Cappadocia

An awesome trip into central Turkey rounded off my travels in Europe, and I guess more appropriately, began the one in Asia. Sacrificing two nights of sleep in a hostel across the alley from a Turkish dance club, for a bumpy ride in a stuffy bus, seemed to pay off after visiting this remarkable place.

We arrived around 8:30AM and roamed the city for an hour or so before our tour began. Following a solid description of the area’s rich history, we went to explore the regions largest underground city – supposedly able to house up to 20,000 people for a couple of years at a time.

Ihlara Valley was our next stop. We hiked down to the bottom and followed the river for about 5km before veering off to view frescos inside rock-carved churches. The valley led to a small village, where we stopped to have lunch before heading back to learn more of the history surrounding the region.

Rock formations caused from volcanic explosions and extreme temperature fluctuations

Part of the underground city

View from outside

Part of the hike

We grabbed some Gözleme (think Turkish quesadillas) and baklava in an awesome family cafe before braving our ridiculous 12-hour journey back to civilization. The rest of the day was spent playing chess at a hookah bar down the alley from our hostel and going to the airport. First flight went well and I am currently chilling in Dubai for 9 hours – Sweet!