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
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| 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.
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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.
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