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Monday Day 01, October 14, 2013 Flight out of Dalaman / Istanbul to Cappadocia Submitted by Marilyn Odell and Micky Ryan
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  Then
a quick photo stop to wander around the fairy chimneys- we couldn’t wait
any longer.
Fairy chimneys are
like the “hoodos” in the southwest. This beautiful landscape was formed
over about 8000 years. The successive eruptions of three volcanoes
(including our favorite Mount Erciyes, the veiled lady) filled area with
layers of soft volcanic ash that compacted to form “tufa” and much
harder basalt.
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No time for coffee – but why not a little wine tasting? A short stop just next door at Turasan wine tasting room, one of the many wine tasting rooms in Cappadocia. No wine shops here 19 years ago. |
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Western
Turkey 101 Tour 
For
those of us in Fethiye, morning started before 2 am. Those in Istanbul
were able to sleep in until 4! We made our way to our airports in the
dark- Dalman or Istanbul- and flew to Nevsehir in Cappadocia. Those
changing planes in Istanbul had an interesting airplane taxi drive –
touring every taxi way in Istanbul airport before running to transfer
planes. 
Over the millennia, wind and water eroded the softer tufa
leaving thin columns of tufa with basalt caps resting precariously on
top until there was not enough tufa to support the harder top and it all
collapsed. It is a fantastic and otherworldly landscape -- at times you
feel like you are on a science-fiction set.
Next
to Zelve Open Air Museum, three valleys inhabited by people living in
the carved out cliffs until 1952. Meli called it “geotechture.” At
that time, due to the fear of collapse of the cliffs, the people were
given new homes nearby but it took ten years to convince all the people
to move. Their new homes did not have the moderate temperatures of the
cliff houses.
Meli led us to the mill and then a church where she explained the
symbolism in Christianity of the fish and what we ethnocentrically call
the Maltese Cross. It was built in the Iconoclastic era, so there were
no images of living beings, but there were beautiful frescos of grapes.
We also found the pigeon houses carved into the cliff fascinating.
Villagers painted the exterior wall of the pigeon houses with the tree
of life or rug designs in order to entice the pigeons back to their
homes. Then, somehow they climbed up to the pigeon houses to collect the
dung for their fields.
After
a quick exploration of the valley, we were back on the bus for lunch at
Dimit in Urgup. We were seated in a lovely room with beautiful pointed
stone arches and we were treated to delicious food again. The wonderful
giant loaves of fresh hot bread came first. Followed by many tasty
items, highlights were a particular remarkable dish of finely chopped
eggplant (smoked? With pomegranate juice). We watched the ritual
breaking of the dough lid that sealed the clay pot full of luscious
lamb. 
Another
photo stop, then on to Ortahisar to visit the small cultural museum.
Meli was able to explain many of the Anatolian traditions using the
dioramas. They depict women grinding the wheat, crushing the grapes for
wine, making bread. Several focus on the ritual of the potential
fiancée making tea for the mother-in-law, an important test in Turkish
society. Very important to serve it without spilling a drop. If it was
an arranged marriage and the girl did not want to marry she might put
salt in the tea to be rejected. From the diorama we could see in the
next scene that the mother-in-law was smiling so all must have gone
well. Then some of us climbed up through the carved out castle as far as
we could go for some good views.
We were happy to arrive at our lovely hotel Lale Saray in Uchisar. The
hotel is built into the cliff with the lowest rooms actually being
carved into the cliff with old niches. From the terraces there were
wonderful views.
My first impressions of Cappodocia left me excited that we had three
more days to see and learn more about the people, the history, the food,
and the land.