clear water. From there we went on to Olympos where we hike http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Central-Anatolia/Cappadocia/blog-460402.html I'm back from my trip to Anatalya on the Mediterranean coast. I've only been in Turkey for 2 weeks and didn't expect to have a 5 day weekend so soon. Dreading feeling lonely and homesick over the Thanksgiving holiday I pulled out my Rough Guide for Turkey and decided to take a short trip to the Mediterranean Coast. With a little help from my Turkish colleagues I went online and booked a fligh http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Central-Anatolia/Ankara/blog-457171.html I woke today today to l305ght ra305n and then got snowed on very heav305ly dur305ng my morn305ng walkThe day proceeded to dump the f305rst season of snow for Cappadocc305a and now the owners at the Hotel Nomad are gear305ng up for w305nter by buy305ng heaters.........a b305t late perhaps but then there 305s always the bat cave to return to...Merry Chr305stma http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Central-Anatolia/Cappadocia/Goreme/blog-450199.html Arr305v305ng 305n Capadocc305a by plane saved a long 12 bus from Antalya and I was hapy to be bas305ng myself for 4 n305ghts and teh chance to unload Nearly got excess baggage charge from Antalya as they only perm305t 15kg but a sm305le and explanat305on that 305t 305s stuff I could chuck allowed me a break Th305s was a great place to hang out 305n the old http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Central-Anatolia/Cappadocia/blog-449869.html Day 6The second day in Greme I went out for some 17 km hike with two women from Canada and California. Directly north of the town there is a rock massif consisting of several small and compact valleys each of which is a little bit different from the others in terms of landscape and rock formations. I can tell you that you hike really slowly in this landscape about every 100200m you have to st http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Central-Anatolia/Cappadocia/Goreme/blog-447018.html Day 5Before sunrise I arrived in Greme a small but known town in Cappadocia. Cappadocia is a spectacular region I have been dreaming to go to probably for years already. It is known for its amazing rock formations and early Christian heritage.Unfortunately at 600 a.m. in the morning there was nobody in the hostel reception but the entrance was open so I spent the 2nd half of the night in my http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Central-Anatolia/Cappadocia/Goreme/blog-447013.html Day 4Arriving with the night train from Istanbul at dawn I reached Ankara the capital city of Turkey. Welcome to Anatolia As you will see in the images this place is already quite different from Istanbul.I stored my backpack at the station and went into the city getting awake bought some fresh bread and cheese for breakfast and after that basically just walked through the centre. Ankara was a http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Central-Anatolia/Ankara/blog-446987.html G'day allWell we left Lada heaven Yeravan every white lada in the world ends up in Yerevan we headed to a greek temple that had been restored but was very nice and a monestry complex carved into the mountain in very good condition. We then headed down Debed Gourge which is classed as little Switzerland which I guess when it is not thick fog it may well ressemble it. Also the driving in f http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Central-Anatolia/Cappadocia/Goreme/blog-446695.html If you want to come and see this wonderfull place. Please reach me. I have 4 roomed haouse which is have perfect view over the most popular place of Cappadocia. And i can rent my rooms for travellers.Cem Canseven Phone 905337464835 or send me a mail ahmetcemcansevenhotmail.com http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Central-Anatolia/Cappadocia/blog-442652.html I decided to fly from Istanbul to Cappadocia to save myself the 13hour overnight bus ride. For an extra 50 aussie dollars it was a 2 hour plane ride from Istanbul to Cappadocia. I guess if i was exploring more of turkey like the coast line it would have been a shorter ride. actually i dont think i would do the coast given all the reports i hear of the tourist throng But Cappadocia was more of http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Central-Anatolia/Cappadocia/blog-442426.html Hello all.Before I forget again I have to tell you about an incident that happened in Romania pouring rain and bad roads big puddles. Scott was driving along having fun splashing water about Washing dukky splashing a line of parked cars. He didnt see the poor lady in white trouses stood between the cars until it was too late. I dont know whos face was funnier Scotts mine or the ladies. http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Central-Anatolia/Ankara/blog-438843.html We are now in Cappadocia Turkey. We are camping among the Fairy Chimneys under the full moon with a hot air balloon parade to wake us at sunrise. It is the most amazing place I have ever seen. I am not able to download any pictures right now but it is worth a google. WOWChow for nowHugsKendra and Jan http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Central-Anatolia/Urgup/blog-433881.html Not too much has transpired between this Friday and last besides work. I did want to post some more pictures from the site and from last Friday's carpet shopping. A exciting thing for me but maybe not as much for most of my audience on here was that I got the opportunity to learn to excavate an infant burial out of one section of our trench this past week. It was fun but difficult since it was s http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Central-Anatolia/Konya/blog-429923.html On Sunday night we got another nice evening of turkish culture with a performance of the whirling dervishes on our terrace. The whirling dervishes are actually the mevlevi order and this religious order was founded in konya during the 13 century. The whirling is a form of dhikr remembrance of God. Dervish is a common term for an initiate of the Sufi the order's path the whirling itself is kn http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Central-Anatolia/Konya/blog-428124.html ldquoTwenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didnrsquot do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.rdquo Mark Twain Cappadocia is a place that Ammi and I had been dreaming about since we started planning this trip. The Cappadocia region is largely com http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Central-Anatolia/Cappadocia/Goreme/blog-425476.html I made it to the site very late last night. I have very limited internet access here and will be doing updates and stuff on Fridays. We start work tomorrow http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Central-Anatolia/Konya/blog-424991.html On our first night in Cappadocia we went to a performance of Whirling Dervishes. The formal name for the ceremony is called Sema. It is part of Turkish custom history and culture. It symbolizes the seven different parts of the mystic circle of perfection that the Sufis Sufism is a mystical sect of Islam believe in. One of the main themes of the ceremony is revolution. The Sufis believe th http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Central-Anatolia/Cappadocia/blog-423038.html Day 6 Cappadoccia We rent our mountain bikes from Osman and MadKadir two fun loving Turkish guys. Before we head out we have the mandatory teas and then we hit the climb to Eskeshir before it gets too hot. Itrsquos a nice climb and we get a few shouts of encouragement as we get close to the castle. The castle is OK a little rough.We stop and see the green Willys wagon on the way down http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Central-Anatolia/Cappadocia/Goreme/blog-423037.html On my first day of freedom in Turkey I traveled to a place called Cappadocia. We took an hour long flight out of Istanbul to Kayseri. On Turkish Airlines they give you free food It was a nice treat from our usual stingy American airlines. Right when we arrived we drove straight to an underground city called Kaymakli. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a place where Christians hid during http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Central-Anatolia/Cappadocia/blog-423036.html Day 5 Cappadoccia We take an organized tour of the underground city valley and cliff dwellings. Robin buys her first and only real souvenir on the way out of Goreme a black tablecloth. The underground city is a real challenge for those scared of confined spaces no names mentioned. You realize how tough life was in those days and how fearful defenseless people can be. But it is a mem http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Central-Anatolia/Cappadocia/Goreme/blog-423033.html