Caveman Living and The Adventures of Cappadocia12/28/2010
I officially became a caveman when I arrived in Cappadocia, Turkey.
Cappadocia is located almost smack-dab in the middle of Turkey. There are no snow covered mountains, sandy beaches, large water sources, or thriving trees to keep you cool during the middle of July. However, Cappadocia’s caves provide an opportunity for exploration, sight seeing and caveman living in an otherwise baron land.
Almost all of Cappadocia’s lodging is located in a cave of some sort. I landed in the city of Goreme on a hot mid summer morning. Climbing half a mile up side winding roads, I reach my destination, Yasin’s Place.
As I am escorted to my room for the next few days, I could immediately feel the difference in temperature. Outside in the blistering sun, about 100F, inside my cave room, around 65F. I slept better in that cave than just about anywhere on my trip. A highly efficient way of living as the hostel owner doesn’t have to worry about providing guests with air conditioning.
Activities in Cappadocia
Cappadocia is famous for the wide variety of things to do during the day. Carpe Diem! Those actives include cave dwelling, horseback riding, and hot air balloon expeditions.
Cave Dwelling
The first activity I indulged in was exploring the ins and outs of various caves throughout the Cappadocia region. I took a trip to the Goreme Open Air Museum to probe 11th and 12 century housing, monasteries, and wall paintings.
I spent about an hour at the museum feeling as I was lost in a completely different world. Narrow passage ways lead to large open rooms in which mass could be held. (churches). The inscriptions on the walls, also known as frescoes, paint a vivid picture of life during the Dark Ages.
Here’s an example of some of the paintings inside the churches
Horseback Riding
I rode my first horse in Cappadocia, Turkey. I’m sure my fellow Texans may find this bizarre, but it’s true!
My horse must have had some sort of eating disorder. Every 30 seconds the stallion would stop and grab a mouthful of vegetation along the path.
Other than my ride’s eating issues, the horseback adventure was fantastic. We explored rural Cappadocia, the part only reached by horseback and investigated many dark caves off the beaten path. In addition, I got up close and personal with many of the “fairy chimneys” in the valley.
The fairy chimneys were formed from volcanic eruptions
I really enjoyed my horseback riding afternoon. I didn’t get quite the soreness that I received from riding a camel in Egypt, though after two hours, I was in no condition to get my vehicle up to galloping speed.
Hot Air Ballooning
The high lite of my trip to Cappadocia was the incredible view from a floating balloon. I woke up around 6am excited to board my first hot air balloon. The weather conditions were ideal for flying.
We spent about an hour rounding up the people and going over protocol. The scene looked like a balloon festival. There must have been over 50 hot air balloons preparing for take off.
I embarked on my trip with 15 other people. The best way to describe the experience was peaceful. There were no loud motors, wind howls, or other noises of note. Only the sound of whispering conversation and the occasional fire blast.
The view from above was Disney-World-esq!
The fairy chimneys, vineyards, pigeon houses, valleys, and unique rock formations create one spectacular scenery. I was in utter silence the entire time as my shocked eyes took on the incredible landscape.
The trip lasted a solid 45 minutes. It was only fitting we were all given champagne to toast to an awesome adventure. That set my personal record for earliest I’ve had a drink, at 8:30 AM.
Summary
The Cappadocia experience was full of excitement and adventure. Because of my various activities during the day, I slept great at night. I am proud to say during those 3 days I lived and breathed like a true cave man.
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Zaaviyah