Why Is "Kapadokya" Spelled Differently in Every language?

The weekend of March 20/21, Jamar, Kenzie and I took a tour of Cappadocia (Kapadokya in Turkish--which is phoenetically equivalent). The tour guide promised us the 185TL package included all museums, rooming, and expenses, except for one lunch on Sunday; also, we were to arrive in Ankara at 8:30. These estimates turned out to be exaggerated, with extra costs totaling more than 50TL (by 'every museum is included' she really meant 'you have to pay for every museum'; by 'all meals are provided' she meant 'most meals are provided'; and 8:30 was really a time picked out of a hat). Now that I've explained these unexpected detractors, I'll detail the AWESOME weekend.



We left early Saturday morning on a bus to the south. Kapadokya is a region, not a destination (like saying southern Rhode Island, for instance, or Provence); this is why we thought it'd be better to take a tour rather than landing ourselves in Nowhere, Turkey. We made several stops along the way to Goreme (Turks love their tea), including the second biggest salt lake in the world after the Dead Sea, Tuz Golu. If you GoogleMap Turkey, you will notice a large white spot south of Ankara. Tuz Golu ("salt lake") is a beautiful, incredibly shallow body of water in the middle of the rolling Anatolian countryside. The economies surrounding the lake depend on the salt industry. Our tour guide spoke Turkish to everyone (we were the only anglophones) and summarized everything for us; accordingly, I didn't get too many details about anything, though I do have some info here and there.



A few hours later (after eating lunch in Turkey's largest cave restaurant), we explored Goreme, an ancient town built into the conic, ethereal, Seussian rock formations known as "fairy chimneys". This place is a true playground of cool stuff, including ancient churches with Coptic-style frescoes from the 10th, 11th, and 12th century Christians that lived there. The Goreme Open Air Museum is only a snippet of the thousands of cave dwellings and churches that exist in this area-- I highly recommend viewing Mackenzie's Facebook photos or Googling the region to get an idea of the landscape.



After too short a time there, we moved on to our hotel in the tiny burgh of Urgup. The best part of this hotel was not the delicous buffet of Turkish food, but in fact the plugged-up bathroom shower; Kenzie and I attempted in several different languages to communicate the blockage, were directed between several different hotel reference numbers, before finally getting a fix on the faulty plug. Jamar and I hungout with the tour guide in Urgup's little downtown center. In addition to being harassed by a very drunk Turkish hick, we saw (or rather, followed the festive noises to) a pre-wedding ceremony. Despite being foreigners, we were able to meet the bride and groom! Unfortunately, they were just wrapping up, so I didn't get to experience any real Turkish dancing or anything. Still, it was a great experience.

The next day we continued through the area by bus. We stopped at a winery and an onyx carving shop. The wine was delicious, though it was probably the earliest I'd ever had wine. Then we went to an underground city: seriously, we visited a city eight storeys deep with stables, kitchens, storerooms, bedrooms, living rooms. Now, when I say 'underground city', don't picture Moria from Lord of the Rings. These dwellings were cramped caves hacked out of the ground. Aesthetic efforts were not made- space was simply carved out of the rock. Doors had massive wheels that could serve as walls against invaders. About 65 known exits dot the hill above the chambers- many more are still being discovered. Ventilation shafts dozens of meters long circulate air through the massive complex. The hour-long tour was very nerve-racking- the claustrophobia and depth caused me quite a bit of anxiety, but it was sooo cool to be in an underground city that I toughed it out. It was worth suppressing a minor panic (I felt the lights would go out at any moment, or I would lose the group and wander around for hours beneath the earth, or there would be an earthquake trapping us within the centuries-old dwelling. Fortunately, noen of my fears materialized). It was a wonderful experience, one I will never forget- the most exciting historical tour in the world, I think! I felt like I had gotten off a rollercoaster once I was out!.

After about an hour's drive, we stopped at a caldera lake- a huge, mountain oasis in the middle of an unassuming Anatolian desert. I wish we'd spent more time there-- it was so huge! Unfortunately, like so many tours, during this one we spent too much time in the gift shops of craft stores and not enough time in the natural places (which is what happens when you're on a tour with people double your age I guess!) Still, I think a tour is the best introduction to the region, and now I know all the places I want to revisit.
We had a couple more pit stops at some fairy chimneys, then went on an awesome hike through a shaded valley. I plan on returning there at some point to walk the full hike at my leisure, exploring the old churches at my own pace. The greenery and the ruins captured my imagination, and it may've been the best birthday hike I could've asked for.
The ride back took forever, but because the bus attendant fell asleep, we got to eat extra snacks and cakes. Kapadokya is a place one can only experience-- a magical place I hope I return to soon.