Live from Istanbul & Cappadocia
Mar 30th, 2010 | 07:26 AM
#22
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,622
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Thanks for the kind words, ellen and jodo. Believe us when we say... it's been our pleasure!
Last night’s dinner was a kebab restaurant in the vicinity of Hocapasa, although I don’t recall the name off hand. The proprietor did attempt to buy DD off of us –offering me 1,000 chickens and mr_go 100 camels. Dinner was better than we expected.
After several straight days of being in constant "go" mode, we were all ready for a more low-key day. And today was the perfect day for it; nicely sunny, not too cold. We left the hotel by 9:20 and walked down to the pier at Eminonu to catch the daily Bosphorus cruise ship, which makes about a half-dozen stops on both the European and Asian sides of the strait. It is well-advisable to get there at least 30 minutes before the departure time, preferably 45 or 50 minutes, in order to get one of the good seats on the port side of the boat. Although we were well back in the ticket line, by at least 100 people, we ended up right by a side door and mr_go was actually the first person on the ship. We picked downstairs seats, which were fine, but it is best to be by a window that opens (for photos).
The trip up the Bosphorus takes approximately 90 minutes and makes brief stops on the way to Anadolu Kavağı, about five miles south of the Black Sea. A trail of tourists snaked from the boat up to Yoros Castle like a line of ants. We decided to see the castle immediately and then make our way back down for lunch. One note of interest was a photo or commercial shoot in progress with a cast of characters dressed in colorful period costumes depicting a sultan and his entourage from times past. They ended up being photographed a few more times than they expected, I think.
Our strategy turned out to be good, as we beat most others to the restaurants. We settled in at one (can’t remember the name; will post later) and enjoyed a nice meal of mezes and grilled fish, with chicken kebab for the non-seafood eater (DD).
The return back to Eminonu was uneventful, but the sun was strong and provided good photo opportunities on both sides of the boat.
We’re still full from lunch. Not sure, yet, how we’ll spend the last night of our first stay in Istanbul (we will be back for two nights this weekend).
We are leaving for Nevsehir early tomorrow, so we will probably not post today’s photos until we’re settled in at our next destination, Goreme. In the meantime, here are a few from yesterday—although we really didn’t take too many due to the weather.
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/p235728241
Last night’s dinner was a kebab restaurant in the vicinity of Hocapasa, although I don’t recall the name off hand. The proprietor did attempt to buy DD off of us –offering me 1,000 chickens and mr_go 100 camels. Dinner was better than we expected.
After several straight days of being in constant "go" mode, we were all ready for a more low-key day. And today was the perfect day for it; nicely sunny, not too cold. We left the hotel by 9:20 and walked down to the pier at Eminonu to catch the daily Bosphorus cruise ship, which makes about a half-dozen stops on both the European and Asian sides of the strait. It is well-advisable to get there at least 30 minutes before the departure time, preferably 45 or 50 minutes, in order to get one of the good seats on the port side of the boat. Although we were well back in the ticket line, by at least 100 people, we ended up right by a side door and mr_go was actually the first person on the ship. We picked downstairs seats, which were fine, but it is best to be by a window that opens (for photos).
The trip up the Bosphorus takes approximately 90 minutes and makes brief stops on the way to Anadolu Kavağı, about five miles south of the Black Sea. A trail of tourists snaked from the boat up to Yoros Castle like a line of ants. We decided to see the castle immediately and then make our way back down for lunch. One note of interest was a photo or commercial shoot in progress with a cast of characters dressed in colorful period costumes depicting a sultan and his entourage from times past. They ended up being photographed a few more times than they expected, I think.
Our strategy turned out to be good, as we beat most others to the restaurants. We settled in at one (can’t remember the name; will post later) and enjoyed a nice meal of mezes and grilled fish, with chicken kebab for the non-seafood eater (DD).
The return back to Eminonu was uneventful, but the sun was strong and provided good photo opportunities on both sides of the boat.
We’re still full from lunch. Not sure, yet, how we’ll spend the last night of our first stay in Istanbul (we will be back for two nights this weekend).
We are leaving for Nevsehir early tomorrow, so we will probably not post today’s photos until we’re settled in at our next destination, Goreme. In the meantime, here are a few from yesterday—although we really didn’t take too many due to the weather.
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/p235728241
Mar 31st, 2010 | 07:20 AM
#24
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,622
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We're slowing down a little on photos but will try to catch up this evening.
We are now in Goreme, in Cappadocia. We got up early this morning and headed to Istanbul-Ataturk for our Turkish flight to Nevsehir. When planning this trip, I originally looked at flights into and out of Kayseri but was finding them a bit expensive. On a whim, I tried Nevsehir, and we ended up with something about half the price. It is quite possibly the smallest commercial airport I've ever been to--one runway with no taxiway; the plane literally does a 180 at the end of the runway. Needless to say, we were the only jet there. Baggage claim begins about 3 feet from the entrance to the airport--a single moving belt about 30 meters long, and at the end, bags fall off. Anyway, it was very quick, and we soon found our driver outside.
We are staying at the Kismet Cave Hotel in Goreme, and have a very nice suite with two rooms.
It was a nice afternoon, so we didn't waste much time. We got our hiking shoes on and headed about 1km to the Goreme Open Air Museum--a well-maintained and remarkable intersection between two things: the area's unique geographical formations and ancient relics from early Anatolian Christianity. From the fourth through 12th centuries, many churches were built into the massive "fairy chimneys," and some of them are remarkably well preserved/restored. It's a bit heavy on the tour groups, which made seeing a few of the churches difficult, but this is still a must see in the area. Don't miss the Tokali Kilise, which is actually outside of the site and just a few meters down the road (entrance ticket provides admission, and I think most people miss it). The frescoes are stunning.
Now, as interesting as we found the museum, the real attraction here is the genuinely unique landscape. Just five minutes from the entrance to the museum, you can cut off on the entrance to a hiking trail (above the Swords Valley)--where you can climb, clamber and explore these incredible formations to your heart's content, without all the tourist crowds. We thoroughly enjoyed our late afternoon hike here.
We're resting up before dinner (we've picked the Anatolian Kitchen). Tomorrow, our proprietor has arranged a driver for us (although we've determined that driving wouldn't be difficult around here). We will visit the Ihlara Valley, one of the underground cities and other points out of walking range. The weather seems pretty nice--partly cloudy and very comfortable temperatures. We'll try to post photos later, if we have the time.
We are now in Goreme, in Cappadocia. We got up early this morning and headed to Istanbul-Ataturk for our Turkish flight to Nevsehir. When planning this trip, I originally looked at flights into and out of Kayseri but was finding them a bit expensive. On a whim, I tried Nevsehir, and we ended up with something about half the price. It is quite possibly the smallest commercial airport I've ever been to--one runway with no taxiway; the plane literally does a 180 at the end of the runway. Needless to say, we were the only jet there. Baggage claim begins about 3 feet from the entrance to the airport--a single moving belt about 30 meters long, and at the end, bags fall off. Anyway, it was very quick, and we soon found our driver outside.
We are staying at the Kismet Cave Hotel in Goreme, and have a very nice suite with two rooms.
It was a nice afternoon, so we didn't waste much time. We got our hiking shoes on and headed about 1km to the Goreme Open Air Museum--a well-maintained and remarkable intersection between two things: the area's unique geographical formations and ancient relics from early Anatolian Christianity. From the fourth through 12th centuries, many churches were built into the massive "fairy chimneys," and some of them are remarkably well preserved/restored. It's a bit heavy on the tour groups, which made seeing a few of the churches difficult, but this is still a must see in the area. Don't miss the Tokali Kilise, which is actually outside of the site and just a few meters down the road (entrance ticket provides admission, and I think most people miss it). The frescoes are stunning.
Now, as interesting as we found the museum, the real attraction here is the genuinely unique landscape. Just five minutes from the entrance to the museum, you can cut off on the entrance to a hiking trail (above the Swords Valley)--where you can climb, clamber and explore these incredible formations to your heart's content, without all the tourist crowds. We thoroughly enjoyed our late afternoon hike here.
We're resting up before dinner (we've picked the Anatolian Kitchen). Tomorrow, our proprietor has arranged a driver for us (although we've determined that driving wouldn't be difficult around here). We will visit the Ihlara Valley, one of the underground cities and other points out of walking range. The weather seems pretty nice--partly cloudy and very comfortable temperatures. We'll try to post photos later, if we have the time.
Mar 31st, 2010 | 07:45 AM
#27
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,622
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Thin, we have another day and a half in Istanbul this weekend, and the Chora is at the top of our list. We don't want to miss it.
We did go to Ozsut on a different night. We didn't have tiramisu, but DD was wild about her sutlac (rice pudding).
We did go to Ozsut on a different night. We didn't have tiramisu, but DD was wild about her sutlac (rice pudding).
Mar 31st, 2010 | 10:42 AM
#30
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,622
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opaldog, we stayed in the Chez Zoe Garden Suite and liked it very much. Lots of room is always a good thing when traveling with a teenager.
We'll do a full report on hotels and such when we're home, but we thoroughly enjoyed this hotel. Lots of character and great service! We already miss Jasper, Bobby and Mojo.
Photos from yesterday (Bosphorus cruise) are still loading (very slowly), but here's the link:
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/f192159874
Dinner at the Anatolia Kitchen tonight was terrific. We are back in our room enjoying the wood-burning fireplace.
We'll do a full report on hotels and such when we're home, but we thoroughly enjoyed this hotel. Lots of character and great service! We already miss Jasper, Bobby and Mojo.
Photos from yesterday (Bosphorus cruise) are still loading (very slowly), but here's the link:
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/f192159874
Dinner at the Anatolia Kitchen tonight was terrific. We are back in our room enjoying the wood-burning fireplace.
Apr 1st, 2010 | 06:58 AM
#32
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,622
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Weekender--it woke mr_go up every day, but he's a notoriously light sleeper. DD and I heard it a couple of times.
For today, we requested a private driver through our hotel--with the intent of seeing some of the sites a little further afield. Yes, we could have rented a car, but the cost difference wasn't all that much and the potential convenience factor was significant. Although the roads are pretty well marked and easy to drive, we almost certainly would have gotten lost at some point. And, we almost certainly would have ended up with a manual transmission. Although we can both drive one, it has been a long time.
To avoid the crowds, our proprietor suggested that we start at the far point--the Ihlara Valley, about 75 minutes away. We were a little nervous as we approached and saw a very large, snowy mountain looming in front of us. But no worries. It was beautiful weather for hiking. The driver dropped us off in Ihlara, and we quickly made our way down 400+ steps to the valley floor. A small river runs through the valley, and trails run the length of the valley on either side of the river. The most notable thing about the valley are the stark, 90-degree cliff walls that rise hundreds of feet on either side. The other notable things are the occasional churches and dwellings carved like caves in the sides of the rock.
We hiked the 5-6 kilometers over mostly well-worn trails, but we had to negotiate a few rocky crags and muddy spots--with a few diversions to see some of the churches. We encountered almost no one during our 90-minute hike. It was a peaceful and beautiful change of pace from the more dusty environs of Goreme.
Our driver was waiting at Belisirma, where there's a nice little cafe overlooking the river. We had a light lunch on the deck, and again lucked out by finishing just before the first tour group arrived.
We began to head back towards our area, stopping next at the Derinkuyu Underground City. This incredibly ancient labyrinth of dwelling places extends more than eight levels down below the surface. No one knows for sure who first built these, but successive cultures have added on from the fifth century BC through the late Byzantine era. The city could accommodate more than 25,000 people. Our luck continued; the site was almost devoid of other visitors--making it a little spooky actually. There are arrows marking the path, though, so it is not as easy to get lost as one might think. At some points, we had to walk up or down stairs hunched over (some of the passages couldn't have been more than four-feet tall, and not even that wide). Probably not for the claustrophobic or those afraid of bumping their heads.
Getting closer to home, we stopped for views over the Pigeon Valley and then to climb Uchisar "castle." We got to the castle almost exactly at the same time as a large Spanish castle. We raced them to the top--with DD reaching the flag first
We're taking a bit of a break now before dinner. Early tomorrow morning, we've decided (after much consideration) to make the big splurge: a balloon ride.
By the way, the weather here has been great. Partly to mostly sunny, and moderate but not too hot.
We will work on yesterday's photos and post them a little later.
For today, we requested a private driver through our hotel--with the intent of seeing some of the sites a little further afield. Yes, we could have rented a car, but the cost difference wasn't all that much and the potential convenience factor was significant. Although the roads are pretty well marked and easy to drive, we almost certainly would have gotten lost at some point. And, we almost certainly would have ended up with a manual transmission. Although we can both drive one, it has been a long time.
To avoid the crowds, our proprietor suggested that we start at the far point--the Ihlara Valley, about 75 minutes away. We were a little nervous as we approached and saw a very large, snowy mountain looming in front of us. But no worries. It was beautiful weather for hiking. The driver dropped us off in Ihlara, and we quickly made our way down 400+ steps to the valley floor. A small river runs through the valley, and trails run the length of the valley on either side of the river. The most notable thing about the valley are the stark, 90-degree cliff walls that rise hundreds of feet on either side. The other notable things are the occasional churches and dwellings carved like caves in the sides of the rock.
We hiked the 5-6 kilometers over mostly well-worn trails, but we had to negotiate a few rocky crags and muddy spots--with a few diversions to see some of the churches. We encountered almost no one during our 90-minute hike. It was a peaceful and beautiful change of pace from the more dusty environs of Goreme.
Our driver was waiting at Belisirma, where there's a nice little cafe overlooking the river. We had a light lunch on the deck, and again lucked out by finishing just before the first tour group arrived.
We began to head back towards our area, stopping next at the Derinkuyu Underground City. This incredibly ancient labyrinth of dwelling places extends more than eight levels down below the surface. No one knows for sure who first built these, but successive cultures have added on from the fifth century BC through the late Byzantine era. The city could accommodate more than 25,000 people. Our luck continued; the site was almost devoid of other visitors--making it a little spooky actually. There are arrows marking the path, though, so it is not as easy to get lost as one might think. At some points, we had to walk up or down stairs hunched over (some of the passages couldn't have been more than four-feet tall, and not even that wide). Probably not for the claustrophobic or those afraid of bumping their heads.
Getting closer to home, we stopped for views over the Pigeon Valley and then to climb Uchisar "castle." We got to the castle almost exactly at the same time as a large Spanish castle. We raced them to the top--with DD reaching the flag first
We're taking a bit of a break now before dinner. Early tomorrow morning, we've decided (after much consideration) to make the big splurge: a balloon ride.
By the way, the weather here has been great. Partly to mostly sunny, and moderate but not too hot.
We will work on yesterday's photos and post them a little later.
Apr 1st, 2010 | 10:51 AM
#35
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,622
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Thanks, Bob. I think we will be home for the final game.
These are from yesterday--mostly, the Goreme open air museum and our little hike in the area nearby.
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/p528255134
These are from yesterday--mostly, the Goreme open air museum and our little hike in the area nearby.
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/p528255134
Apr 2nd, 2010 | 07:19 AM
#36
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,622
Likes: 0
Well, it's been quite a day.
First of all, the weather has just been spectacular--especially considering our plans.
Considering the expense, we thought long and hard about taking a balloon ride, and quite frankly we flip-flopped several times during the course of this trip. In the end, we decided that this genuinely qualifies as one of those "once-in-a-lifetime" experiences" where you cast your caution and checkbook to the wind. Taking a balloon ride is probably one of those things we'll do once in our lives--and if not here, then where?
Was it worth it? Yes! We ended up taking about 400 photos and several high-def videos, and still didn't capture the remarkable topography of this area. No place on earth looks like this...and we caught it on a particularly pretty morning.
Our pilot was amazingly skilled--taking us low into the valleys and skirting the rock formations by mere feet before zooming back up to a couple thousand feet. In the end, he set the gondola down almost exactly on the flat-bed trailer waiting in the middle of some farmer's field.
I don't do heights well, but I really didn't have too much problem with this.
We booked this through our hotel proprietor. There are a number of balloon operators. We went with Urgup Balloons, which launched three balloons this morning (joining the approximately 30 others in the sky). Cost was 150 euros per person. We left the hotel at 6:15 and were back around 9 am.
We followed with another unique experience--an exhilarating hike through the "Love Valley"...so called due to the many, ahem, phallic rock formations. Sorry, but there really is no other way to describe them.
The trip down into the valley brought back all-to-recent memories of descending the scree slope between the Sassolungo and the Sassopiatto in the Dolomites--with mr_go and DD practically skipping down the steep path, while I all but slid on my rear end. I'm sure it made good entertainment for the juice vendor who was watching from the top of the cliff.
The hike was filled with stunning visual scenery (and not just the phallic rocks), and lasted a good 90 minutes before we emerged on the dirt road at the north end of the valley. Throughout the entirety of our hike, we encountered no more than five fellow hikers plus the same vendor who had shifted to the end of the trail to meet us (it was a slow day for him, but his pom juice was an excellent treat at the end of the hike). This was truly a great hike, and we all rank it among our favorites--anywhere. It requires decent footwear, a moderate fitness level, and a sense of adventure.
After the hike, we made our way to the village of Cavusin--a town standing below the original settlement, much of which was built into the rock walls and destroyed by an earthquake in 1960. Our primary purpose was liquid refreshments, which we found easily. What we hadn't planned on was climbing up the hill and through the ruins of the old town and church.
We then walked back to Goreme, admiring the rock formations of the Rose Valley off to our left all along the way. We spent a good bit of the afternoon in our favorite hang-out--Nazar Borek, which has a nice outdoor seating area with floor pillows and a low table, as well as a friendly staff and good Turkish savory pastries. Each time we've been there, we've met fellow travelers from different places; today's table mates were from Seville and Barcelona.
We'll head out soon to enjoy our last evening in Goreme. Tomorrow, we fly back to Istanbul.
We still have to post photos from yesterday's trip to the Ihlara Valley and the underground city, and will try to do that this evening. In the meantime, here are a few of our many, many photos from this morning's balloon ride. They're loading very slowly, but we hope you enjoy.
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/p87385194
First of all, the weather has just been spectacular--especially considering our plans.
Considering the expense, we thought long and hard about taking a balloon ride, and quite frankly we flip-flopped several times during the course of this trip. In the end, we decided that this genuinely qualifies as one of those "once-in-a-lifetime" experiences" where you cast your caution and checkbook to the wind. Taking a balloon ride is probably one of those things we'll do once in our lives--and if not here, then where?
Was it worth it? Yes! We ended up taking about 400 photos and several high-def videos, and still didn't capture the remarkable topography of this area. No place on earth looks like this...and we caught it on a particularly pretty morning.
Our pilot was amazingly skilled--taking us low into the valleys and skirting the rock formations by mere feet before zooming back up to a couple thousand feet. In the end, he set the gondola down almost exactly on the flat-bed trailer waiting in the middle of some farmer's field.
I don't do heights well, but I really didn't have too much problem with this.
We booked this through our hotel proprietor. There are a number of balloon operators. We went with Urgup Balloons, which launched three balloons this morning (joining the approximately 30 others in the sky). Cost was 150 euros per person. We left the hotel at 6:15 and were back around 9 am.
We followed with another unique experience--an exhilarating hike through the "Love Valley"...so called due to the many, ahem, phallic rock formations. Sorry, but there really is no other way to describe them.
The trip down into the valley brought back all-to-recent memories of descending the scree slope between the Sassolungo and the Sassopiatto in the Dolomites--with mr_go and DD practically skipping down the steep path, while I all but slid on my rear end. I'm sure it made good entertainment for the juice vendor who was watching from the top of the cliff.
The hike was filled with stunning visual scenery (and not just the phallic rocks), and lasted a good 90 minutes before we emerged on the dirt road at the north end of the valley. Throughout the entirety of our hike, we encountered no more than five fellow hikers plus the same vendor who had shifted to the end of the trail to meet us (it was a slow day for him, but his pom juice was an excellent treat at the end of the hike). This was truly a great hike, and we all rank it among our favorites--anywhere. It requires decent footwear, a moderate fitness level, and a sense of adventure.
After the hike, we made our way to the village of Cavusin--a town standing below the original settlement, much of which was built into the rock walls and destroyed by an earthquake in 1960. Our primary purpose was liquid refreshments, which we found easily. What we hadn't planned on was climbing up the hill and through the ruins of the old town and church.
We then walked back to Goreme, admiring the rock formations of the Rose Valley off to our left all along the way. We spent a good bit of the afternoon in our favorite hang-out--Nazar Borek, which has a nice outdoor seating area with floor pillows and a low table, as well as a friendly staff and good Turkish savory pastries. Each time we've been there, we've met fellow travelers from different places; today's table mates were from Seville and Barcelona.
We'll head out soon to enjoy our last evening in Goreme. Tomorrow, we fly back to Istanbul.
We still have to post photos from yesterday's trip to the Ihlara Valley and the underground city, and will try to do that this evening. In the meantime, here are a few of our many, many photos from this morning's balloon ride. They're loading very slowly, but we hope you enjoy.
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/p87385194
Apr 2nd, 2010 | 10:55 AM
#38
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 613
Likes: 8
ms_go, your pictures are spectacular! We went almost every place you described and your descriptions brought back wonderful memories. I agree, I don't think there is any other place on earth like Cappadocia. So glad the weather was good for your balloon ride, too. Enjoy the end of your trip.
Apr 2nd, 2010 | 08:53 PM
#40
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,622
Likes: 0
Thanks, Ellen and Aleta. I'm so glad we decided to take the balloon ride yesterday rather than today. It's partly cloudy out this morning and it doesn't look like the area will be bathed in sunlight like it was yesterday. I did just go up to the breakfast deck to watch them--it's amazing seeing them descend into the valleys; one almost disappeared completely behind the rocks.
Yes, we do love cats. Annie is waiting for us at home:
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/p...7428#h10f97428
After breakfast, we will be off to the airport. We have two more nights in Istanbul before we return home. Our original intent was to spend both legs of our stay there at the Empress Zoe, but there is a minimum stay requirement for this weekend. This will give us the opportunity to stay in another part of the city, though. We will be in Cihangir at the Villa Zurich.
Yes, we do love cats. Annie is waiting for us at home:
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/p...7428#h10f97428
After breakfast, we will be off to the airport. We have two more nights in Istanbul before we return home. Our original intent was to spend both legs of our stay there at the Empress Zoe, but there is a minimum stay requirement for this weekend. This will give us the opportunity to stay in another part of the city, though. We will be in Cihangir at the Villa Zurich.
