Day 9, Friday 11 October

No Improvement…….. It’s been another interrupted night. I don’t have a cold as such but I feel pretty stuffy and wonder whether it’s something to do with the altitude here at around 1200 metres above sea level. Oh well, I will just have to get on with it. After a bit of self-catering for a change we await the arrival of transport.
Red Tour…….. The red tour should take around six hours and I remind myself what a rare event booking this tour is. Since I started the UnseeninAsia website, I can only recall a few occasions we booked a tour: Ho Chi Minh City being the most recent four years ago. We really pride ourselves as independent travellers but, on this occasion, we have passed by the opportunity to hire a car, our normal transport, for the day at least. We will see how successful this guided tour is. The van arrives on time and passenger numbers swell to a dozen consisting of Turks of course, Chinese Indian and well, us. The van is modern and comfortable. My analysis of the tour is about to start. There are normally three sources of information I collect; visual and from photographs, on-site information and online sources. In this case, however, there is a fourth source. I will pay attention to the guide and press him for more information as necessary.
Uçhisar Castle…….. Uçhisar is a small town 3 km back along the road to Nevşehir and is the location we walked to yesterday. However, we realised then that the castle would be difficult to reach on foot so it is quite uncanny that we can simply carry on where we left off yesterday. As the van parks up, there is an excellent view of the castle or Kalesi in Turkish. The guide starts his commentary and explains that here is one of three volcanic plugs in the area and that while a Turkish flag sits proudly on top of it, it can hardly be called a castle. However, a substantial number of rooms have been carved out of the huge rock stack for accommodation, storage, etc. This is a great opportunity for me to better understand the geology that has brought this about, not only here but all-around Cappadocia.
Volcanic eruption is of course the reason these old rock formations are here. As in so many other locations, wind and rain has caused erosion but these formations are unique. The guide explains to me that eruptions happened at various times and with different mineral compositions blasted out of the ground. At each stage the lava cools to form a hard shell when exposed to the atmosphere. The curious rock towers are the result of weathering at different rates according to the structure of the rock. I’m still curious to ask how the rock can be carved into in this way. Clearly it was found that after breaking through the hard, outer shell, the rock inside was quite soft and could easily be cut into. It seems that the lava deposits are not that old, only created in the last few thousand years. Well obviously, this was convenient allowing shelter from the elements and people were quick to produce their cave homes.
Around the castle there are souvenir shops by the score. This is a general pattern as everywhere there are these geological features. About 30 minutes is allocated to this site.

Göreme Open Air Museum…….. Passing back through Göreme, we next visit the Göreme Open Air Museum where there is an entrance fee but in our case is included in the price. If this is just about more rock formations then I will be a little disappointed. However, on arrival, it’s soon abundantly clear this site is so historically important. Remembering that I visited Yusuf Koç Kilisesi yesterday, an abandoned church carved into the rock, I’m now about to make a surprising discovery relating to the early Christian Church. Here at this museum there are a number of churches, built at various times dating from the early days of Christianity. Remarkably, here there are some of the earliest examples of the Christian faith being practised in a hostile Roman world, the chambers likely disguised as something less profound. As a Christian myself, I know how intangible everything seems when attending a church service but here I can’t deny that something remarkable took place that caused ordinary people to create such monuments to their faith so soon after the crucifixion of Christ.
Now, on closer inspection inside the caverns, I see mural paintings on the walls, all too familiar but yet so distant because of their age. You can visualise people being born here, being baptised, getting married and finally laid to rest in one of the many crypts. Well, as I walk around, hundreds of visitors have arrived here from all parts of the globe but clearly for some, this is a most holy place indeed.
As I continue to take in the scene before me, I can’t help wondering at what point these churches were abandoned. Certainly, weathering of the rock would have had an effect but then at the start of the Byzantine Era when the Roman, Constantine converted to Christianity, there would be no need to hide any more. Clearly the church flourished under the Byzantines for a very long time then finally, as the guide is keen to point out, the Ottoman Empire from the 13th century onwards was tolerant of religious beliefs, a secular society where people could practice their faith unfettered. As there is evidence that churches were still in use in the 11th century, at least, my understanding is that it was simply a matter of practicality to use these caverns, as they still are in many locations in Göreme today.
My visit to the Göreme Open Air Museum is the highlight of my stay in Göreme so far. It’s been a most thought-provoking experience.

Love Valley…….. Love Valley lies a few kilometres north of Göreme. It consists of a depression in the ground similar to the one at Göreme caused by erosion. Rock stacks here are a bit different due to their mineral content, their shape needing little imagination as to why this valley was given its name.

Lunch Break…….. The promised complimentary lunch takes place coming up to 1pm. The restaurant near the bus station in Avanos is well geared up for the arrival of tour busses and vans. The buffet lunch offers an impressive selection of food, well presented and looking appetising. However, for my palate, there’s always something lacking in taste with Turkish food. I’ll put my finger on it sometime; a bacon sandwich perhaps? For all the attention to detail, the comfort and presentation, if you want to drink tea, coffee, juice or even water you have to pay. Amazing!
Ceramics Factory…….. Well it just has to happen doesn’t it? You are taken to a factory outlet on a tour. Ceramic production in Cappadocia follows traditional designs which floods the souvenir stalls throughout the area. Here in Avanos, the skills and artwork produce some amazing pieces to encourage you to reach for your wallet but if I bought a piece back from everywhere I travelled, I’d need to build an extra room to store it all. Of course, by introduction, you are invited to see the work of the potter at his wheel but from then, little attention is given to the artwork and firing of the piece. Clearly the intention is to herd you into the saleroom as quickly as possible. Katoon, who thinks that the entrance would make a good exit is dissuaded with a passing hand and a few choice words. Pressure salesmanship is not for her and she bolts through the sales area and back into the van waiting patiently for those less apathetic. They do manage to make a sale though. Smashing!
Fairy Chimneys…….. Fairy Chimneys is a favourite expression for a certain type of lava rock stack where the upper part has weathered more slowly than the main trunk. Accordingly, the ’chimneys’ are capped off with denser rock sitting precariously on top awaiting the inevitable fall to earth. There are a number of locations where these are found but the one we visit is between Avenos and Göreme. Again, this location is in a hidden valley and experts believe that the depression once had a lake from the lines in the rock face. Fairy Chimneys is another location where there is an entrance fee but again that’s included in the price of the tour.
Imagination Valley…….. Imagination Valley, also known as Camel Fairy Chimney, lies to the east on the road from Avenos to Ürgüp. Strange rock formations exist here including one that looks like a camel. Other animal shapes can be picked out. There is no fee to pay here.

Ürgüp…….. At Ürgüp our first passenger drop-off takes place and someone mentions Star Wars, a reference to the fact that the first Star Wars movie was thought to be made here, a fact corrected by the guide. While that was the plan, the filming was pulled as a result of war in Cyprus between the Greeks and the Turks. The filming was subsequently moved in Tunisia.

At this point the guide suggests one more visit which is nearby, rather than head straight back to Göreme. The idea meets with approval and we walk to a craft centre. Here the owner creates paper and textile prints by a water flotation method and is happy to give a demonstration. The curious process is explained involving a number of additives needed in the float tank. However, nobody seems to be any wiser and there are no takers for her products despite their colourful patterns.
Arriving back at Göreme, we’re soon back at Mevlana Cave for recovery. There has been a lot of walking around today.
Dinner with a Difference…….. Imagining that we are going out for lunch for more Turkish food that appeals to neither of us, we wander back into town. Despite the variety of international travellers arriving here, there aren't as many options as there are in Istanbul. One exception is Chinese food and there are a couple of good restaurants in the town. Chinese visitors certainly make up the lion’s share so that’s no real surprise but does that help us? Well it does if I accept that I will pay much more than basic Turkish food. With no real pressure on my budget now, let’s give it a go. The restaurant is busy but two dishes arrive with separate fried rice eventually and I’m happy to see Chinese food as I know it rather than some Turkish version of it. What’s also apparent is the size of the meals. With Katoon nodding her approval, we get stuck in but it’s far too much although we’re offered the left-overs as a takeaway. Happy with that!
Conclusion…….. With the completion of the red tour we feel we’ve covered an important area of Cappadocia. Certainly, it was never the intention to comb the area visiting every feature but I’ve gained a lot of knowledge today into the natural, historical and religious aspects of the area but now It appears that although we have booked one more day here, nothing much more is likely to happen. Still a rest day won’t hurt for a change. Now I just hope for a better night’s sleep. Next Page.