Dinler Nevsehir

... view over the valley we had just driven through and a great view of all of Cappadocia. It was outstanding.

We continued on, unsure of where we were going, just following signs to semi-random spots on the map. Only we got lucky again. We made it to a really nice fairy chimney spot with famous cylindrical rocks complete with little hats of rock slabs lying on top of the cylinder. The spot is in a lot of post cards. You can also see the now snow capped volcano off in ...

... It was enough not to feel awkward with Jeremy offering a private tour to a couple, but small enough that we could all talk and converse and make the time pass a little faster. If someone wasn't in the mood they could just head to the back and sleep. Sometimes full buses are so much less social because everyone is afraid to disturb someone else. I kind of hate situations like that, in which you have fairly large groups of people together and yet meaningful social ...

... ng out on a 5 hour hıke through the badlands we fıgured we should probably fıgure out our food sıtuatıon before ıt got too late. Convenıently enough we spıed what looked lıke a few locals cookıng meat and Gozleme (a turkısh savory pancake, kınd of lıke a Quesadılla) on the sıde of the path. Sınce we had read that there were tea stands speckled all throughout the Red Valley, we fıgured that ...

... types of rock that are formed by lava and ash. As I understand, the fairy chimneys are formed of tufa that stayed while the lava was eroded away. And this tufa is easy to carve, and people here seem to think the fairy chimneys and other formations make great houses, churches, monasteries, etc. All over the area are different collections of chimneys, and they take slightly different forms in different places ...

... are loads of coach tours here whıch really spoıls thıngs when you are lookıng at vıew poınts so I try and avoıd them as much as possıble. On the way down ınto Goreme a couple of lads from Istanbul pulled up and offered me a lıft down to the bottom, the Turkısh people are really freındly and even though thıs ıs a tourısty place they dont ever try and haggle wıth you or charge you to much extra whıch ıs nıce. Other thıngs I have notıced about the Turksıh and generally people ın thıs reg ...

... ous medıtatıve ceremony - wıll tell you about ıt tomorrow Wanted to get down and get on the ınternet - only 2 computers- my maın rıval has been a 12 year old japanese boy ın our group who comes down and stares at me - when he gets on he stays on forever doıng computer games and cartoons - there are actually 4 chıldren on thıs tour - one gırl teen from sıngapore (ı have had several meals wıth them - very nıce) - my ınternet rıval 12 year old japanese boy wıth hıs parents and 2 ch ...

... way down to the canyon without success. We finally met a man who offered us tea and guided us back to the normal path. Of course, he wa expecting baksheesh to feed mutton to his dogs, but we pretended we didn't understand. So we ended up back to where I had started the day before and walked back to Goreme. We then took another bus to see more fairy chimneys. This spot is very popular and was loaded with tourist buses! I must say the fairy chimneys ...

... before, and it was great fun hooning down the high way with the wind in my hair. We did feel a bit bad for sweating on their leather interior, but they did want to give us the lift. When we got back to the camp site an older New Zealand couple had turned up. So we had a chat to them that night about our trips, they having had an endless summer for the past 3 years. We got some tips and must sees, and went to bed rather earlier then the night before. Miles so far: 9913

Well, we've hopefully just had the most expensive day of travelling...and none of it was in the spreadsheet!!!! Cause if there are many more like it, then we'll be selling off the house and the cat to fund it. But all worth it nonetheless (Shirl may not agree when she's shipped to the Chinese restaurant down the road). Things kicked off with some scooters and a trip around the Cappadocia region to check out some ...

... world to the spiritual, heavenly world. The Whirling Dervishes played an important part in the evolution of Ottoman high culture. From the fourteenth to the twentieth century, their impact on classical poetry, calligraphy and visual arts was profound. Rumi and his followers integrated music into their rituals as an article of faith. The first part of the ceremony is The Sema, which represents a spiritual journey; the ...