From Istanbul to Cappadocia

From Istanbul to Cappadocia

Goreme, Turkey, Europe

I got up today to see it was yet again raining in Istanbul. Apparently this city just doesn’t want me to see it in all its glory. No bother, I had to get packed up and get myself to the airport anyway. I caught a couple of trams and made it to Ataturk airport with plenty of time to spare.

My flight to Kayseri went as scheduled and I sat next to a really nice girl on the plane named Deniz. She is a singer in a band and ten of them were heading out to Kayseri for the night to perform. Unfortunately, I didn’t stay in Kayseri, so I won’t be able to see them, but it was nice to have someone to chat to on the plane. It’s possible they might be performing in Istanbul when I get back there, so there’s a chance I might get to see them then.

I got the shuttle to the village of Goreme which is in the center of Cappadocia. It took a while for the driver to find my hotel, but that’s no surprise. This place is like one big maze. There are tons of tiny streets that go up through the hills and every hotel has the name “Cave Hotel” in it somewhere, so to find my “Dream Cave Hotel” proved rather difficult. I checked into the hotel which is pretty nice considering it is €15 per night. It has a big double bed and a private bathroom, so I’ll be very comfortable for the next few days.

I signed up as soon as I got here to go on a tour of Cappadocia tomorrow from 9am – 6pm, and then on Monday morning I’ll be going on a hot air balloon ride. It’s a little expensive, but I got a last minute deal to go for €100, which isn’t too bad. I was first quoted €140. It is the number one thing to do when you’re here, so I’d hate to come to Cappadocia and not go ballooning.

I grabbed dinner at a little restaurant in the village called Fat Boys. It was a good meal and it’s funny to see a village in the middle of nowhere in Turkey, and hardly any Turkish people. The only people in this village are tourists. I suppose that’s the only thing this community is built on, but it’s still strange to see.

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