Last impressions of Turkey

Here are my last thoughts on Turkey before jetting off to Israel:

Istanbul:
- Great metropolitan city that is super convenient (subway, tram, cabs, buses)
- Very vibrant nightlife
- We hardly saw any homeless people
- Most people were able to understand some English
- Always ask the cab driver to turn on meter
- Never listen to people at the major touristy sites who claim the holy places are closed
- Don't ask street vendors for directions.  They will direct you the wrong way if you don't buy from them
- TRY THE STREET FOOD
- Although I very much enjoyed Istanbul, I didn't find it that unique from any other cities.  I thought 2 days there was plenty of time, unless if you really want to take the time to explore the nightlife.

Cappadocia:
- Completely different from any place I've ever been to
- Low season really means LOW SEASON.  It was quite empty all around
- Fewer people spoke English
- Hard to find transportation during the low season.  I'd recommend hiring a driver or renting a car
- A perfect adventure vacation spot.  I'd definitely go back again and do more hiking around

Derinkuyu Underground City: Mystery in tight spaces

The one place we HAD to go to was at least one of the hundreds of underground cities used as a place of refuge and protection for people facing religious invasions.  These were first built in the Byzantine period.

We chose Derinkuyu because it is the largest underground city open to the public, reaching 8 stories down.  As it may seem obvious, the entrance is very unnoticeable and without the signs, one would never guess there was an actual city underneath them.  As soon as we went in, a tour guide spotted us and offered his services for around $20.  Worth every penny as he went from room to room explaining what everything was.  We started out the stables where horses, sheep, and human took shits together.  I can't imagine doing my business next to a sheep staring at me, but I guess I'd get over it.

We then observed the kitchen, bedrooms, schools, churches, and my favorite: wineries!  These cities also had secret tunnels that connected to other cities.  Some rooms were also equipped with defense mechanisms like stone doors.  I was especially fascinated by how small and claustrophobic the tunnels were.  I'm only 5'5" and I had to bend down quite a bit (as seen in my pics), but I can't imagine being a large 6'5" man.  Or maybe, the environment was not conducive to having tall and large people back then.  But I also wonder if they have a height limit for tourists, 'cause seriously I don't know how Kobe Bryant could possibly fit into one of these tunnels.

I was also fascinated by the sophistication and complexity of the entire set up. Who envisioned the whole thing and how long did it take to build?  There was an elaborate ventilation system and communication system.  Similar to how I felt about the Colosseum in Rome, I wonder if manual labor would be able to recreate this today. 

Overall, an impressive place if you're OK with being in small, dark places.  I loved it!

Private tour of Cappadocia

In the interest of time, we decided to hire a driver to hit all the major places in Cappadocia before heading back to Istanbul at night.  I have to say, for around $140, it was a steal!  We had a customized itinerary and a car with blasting heat.  And it included a delicious buffet lunch.  If anyone's not staying too long in Cappadocia, I would highly recommend going this route.

On our tour, we hit Derinkuyu Underground City (which I'll elaborate in another post), Pigeon Valley, Uchisar Castle, a family-run pottery making factory, and Zelve Valley (fairy chimneys topped with black basalt caps).  Simply awesome and breathtaking.

There is just so much to explore in Cappadocia that I think it deserves more than 2 days.  It's a hiker's paradise, with so much land and natural structures to explore.  I've heard of people spending a week here, hiking a different part every day.  There are also so many cave dwellings that one could easily discover "secret" passageways and fun hideouts.  Cappadocia would be THE place to lose yourself.

My own Turkish bath

We didn't make it back in time for a touristy Turkish bath so I decided to do one of my own.  Hey, I'm taking a bath...in Turkey.  That's technically a Turkish bath.

I've also heard that it is not recommended to book one of those touristy Turkish baths, because they're not as authentic.  Too bad I didn't have time to research any local places, but it's going to happen whether in Turkey or somewhere else.  

Kebap and Yogurty Soup

We finally got to sit down for a relaxing meal and enjoy some traditional local Goreme food (Goreme is a district of Nevshir province in Cappadocia).  We decided on a chicken soup, tomato soup, and a tas kebap, which claimed to be a local specialty.  Their kebaps are what we know as kebabs and in this particular dish, kebaps were cooked with tomatoes and vegetables in a clay pot.  Great choices for such a chilly day.  I'm not a big fan of mushy tomatoes, but I did enjoy my very condensed chicken soup with an obvious large amount of yogurt.  Turks love themselves some yogurt!

It's also very apparent that meat is expensive here, because they try to put as little meat in their dishes as possible.  For example, my chicken soup at no chicken.  And the tas kebap had 5 pieces of beef.  It was a nice game of "bopping for beef."

I love my meat so I will just say that so far, I prefer the Turkish food in NY.

Where are the aliens with huge penises?

Cappadocia is a wondrous place with a landscape straight out of a sci-fi movie.  Alien-phobic peeps should avoid this place because it's hard to imagine that parts of the earth can look like this naturally.  Apparently the "fairy chimneys" are a result of volcanic eruptions combined with erosion and wind.

My mom, who used to be a geography teacher back in China, studied these magical formations and told me that in Chinese, the nickname for them is "boy parts."  Very large boy parts, if I may say so myself.

Many of the hotels in Cappadocia are cave hotels and you get rooms that were dug inside these fairy chimneys.  We stayed at the Spelunca Hotel.  It was neat and the rooms were cool, but their heaters didn't work very well and none of their staff really speaks English.  

Cappadocia is awesome sight to see and definitely worth a side trip if you ever visit Turkey.  Just to warn you, November is off-season for a reason; it's freezing.  It never went above 35 degrees the 2 days we were there and let me tell you, I put on EVERYTHING I brought in my suitcase and I was still doing a shiver dance.  The positive side is that there's nobody around, no lines, no crowds.  Nice and peaceful...and cold.

Kudos to Turkish Airlines

Less than an hour flight from Istanbul to Kayseri and they service a full on meal!  Arrived at Kayseri with a happy belly ready to explore Cappadocia (about 40 minutes away).

Spotty WiFi - be back tomorrow!

Just arrived in Cappadocia and because we're living in a cave (literally!), the WiFi is very wonky.  I will resume blogging when I return to Istanbul tomorrow night!