Nobuko, a guest-blogging friend, is reporting from Cappadocia.
An overnight bus operated by Metro bus company took me from Istanbul to Cappadocia; this 10-hour-ride cost about 60 TL (about $35). The cost of things in Turkey was a shock to me coming from India. For a similar ride in India, I had paid 400 Rupees (about $8). But I have to say it is just because buses in Turkey are very nice, and even come with an attendant serving (non-alcoholic) drinks and snacks to passengers. They stop every few hours for restroom breaks / food, and even announce how long the stop is! And they are pretty punctual.
On a different note: I had enjoyed my bus experience in India as well: They have “sleeper” seats which can be closed off by a sliding door or curtain for privacy. It is tiny but you can lay down – though you cannot remain reclined for too long since the roads are bumpy and I nearly hit the ceiling several times. But they do not stop for restroom! One time I contemplated using a plastic bottle, but the bumpiness of the road prevented me from entertaining the idea any further. I begged the driver several times and he finally stopped one hour later to let me go into a bush.
OK, enough about my bathroom on bus stories. Now back to Cappadocia.
It had been my dream to go to Cappadocia ever since I was eight years old. And when I saw it with my own eyes, it was so much more than I imagined. Looking at pictures or even seeing videos does not do justice to the beauty and expansiveness of this place. I met a mother-daughter team from Mexico. We had breakfast at a family-run Cappadocia Cuisine. The mama looked tough at first sight, but she was very hospitable. She gave us coffee on the house. Then I checked into a dorm at the Flintstones Cave Hostel ($14 including a pretty good breakfast).
My friends and I rented a car from the rental car company, OZ Cappadocia, for two days. Driving in Cappadocia was my first time driving outside the U.S.A. Being low season, the roads were pretty much empty, so it was easy to drive. On the first day, we had great fun driving following the Red Tour route. The second day’s Green Tour route would have been difficult without a guide. So we hired a wonderful man named Ahmet. He normally works as part of the ground crew for the Royal Balloon company. He guided us to Pigeon Valley, the underground city of Kaimakli where I nearly had a panic attack (I realized I cannot do darkness or underground), and Ihlara valley.
The day went fine; the sunset was beautiful beyond what words could describe – until we were on the way back home. Ahmet decided to take a short cut which led us to the middle of field without a road in pitch dark hours. As the ride became increasingly bumpy and we were getting further and further away from any light in sight, I asked him if he had driven that way before, to which he replied, “No, I have not”. Then he said cheerfully, with a big smile, “Remember the prison we passed this morning? We are just behind that prison!” I think he tried to make us feel better by telling us where we were. We asked, “That prison?” Ahmet, still smiling: “Yes, yes, that one! The one that had 12 people escaping this year!” We retorted, “… OK, so we are not picking up any hitch hikers.”
After 40 minutes of driving through a field and getting nowhere, Ahmet finally decided to turn around and go back the long way.
On the third day I was alone, since my Mexican friends had left. I rented a bicycle and rode from Goreme to Avanos, which is about 10 km away. Going slower is rewarding for the eyes. On the way back, I stopped at a pide shop and had chai and pide (Turkish pizza). I was the only customer and the owner and his worker were very kind. We showed each other’s pictures on our cameras while they talked to me in Turkish, which I do not understand, and I talked to them in English. They offered me a huge piece of Baklava and another cup of chai. In Turkey, I was offered many meals and even accommodations from various strangers and I accepted them. This kind of experience restores my faith in humanity. I need to acknowledge the priceless value of such encounters, because they prove that we can act out of kindness even when there is no incentive involved.
Cappadocia
This was my last night. After picking up some beer (the Turkish Efes Pilsen is a very good beer, in my opinion), a guy from Oz Cappadocia (the rental car company) and Ahmet took me to a panorama look-out spot at night and made a bonfire! How fun! The next day they came to the bus stop to see me off. Yes, Cappadocia is a wonderful place to visit. For me, it is the people I met that made Cappadocia one of the best places to be in.
And Nobuko plans to return to Turkey by spring 2013.
