21st - 24th May Antalya - Cirali

 The bus ride from Goreme to Antalya was quite the journey. Anticipated 7hrs became 9hrs. Not for any particular reason, just a milk run with multiple stops. Arrival at the Antalya Otogar we then searched for a local bus into the old city centre. Grateful for feeling safe in Turkey because once off the local bus we walk through not the most salubrious alley ways to find the hotel. We were ravenous after only snacks since Goreme so headed out into the Friday night old city in seach of something edible. The Luna Garden was the best meal we have had thus far, a seven vegetable salad bowl!! 

Near our hotel these chaps clear out the dumpster of cardboard, anything they can resell.

Next morning, Friday, after unable to find a bus back to the Otogar due to Friday prayers we got a taxi, NZD$10 as against 50c for the bus. Bati Antalya bus company does the coastal route to Fethiye picking up and dropping off on the way. The bus driver gets phone calls as we are bombing along, draws into a siding, someone will give a parcel/ letter,  folded Turkish Lira, a cash society. At a stop people will harangue him for not picking them up even though the bus is full. By the time we got to the Cirali junction there were 6 people standing in the aisle although the sign inside the bus states categorically 31 seated, no-one standing. All very entertaining.

Cirali is a very small coastal village with the best beach in Turkey so claimed. Feels very Pacific Island with lush vegetation, houses dotted amongst orchards. They grow citrus, avocados, pomegrante etc. Is very, very quiet. We have what they call a bungalow, to us a motel room, spacious in a citrus orchard. Only noise is roosters crowing and the call to prayer from the mosque 200mtrs behind us. First call 5.10am so it does wake you but able to nod off again whereas everywhere else so far it has been 4am-ish.  Next week is Eid al Adha for a public holiday week, being the Feast of Sacrifice, on the Muslim calendar. Which  means this area will be jammed but for us now hardly a soul about and after the last three weeks travelling a welcome respite.8

Quite  dramatic backdrop. A pebbly beach.

Hard to believe all these loungers are full in the summer season.

Jeff could not wait to get into the Mediterranean again. Water temp maybe 20C.

One of the two reasons you come to Cirali is the ancient ruins of Olympos. What had been a Roman port city at the mouth of a deep ravine at the southern end of Cirali beach. Settled by the Lycians from around 15th century BC before being assimilated into the Roman Empire 43 AD.  Abandoned, it was taken on in the 5th century by Byzantines until they also abandoned it. Choke full of churches, house ruins and many tombs. 

Walk to the ruins. Note the remains of the lookout towers at right.

Remains of a lions head, upside down, from one of the tombs

Remains of the temple gate honouring Marcus Aurelius. The facade has fallen off. The gateway opening at 6m high. How did they get them erected in 170AD?

An important chaps tomb remains. Like everywhere when one civilastion moves on the next civilisation reuse the materials at hand. Not unsual to see parts of a tomb used in a house or for roading. Needs must. Tomb raiders also punched holes in the sarcophogus (tombs) looking for treasure.

The other reason to visit Cirali is the Mt Chimaera eternal flames. A 4km walk from where we are staying to the bottom of the mountain then maybe 1300mtr up to the saddle. After 1000mtr you begin to pass flames flickering out of the rock cracks/ openings as you continue climbing. Of course steeped in mythology being the monster of Chimaera; three formed beast: parts being lion, goat, python as described by Homer.

The constantly burning fires are from methane and hydrogen gases escaping.

Monster of Chimaera

Lots of folks arrive on dusk to see flames at their best but I did not want to be staggering about rocky hillsides in the dark, headlight notwithstanding.

And yes folks toast marshmallows over the flames.

The saddle view looking towards Cirali

After yesterdays activity we decided on a slow morning then the beach for the afternoon. If you spent two hours sun bathing without sunblock at the beach in NZ you would be fried whereas around the Mediterranean you barely notice, way less ultraviolet due to the thicker atmospheric filter and angle of the sun.  A lot more folks about today for the start of the holiday.

Citrus orchard at Mercan Bungalow - our Cirali oasis

Our bungalow with deck and important washing line.

An idyllic scene motoring in the turquoise blue Turkish Mediterranean.

Tomorrow we leave Cirali for Fethiye by shuttle and bus. Planning a Fethiye Bay boating trip on one of the days there.

Goreme - Cappadocia region 18th - 20th May

 

Gaziantep Otogar (bus station) where men yell out in Turkish where each bus goes to.

We had booked our bus for departure at 10.30am from Gaziantep to Kayseri. On checking the night before, on the Obilet bus app,  the bus had disappeared. This has happened before - no notice or contact, they just put you on a later bus i.e. 11.30am which did not suit us. Checked 9.30am bus on the app and plenty of seats so got to the bus station earlier and requested the change in our best Turkish. Success. We find out the 9.30am bus actually carried on to Goreme where ultimately we wanted to go. So after a seven hour ride we arrive at Goreme. Buses do not have toilets so when the driver stops for smoke/tea break you dash into the depot with 15 lira to pay to use the starting blocks, no toilet paper loos. We take any food with us for the bus plus loo paper!!

The countryside on the way changed as we got higher away from the Gaziantep Plateau on to the Central Anatolian Highlands.

Arrived in Goreme and were able to walk to the Kismet Cave Hotel. The town is not that big by Turkish standards; at 300,000 people they host 3-4 million visitors per year who come for the hot air ballooning, hiking, fairy chimneys and historic sites.

View over the town

A lot of the hotels have terraces for viewing and many are literally caves carved into the surreal landscape. The region had multiple volcanic eruptions over centuries. The volcanic ash cooled and compressed into soft rock called Tuff. Further eruptions covered the Tuff with protective Basalt and Andesite layers. Erosion of the soft Tuff followed by centuries of wind, rain, temperatures, the inevitable floods. By the time we get to the 4th centure AD Byzantines start carving homes, tombs and cave churches into the Tuff.

Next day we set off to hike the 13km Rose and Red valleys. Trail was a scramble up and down the rock (running shoes with no grip made it scary) surrounded by this surreal landscape.

One of the numerous churchs througout the landscape.

Many places had large circular rocks that could be rolled to cover the entrances to impede any maraunders.

Amazed that the fresco/paintings in this church cave still existed unspoiled
.

Just the weirdest place. Could hear water springs and a few birds.

Incredible rock layers

The holes in the rock could have been tombs or dovecotes.

In amongst all this some locals had planted apricot trees and grape vines. Neither flourishing. 

Farmers attach a rotary hoe to a trailer and drive up the tracks to their plots to cultivate vines and apricots ( which all had blight) definitely subsistance living.

Retired to a local bar having found one that serves Turkish beer only, EFES, ok when necessary.

Hot air ballooning had been cancelled four mornings in a row due to unsuitable weather. A deposit, 160 euros, is paid and punters hope they go. Total price 500 euros 2pp. (NZD $1,000 ) Vans pick you up from your hotel at 4am to take you to one of the many launch sites. If the balloons cannot get up they try the next day and so on. If unable to stay further days you miss out and they retain the deposit. We had decided hiking in amongst the fairy chimneys or Hoodoos as they are called for several hours over the two days was more our style. And lets be honest $1,000 is a weeks travelling cost.

Next morning the 4 day drought had broken and we were woken at 5am by a terrific noise above the hotel.  Step outside and watched enthralled by hundreds of balloons making their way East to West on a light breeze. 

Heading west, sun not up yet. Note all the terraces on hotels/houses to view from.

They fly over the town very low so up close and personal to those in the baskets.

Gloomy dawn showing the firing up in the balloons

Sun on the spectacle

They called balloon pilots in the old day aeronauts. The liquid propane burner being activated creating the hot air for the balloon is the noise that woke us up, so we joined half a dozen hotel guests up on the terrace variously dressed staring in awe. 

Back to bed for a couple of hours as at this stage it was only 6am.

Breakfast turkish style is a range of nuts and dried fruit, olives, very bland cheese, pickles, greens and some fruits. We take our own yoghurt and bananas.

The lady at the stove will ask if you want an egg, which fried sits like a lonely soul on a plate. Always white rolls or pan.

Next hike was the Love Valley, so named due to the shape of the rock formations. Another 13km loop on a scramble track. It started to rain in the last hour but got back none the worse for wear.  Again the only sounds heard were running water and a few long tailed magpies. Not too many folks about as per yesterday. If we see a group they have usually been dropped off by their coach at a strategic point so they can stroll with their guide for 1/2 hour or so then back to the bus.

Incredible that these rock formations were from natural forces

What I would do for spikes on the soles of our shoes.

These wee chaps live outside one of the many kebab shops. Left eye grey and other dark brown. Was a bit wary of a couple of kiwis chatting away to him.  

Tomorrow we head down to Antalya on the Mediterranean Sea to begin our journey West. Will be warmer temperatures again, chilly 16C in Goreme.