Our bus pulled into Goreme Otogar at 0645, in the rain, and we were feeling a bit tired after another all night bus ride. Things didn't go well for Tim...firstly he tried to put his pack in the stowage compartment under the bus and bumped into the little Metro bus guy, who hit his head and gave Tim a foul look, then as Tim had taken a whole (rather than a half travel sickness tablet as advised by me), he was almost rendered unconscious and the same Metro bus guy panicked and put lemon cologne on his forehead and over his nose so he woke with a start, dazed and disorientated, and then, at 0500 hours the guy tried to pull Tim out of his seat because the man next to him needed to get out! Poor Tim thought he was being arrested! !! AND then he bumped heads with the same guy AGAIN at the luggage compartment. Karl labelled him "Little Stalin" because they told us off for eating and laughing on the bus and THEN the driver started smoking as he drove. Not pleasant! Not to mention the old bloke who had moist coughing fits throughout the night and turned everyone's stomach. A most memorable journey!
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| Street view in Goreme |
We were directed up the cobbled road to our booked accommodation; Ishtar Cave Pension. We have a 5 bed room in a CAVE!!! It is cosy and warm and neat and clean and Luke is using one of the little carved alcoves as a Lego area!
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| Front of our accommodation |
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| Our dorm at Ishtar Cave Pension |
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| Five neat little beds...almost as if Snow White has got things ready for her dwarfs! |
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| Cave cupboard or Lego playing area! |
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| Caves everywhere! |
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| No longer someone's home - I hope |
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| Looking cold.. |
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| Rome Church remains |
After our night of travelling we were all feeling dazed and crotchety so we headed out for a walk towards Rose Valley. Goreme is set among the unique "Fairy Chimneys" which my friend, Carolyn Burnett, called Dr Suess Land that is a great description! Dwellings and hotels, some inhabited and some derelict are set into the rocks and have been carved out to form caves.
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| Formations due to volcanic activity |
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| I guess that's where we walked!! |
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| Tim is always able to find a place to flex his muscles! |
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| Ab's and tricep dips!! |
The potted description of the geology of this area is that the sedimentary rocks formed in lakes and streams and it was an area of active volcanoes approximately 9 to
3 million years ago. The rocks of this area, Cappadoccia, eroded into hundreds of spectacular pillars and minaret- like
forms. People of this region
carved out houses, churches and monasteries from the soft rocks of
volcanic deposits. Goreme became a monastic centre in 300–1200 AD and there is plenty of evidence of this.
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| Up and down and through... |
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| Stunted pink blossom tree |
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| This one looked like a dinosaur! |
It was a blustery and cold day and the fruit trees in the little
orchards near the cave dwellings are hardy little plants, like giant
bonsais which are now in blossom. there are plenty of desert like
wildflowers hanging on toughly to the arid windswept soil.
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| Note the dwellings in the caves |
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| Pointing heavenwards |
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| This zone contained dwellings with rooms and internal steps and a church! |
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| Perspective photo - Tim versus rock formations |
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| Entrance steps are big for little legs |
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| Looking out the window! |
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| Framed! |
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| Visitors not encouraged at this home! |
Our walk took us up and over lots of hills, in and out of caves and
we marvelled the whole way! We found a little chapel or church with
rustic painting on the rocky walls as well as liveable rooms and
stairways! We were free to wander and wonder!
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| Little cave church we stumbled across |
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| Inside the church |
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| Wall paintings in church |
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| Framed again! |
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| Add captionPanorama of sorts - can't quite get the vastness captured |
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| Caves and orchard |
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| Only rock climbers welcome - forget elderly parents and less fit visitors |
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| Papasan chair! |
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| Handstand territory |
We were following a series of amateur signs pointing to Rose - the Rose
Valley where the rock layers are shades of pink and red. A spectacular
view indeed!
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| Rose Valley from a peak |
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| Amazing orchid - the only one spotted on our long walk |
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| Yellow wildflowers bring colour to a grey backdrop |
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| Perfect handstand! |
Our search for cheap food is always part of the day and inevitably kebabs in Turkey and today was no different. I did have a gozleme - a feta filled pancake with tomatoes but the others stuck to what they normally have!
So cold and tired were we that we sauntered back to our cave room and tucked up for the afternoon before we went back to the same place for dinner. The lentil soup was perfect. Tired we all were keen to go to bed.
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