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Istanbul and Cappadocia in 10 days - trip report

Istanbul and Cappadocia in 10 days - trip report

Old Sep 29th, 2012, 01:32 PM
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Istanbul and Cappadocia in 10 days - trip report

wow... i just got back from my long-awaited Turkey trip... it met every expectation and was a most enjoyable and excellent vacation. soooo.. i wanted to try my hand at writing a report.

i'm going to write this report pretty much chronologically, because that will be easier for me. First, I am a mid-aged woman, traveled with a good friend who is a professional photographer. That saved me from really having to take too many pictures with my little point-and-shoot as she had her big camera and multiple fancy lenses. Of course, I did take almost 200 pics, to her 1500! We traveled from AZ, USA .. on mileage points so it was not the most direct route available.. PHX-PHL-FRA-IST... and back IST-NRT-LAX-PHX. Yes, we went around the world. Return was 11 hour flight; 7 hours in Narita (plenty of time to take the train in to town, walk around, get lunch, munchies and photos), then 10 hour flight. yawn!! wish i was able to sleep on a plane, but .. it hasnt happened yet!

quick note: there are lockers AND showers at NRT. we used the lockers but were not aware of the showers in time to utilize that. Would have been great!

We arrived in Istanbul at about 11am and unfortunately my friend's bag did not. We spent a little time at the Turkish Air baggage claim and they assured us they would contact us when (if) the bag arrived. It put a little bit of a damper on our arrival, but T did have a spare change of clothing in her carry-on so we decided not to get too concerned right away. We went out of the terminal and saw our names on a sign.. yeay, our driver waited for us. We booked this airport transfer directly through the hotel... (the transfer to the hotel was 25 Euro (high, but we figured we would be too tired to figure out public transportation at that time). (FYI - we flew into Ataturk Internationa Airport). ok.. i'll tell you about the hotel right now.

We stayed at Empress Zoe in Sultanahmet. www.emzoe.com. We were in the "budget room" and paid 65 Euro/night (minus 10% discount for cash). You can see a picture of the room on their website. The website says "very tiny twin room with private marble bath".. it is very tiny.. but very comfortable. (there is airconditioning that you control yourself). The bathroom is small, but clean/comfortable. The window is directly over the front door but is very private due to the foliage over and around it. It overlooks a street with multiple outdoor cafes/bars.. very busy at night. We kept the window open almost all the time and really enjoyed the sounds. If you dont like noisy, this may not be the place for you, but we loved it. Also, while this room was on the first floor, there is a small spiral staircase you need to go up. The other rooms are higher up and from what i can see, will have a better veiw. The breakfast (included) was very very good (eggs, fruit, cheese, bread, tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, granola, coffee, tea, OJ) and there is a beautiful garden where you can eat. There is also a rooftop garden with beautiful views. I thought the location was perfect.. short walk to Sultanahmet Square Park. Also, it is quite near the Four Seasons Hotel.. and since i have no sense of direction and got lost the first morning, it was good to be able to ask directions to the Four Seasons and go from there. Seems anyone i asked knew where that was.

When we arrived, we told the front desk at the hotel about the missing bag, and they assured us that the airline would deliver it to the hotel, and that we shouldnt worry about it. They also took it upon themselves to call the airline a few times to get updates. (the bag was delivered by the next afternoon! yeay!).

We spent the first afternoon just walking around and getting a feel for the place. Dinner was at a Kofte place.. and i cannot find the name of it anywhere..ugh. it was right next door to the Pudding place (also the exact name has escaped me). It was ok. (one order Kofte (meatball), one order shish kabob, 2 soda-waters - 28 TYL). Then ice cream.. yummy! 2 scoops and a baklava 7.5 TYL. (i'm just putting the prices in for those of you who want an idea of costs. i wrote down everything so i could calculate the total cost of my trip). We tried to stay awake as long as possible.. but ended up crashing at about 9pm.

Next morning, we were treated with the call to prayer. I think it was around 5:45am. .. and it was beautiful. I think i would like to wake to that every single morning (waaaay better than an alarm clock.. ). I believe it is a good thing.. to wake with the reminder first thing in the morning to be thankful for what I have. Good start to the day. One of the loudspeakers is right outside this hotel, so we got a good awakening. . my friend decided to go out pre-dawn to get some photos. As she walked out the door to our room, i decided i didnt want her to be walking around the streets of Istanbul by herself.. so i jumped up, got dressed, and went out to walk around with her. soooo.... i think i already mentioned that i have NO sense of direction. yeah. well. i promptly got lost and was wandering the streets myself. I'm reasonably sure she went directly to the Sultanahmet Square Park and was doing just fine. Me? i was meandering down back alleys with no idea how to find myself. I ended up at the water (Marmara Sea). Hmmm. That's not where i want to be. I saw a Tour Bus driver and asked for directions (the people in Turkey are SO helpful and nice!).. He walked me back to the light and up a little road and explained how to get back to the Square. (the Square is literally 3 blocks from the hotel)... then i couldnt find my way to the hotel and had to ask a Police Officer (i know.. i'm hopeless). He was also so helpful and friendly. (he asked me where i was from and my favorite NBA team.. then when i told him the Phoenix Suns, he said "ah.. Steve Nash!" haha.. that was fun).

It really was nice seeing the Square with the buildings lit up and no people anywhere! so.. we had breakfast at the hotel and then went to Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Underground Cistern. i'm not going to write about them, as there is tons of information everywhere.. but just to say.. magnificent! We had lunch across from the Underground Cistern at a place called the Green Corner. The waiter was happy to practice his English with us and was very friendly. the food was good. I had potato Goleme and hummus and apple tea - total 19 TYL.. then he brought another tea on the house (this was very common and seems like a really hospitable gesture). we ate dinner at a sidewalk cafe along our walk.. couscous and cabbage rolls.. really delicious.. for 10 TYL.

the next day we met up with some friends who are in the Peace Corps in Moldova who came in for a few days. We went to the Grand Bazaar - just basically to see it.. definitely decided before we went that we would not spend any money there. that seemed to work well for us. there are many other places to spend your money.. and less crazy. then.. the Spice Market which was smaller than i had imagined.. and it is hard to determine who you want to give your business to.. it just seems like all the same choices everywhere you look. It really is beautiful though.. all the spices, lokum, teas... senses overload! . we then took the ferry up the Bosphorus - 1.5 hours to Anadolu Kavagi. it is at the northernmost tip on the Asian side. You get off the Ferry and are in what was once a cute fishing village.. but is now a tourist trap (in my opinion). There are tons of restaurants, souvenir shops, ice cream vendors. we hiked (i told my husband it was 80-90 miles straight up! but in reality it was only about 20 minutes) up to a castle ruins and saw a great view of the Black Sea. then back down and had lunch at one of the fish restaurants.. not great. actually not even good. they work very hard getting you into their eatery, but then the service was terrible and the fish was very overcooked. 2 hours later, back on the Ferry for another 1.5 hour ride back. This is the part of the day we all agreed we could have skipped. Ah, lets see.. the Ferry was 25 TLY pp.

We took a walk across the Galata Bridge where there were people lined up all across, fishing. We walked up to the Galata Tower but i decided to sit that one out.. there were (of course) a lot of people going in, and i'm not much on crowds - or heights. So i sat at a little cafe (Molly's cafe), had some apple tea and talked with the owner. They had only been open 2 days and it was interesting chatting with him. (again.. the people really enjoy practicing their English). I liked that area a lot. (the next street over was shop after shop of musical instruments.. i found that fascinating and almost purchased a violin - not that i play, but i am starting lessons next week!)

i have to tell you about my new all-time favorite restaurant! it is about 10 steps from Empress Zoe Hotel.. and called Aloran Cafe and Restaurant. Our waiter was Veysel and the Manager's name is Fatih (he told us we could remember his name by thinking of Fatty women! they do have a funny sense of humor there..haha). We ate there 3 times in our trip.. we had to bring our friends, and our last day we actually pulled in some people who we met in Cappadocia. The website is on their card, but unfortunately it does not come up. Maybe it will for you - www.aloranistanbul.com. The best item (in my humble opinion) was the Manti (Turkish Ravioli) appetizer.. YUMMMM. i also loved the Chicken Santa Sophia.. omg.. delish! (side note: i originally ordered a salmon dish, but the waiter suggested i not have that.. he wanted to make sure i enjoyed my meal and the salmon was not the best that day.. so he recommened the santa sophia chicken.. and told me that if i was not happy with it, he would cancel it off our bill).. my friends had the Testi Kabob which they said was also delicious..(you can get either chicken or lamb). the waiter brings it out on a flaming tray and cracks the clay pot in front of you. it is quite a fun experience as everyone watches and oooohs and aaaahhs. Of course that wouldnt be so great if it didnt taste great. ok.. the Testi Kebob was 65 TLY for 2 or 34 for one. the chicken sophia was 26 TLY and the Manti was 9TLY. Efes - 7TLY

big shout out for Efes beer. mmmmmm.

next day we went to the Chora Church... absolutely beautiful Biblical stories in mosaics.. Every inch of the place is covered.
we met up with our Peace Corps friends again and spent over 4.5 hours at Topkapi Palace. There is tons to see and its a beautiful outdoor courtyard to walk around . it was 25 TYL to get in.. and an additional 15 for the Harem. I would highly recommend paying the extra for the Harem.. VERY cool.

walked around that evening purchasing some souvenirs and munching on Turkish Delight,Turkish Baklava, ice cream and Turkish Coffee. i think i have been cured from ever drinking coffee again. it was not my favorite (tho my friend LOVED it) and i have switched to Apple Tea.

saying goodbye to our PC friends.. we went to one of the outdoor cafe's on our street and smoked some hookah.. it was definitely one of the Istanbul experiences i was determined to have. it was lovely.

next morning... off to Cappadocia!!! i'm going to add the rest of the report later on today... i need a nap. I hope this trip report is interesting and helpful to someone. ... i just have to say again... this is an absolutely amazing part of the world to visit.. and i would recommend it highly.
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Old Sep 29th, 2012, 01:32 PM
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sorry bout the clown face.. that was weird.
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Old Sep 29th, 2012, 08:45 PM
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Enjoying your trip report and looking forward to the next instalment! Did you feel safe in Turkey? We (my husband and I) are hoping to travel to Turkey this time next year and just wonder how it is going it alone ...we thought perhaps a few day or overnight tours might be good and we'd like to go on a Gullet for a couple of nights.
Thanks for reporting!
Rosie
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Old Sep 30th, 2012, 01:30 PM
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Hi Rosie ... thanks for reading. I felt very safe in Turkey and actually never had a moment of feeling less than safe. Any one we talked to was more than friendly and i never felt even leered at like some other countries. (of course while i was wandering around the streets lost, my mind was going a little crazy.. what if..? what if..? but i am sure i would have been feeling the same in any new city where i was lost). We found it quite easy to get to all the sites we wanted to see .. Rick Steves guidebook gave us a lot of very helpful information and i would recommend carrying one around with you. It didnt seem necessary to have a guided tour at all in Istanbul. I had checked into the gullets a couple of years ago, but didnt have a chance to do it. .. well, i'll try to write my Cappadocia experience today..
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Old Sep 30th, 2012, 02:36 PM
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here are a couple of observations before i get to my Cappadocia part of the report -

- if you negotiate a fare with a taxi driver.. they may not want to keep to that fare if there is a lot of traffic and it took longer than they expected. lesson learned - you should always have exact change for the negotiated rate. otherwise they will give you the change they want to, and keep the higher fare they believe they are entitled to.

- if you are at one of the sites where there are tons of tours going through, it may be possible to pace yourself between tours. We found ourselves completely alone in a couple of rooms at Chora Church. One huge group moved on and we were left there alone until the next huge group came in. (Huge. meaning. you. cannot. move.) It was a really sweet 5 full minutes or so!

- As far as tour guides - it really depends on what you want to get out of the experience. If you are looking to get an education and learn every bit of information while you are looking at places/things, then a guide might be for you.. but there are many books you can read before/after you go. Also, I know that some people really enjoy the huge tour buses - schmoozing with other travelers - not having to think about where they are going next or how to get there ... just follow the person with the flag/hat/scarf/umbrella. That is definitely one way to go. We are more the meandering type. We like to enjoy and experience the country, eat when we see something that looks good, walk as far as we want in one direction, sit in a park and watch people, eat ice cream multiple times a day. Rick Steves guidebook was very helpful in explaining some of the things we were looking at. and I definitely benefited from my friend reading up on the history before we went, so she was my own personal tour guide.

- make sure you have good walking shoes. The streets are cobbles (not really, but the square stones) and after a while it can be hard on your feet. Also some of the streets are very steep hills. I did see women wearing high heels or even stillettos! I cant imagine the pain.. and honestly, i dont think they got very far. I wore Keens.. they do not look great but i was glad i had them.

- if you've read anything about Istanbul, you already know there are cats everywhere. I'm not a huge cat person, but these were very lovely, well fed and not at all bothersome. They do make for many cute photo opportunities. If you stoop down to take a photo, you may end up with one on your lap. We also did not see ONE bug or mouse the entire time there. Thank you kitties.

- i would NOT advise driving in Istanbul if you are there for the first time. .. maybe go and see it first - its crazy! I mean, they do a really good job of not hitting each other.. its crazy - like bumper cars without (too many) dents! We saw some cops on the road, but i cannot imagine that traffic tickets are ever issued. The traffic laws seem to be just suggestions (ie: lines down the middle of the road, stop signs, speed limits). i'm sure there are other areas in Turkey where driving would be fine.

- When walking around Sultanahmet Square you will be approached many times by people asking if you want a tour of this or that attraction. They will try to engage you in conversation and you start to feel like "oh this is my friend". Here's the thing.. dont stop to chat unless you really are interested in their tour. We found the best answer our last day there. I said "We've seen it all. Its our last day and we are going home today". The response we heard from that most often was "welcome! and goodbye". and they promptly walked away looking for some new takers. No hard feelings. It was great! haha.

- Also when in a restaurant, like many European cities, they will often not bring the bill until you specifically ask for it. You are rarely rushed out after your meal.

- Learning some Turkish words before you go is always a good idea.. and helpful and appreciated. At the very least -
--- Merhaba - Hello
---teşekkür ederim - Thank you
---Lütfen - Please

- the humidity was a surprise to me. I'm a desert girl (AZ) and didnt even think to check. Ugh. While the temperature barely hit 80, i was HOT. i REALLY dont like humidity... I would rather have our 100+ temps - its a dry heat, ya know. LOL

- I had brought some tank tops with me, but decided not to wear them and stuck with T-shirts.. something with shoulders covered. It was just a personal feeling, as there were plenty of people wearing shorts and tanks. I just decided not to.
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Old Sep 30th, 2012, 03:26 PM
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great report, thanks!
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Old Sep 30th, 2012, 06:13 PM
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Great information, calla! Glad to hear that the luggage showed up; I was talking about Turkish Airlines and its reputation for lost luggage, so it's encouraging to know that there is hope.

Love reading all of your tips ... two and a half weeks and I'll be using some of them!
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Old Sep 30th, 2012, 06:35 PM
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Thanks for the chatty report. I enjoyed it. I think your idea of keeping shoulders covered is a good one, respectful of the culture.

Many, many years ago, I drove through Istanbul. I remember the cats even then--1969?--and the traffic. I would like to go again, and your report inspires me.
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Old Oct 1st, 2012, 04:35 PM
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oh Purdue.. i'm excited for you. i hope you have a great time! I'm already trying to plan a return trip.

ok.. working on Cappadocia report now..
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Old Oct 1st, 2012, 06:39 PM
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the morning of the 22nd, we took a flight to Cappadocia. We purchased tickets out of Sabiha Gökçen because they were cheaper.. but we didnt take into consideration the cost of getting to that airport which is twice as far as Ataturk. Also, we over paid for the airport transfer because when we asked at the hotel, we were not told of other options.. o well.. 60 Euro poorer, we were on our way. We flew Pegasus Airlines into Kayseri.. We stayed at the Taksonak Hotel http://www.taskonak.net/ . I originally wanted to stay at Kelebek but they didnt have anything available (let me tell you though.. it is a beautiful place). ok.. Taksonak - what a gem!! we (of course) had the least expensive room.. sticking to our budget, we paid a total of 110 Euro for 3 nights and a 4 hour guided hike .. but i get ahead of myself. You can see our room Swords Valley on their website. It was lovely.

The first day we arrived and walked around the little town of Goreme. The walk from the hotel is downhill.. but remember that going back is straight up. Its a great way to walk off dinner. The owners of Taksonak, Yilmaz and Angela also own a restaurant - Fat Boys. Its right down the hill and they give their guests a 10% discount. We went there the first day and had a hummus and fresh salad wrap and chips (fries). Yilmaz spent some time visiting with us as did the Aussie waiter, Mark. Fun and great conversation. We walked around the shops and had complimentary apple tea at one, while we picked out some cool souvenirs. Angela had told us a short hike to a point to get a really good sunset view. Unfortunately, i was slightly ill the first night so i spent the evening in the room, while Tara went out to Fat Boys for dinner and back up to photograph the sunset. Thankfully, by morning i was better and ready for the day. we had booked a driver and guide for the day. This was booked through http://www.propertravel.com/. I had been corresponding with Murat and some of his people for a couple of years actually. I always say he is one of the most gracious people i've never met. When i had to cancel my Turkey trip 2 years ago due to a herniated disk, he refunded 100% of the non-refundable deposit i had sent him. so i knew i would call him when i finally did make it to Turkey. They specialize in designing an itinerary around your interests, abilities, budget. So... our guide, Ismail özdemi showed up to pick us up about 10am and he (and the driver) was ours for the day. We talked about what he thought we would like to see, and since Tara is a photographer, he made sure we were at the right places at the right times for perfect lighting.

We really wanted to see the Underground City, but since I am pretty claustrophobic and have heard from many people who have gone before me, that it might not be a great idea. I believe the one most people go to Kaymaklı Underground City is about 8 stories down. I knew that wouldnt be something i could handle, especially with crowds of people. So Ismail took us to a smaller underground city - Özkonak Yeralti. It was 8TL to get in, and we were the only people down there. it went down 3 levels. Fascinating! We then went to do a little hiking in and around Fairy Chimneys. Ismail waited by the car while Tara and I climbed and took many many pictures of the beautiful landscape. I wish i could tell you where we were, but since we were being chauffeured around, i have no idea. He asked if we preferred a well-known restaurant for lunch, or this little cafe that he goes for his lunch.. of course we chose his favorite cafe. Its in Ürgüp and called Mersin Tantuni. The dish is called Tantuni and you can get either chicken or meat. I had chicken.. it was Delicious !! I wish i could have eaten more. Kindof a flatbread with the chicken and sauteed onions and tomatoes, rolled up like a burrito. Then we went to another church in Mustafapasa and walked around that town for a bit. We also went to a pottery/tile factory/store, and another church somewhere... All in all a good day.

We ate dinner at a little restaurant across from Fat Boys - a Pide place called Firin Express .. also delish. Can you tell i loved the food in Turkey!?

the next morning, Angela set up a hike for Tara, myself and one of the other guests in .. i believe Red Valley. She said it would be 25 TL per person for a 2 hour hike. We ended up going for almost 4 hours and she charged 20 TL per person. We had such a good time and went about 11 miles (by some estimates). It was hot but not terrible. .. and her German Shepherd went with us which was cool. His name is Jimchek (phonetic). She took us to three churches which were inside the Fairy Chimneys.. one is the Church of the Columns which she calls the Hidden Church. Really, if you didnt know it was there, you would completely miss it. Inside were huge columns.. well, i cant possibly describe the inside of these caves... but if you go - make sure to see them.

We never made it to the Open Air Museum, but I suspect what we did see was waaaay better. and with NO crowds. The Dark Church in the Open Air Museum is supposed to be very cool.. but no photos allowed.

After our hike, Angela had scheduled us for a Turkish Bath at the Kelebek Hotel. This was perfect timing. It was a great and relaxing experience. I knew i wanted to experience a Turkish Bath.. and we added a face mask and massage to top it off. We did the one that was 70 minutes.. for 60 Euro. SO NICE! and its true.. your skin does feel baby soft after the scrub.

Then back to Fat Boys for dinner - we had some of their specialties (but i cannot remember the names of the dishes).. verry good.. and great atmosphere.

Oh.. i wanted to tell you about the breakfast that Angela made every day (which is included in the price of the room).. she made pancakes and muffins and fresh rolls from scratch, yogurt, and 4-5 jams that Yilmaz's mother made - plum, apricot, grape, rose and some other. Also, she makes this thing called (phonetically) Picmis. We saw her and Yilmaz's sister making it in a huge vat. Its grapes boiled down and stirred for over an hour. and it is the consistency of honey.. really yummy. and cheeses, meats, tomatoes, olives, cucumber..

I'm so glad we stayed at Taksonak. I would recommend it to anyone. They have beautiful outdoor lounging areas and Angela really makes you feel like family.

next morning - off to Istanbul for our last day and a half.

Our last night in Istanbul we stayed at Hanedan http://www.hanedanhotel.com/hotel.htm since Empress Zoe didnt have a room that was in our budget. I had wanted to check out the Hanedan anyway as it was one of the ones i had checked online before going. It is about .. oh.. 20 steps from Empress Zoe, so we knew the neighborhood. I was glad we didnt stay there the first 4 nights, as i really liked the charm of Empress Zoe. Hanedan was quite OK. Thats the best i can say about it. I read a lot of reviews and agree.. for the money it was OK. We paid the same as we did for our little room at Empress Zoe - 65 Euro/night.

We basically spent our last day spending whatever money we had left on souvenirs.. i have one more story.. then i'm done (if you are still with me.. i hope i havent bored you with my goings ons). I went back into a little shop where Tara had purchased a small whirling dervish days before. I already knew the price, and the shop-owner had already explained to us that he could not give us a lower price due to it being his cousin who makes them, and he doesnt make any money on them, etc. So i went in and while he was putting it in a box for me, I said "20 Lira, right?" so.. i paid it. then i was telling him that before i came to Turkey, people had told me that i could bargain.. but i am so bad at it.. i wasnt able to bargain at all the whole time.. so he said "just a minute" and went into the back.. and came back with a 5 TL note.. handed it to me and said "now you bargained!". ... haha... it was SO GREAT! he told me to have a great journey home.. and to tell everyone that i had bargained. so .. i'm telling everyone - - - I BARGAINED IN TURKEY !!!!

Turkey was just as i thought it would be. I had always wanted to go to Istanbul and now i have. I'm sure i will be back. Also, i have always wanted to go to Ephesus.. that will be included in my next trip. I also cannot imagine not going back to Cappadocia... so magical.
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Old Oct 1st, 2012, 07:22 PM
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Great report!

My husband and I leave two weeks from today for Turkey. We will visit Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Ephesus. We have reservations at the Kelebek Hotel in Goreme for 3 nights. I am so excited about this trip!
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Old Oct 2nd, 2012, 12:48 AM
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Thank you for this great report!

I will use it for my planning for our may 2013 trip, thanks again!
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Old Oct 2nd, 2012, 05:54 AM
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Thanks for the not boring at all report! We leave two weeks from Thursday and are as excited as BarbAnn about our trip -- Istanbul, Cappadocia and Ephesus.

Maybe I can bargain, too!
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Old Oct 3rd, 2012, 06:59 AM
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Great report, Thank you for taking the time. We leave the 18th, so excited to see this beautiful country. I appreciated your tips, it will help make out trip smoother. Worried a bit about the luggage loss, glad the bags made it!
Bargaining not my strong suit either, luckily DH is really good at it
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Old Oct 3rd, 2012, 07:16 AM
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The Dark Church in the Open Air Museum is supposed to be very cool.. but no photos allowed.

I guess the policy has changed. Photography was allowed when we were there.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...57622933537559

The Goreme Outdoor Museum is crowded, but it is a UNESCO site for a reason. Anyone visiting Cappadocia should make it a priority. It gives the OP a reason to go back.
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Old Oct 4th, 2012, 04:38 AM
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Hi callalilli2,
Sorry I missed you while here, could not escape to come and see you but Ismail told me you had good time touring and I am glad that rest of the trip was a success You are always welcome for more and keep in touch....

Best regards from still sunny Cappadocia,

Murat
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Old Oct 4th, 2012, 09:26 AM
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Thank you so much for the information report. I found it very helpful. I am planning to go March 20th - 31st with a girlfriend. Her husband doesn't enjoy travel. I am working thru Medhills Travel to make the travel, hotel, and tour arrangements. With the bombing that took place yesterday, I am a little wary. I realize it was on the other side of the country at a boarder town but still I am a little worried. To lock in my 2012 price I have to place my deposit by 10/31. I am considering waiting until January and gambling that the 2013 pricing will not escalate too much. What do you think?
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Old Oct 4th, 2012, 11:24 AM
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I'm excited for all of you who have upcoming travel to Turkey. I had anticipated my trip for so long, and enjoyed it so much... i now have to start planning my return trip. I hope you all love it as much as i did.

Michael, thank you for the beautiful photo from the Dark Church. I agree, I would have loved to make it to the Open Air Museum (it was high on my list) but in order to keep from being too hurried, it was cut. You are right, I have yet another good reason to go back! I had been told that since people were not heeding rules to not use flashes on their cameras, they now do not allow any photos at all. (could be true, could be not).

kmh7 - its always a good idea to have at least one change of clothing in your carryon.. it may never be needed.. but.. Tara was certainly glad she did Enjoy your trip!

stasut - what cities are you going to? of course, i cannot guess what will happen in that country by March, but i'm not one to worry about things like that. (thats just me). I sometimes don't feel too safe in my own country... but i am not willing to stop living my life for fear. like i said.. thats just my thinking. i'm hoping to read your trip report next April.

Murat - it was good speaking with you on the phone, even though we couldnt get together. and again... another great reason for a return trip. Please know that Ismail was a wonderful tour guide (we felt the day was fashioned around what we wanted to do/see and not just what was a "normal" tour schedule), and an all around good guy!
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Old Oct 5th, 2012, 07:53 AM
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Callalilli2 - Thanks for the response. I am specifically visiting Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus, Pergamum, and Pamukkale. I am not normally worried about safety. I spent 15 days in China this year with a girlfriend. However, dropping bombs and moving troops is a little different. Parents nearly disowned me after my China trip!!! This is going to send them over the age. I maybe 45 year old but to them I am still a child
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Old Oct 5th, 2012, 12:06 PM
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"I had been told that since people were not heeding rules to not use flashes on their cameras, they now do not allow any photos at all. (could be true, could be not)."

My guide told us the same thing when I was at the Goreme Open Air Museum in late August.
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