Flying High, Walking Up, Riding Low

The reason Toby had booked us into Cappadocia was so that she could take a balloon ride. She did that early (6:30) in the morning on the first day, just in case it rained and there were no balloon rides on subsequent days.

Later that morning all three of us got into a van with a couple from Korea, a couple from Japan, a couple from Barcelona and our guide Levent. We had been told this tour included a 4-hour hike that was about five on a scale of 1-10. I thought it might actually be a three, but the hike was really a difficulty level of 6 or 7. We didn't do any repelling, but we did go up a lot of mountains, down a lot of gorges and next to the river. For part of the hike Levent told us to walk ahead while he finished his cigarette. He told us we would be fine if we kept the river on our right. (If we're walking in the river is that considered keeping it on our right?) Lee (from Korea) declared that we were probably on the show "Survivor, Turkey." I was very happy with my work boots that day, as I managed to not slip, skid or fall even one time.

Of course our tour included stops in a couple of shops and one large jewelry store, but we managed to make it back in one piece without injuries or too many souvenirs.

Cheryl and I went to the spa at Kelebek for our second Turkish bath. This one was a bit more elegant (the technicians were fully clothed) and lasted almost two hours. We were treated to a sauna and the aforementioned dousing, exfoliating, scrubbing, rubbing and sudsing. We also got a complete massage (including feet and head) and a facial.

We had dinner at the hotel, talking a lot to our new friend Jules from Milwaukee, via Geneva, Zurich and Berlin. We heard a lot about her "zoo" and all of the lovely animals and the not so lovely (mostly married) men of Goreme.

Our second full day in Goreme we walked in a light rain to the Open Air Museum which was the site of the monastic communities in Cappadocia. The complex contains more than 30 rock-carved churches and chapels, some with frescoes inside, dating from the 9th to the 11th centuries. On the way back we saw an ancient schmata tree and also a very rare pottery tree.

After walking back and getting totally soaked by an idiot in a black Nissan driving through puddles at wharp speed we stopped for some excellent lentil soup at a restaurant that had been recommended by Jules. Then we saw her walking by, so she came in to tell us more about her zoo and the lovely animals and not so lovely (mostly married) men of Goreme.

We shopped a little, I bought my adorable red hat, then went back to the Kelebek to read and relax by the fire.