Really Getting into Cappadocia

Free morning to explore the town of Avanos, we walked around checking out various shops - souvenirs and locals alike. Finding the post office, we walked in for stamps and came out with free postcards too. The government of Turkey really seems to support/subsidize the tourism industry. Just the previous day, we'd heard about the government supporting women in Anatolia province to get trained to weave carpets that visitors end up buying to support their families.

We met at noon for a quick gozleme lunch, this time the pancake was rolled up and actually was my favorite one as eating it was simple and fast. Our hike started shortly after and would take us through Pigeon Valley, Red Valley and Rose Valley. Red and Rose are named for the color of the rocks. With paths cut by nature, the hike wasn't too challenging save for a slippery slope here and there. Inside the valley, you feel very small though but it was very cool experience to be in.

Having done the hike, I really felt like a sense that we really explored Cappadocia instead of quickly sticking our heads into various caves. Today, we got time to explore hidden churches like Cross Church which also has cool frescos, and just soak it all in.

After the hike, we rewarded ourselves with a Turkish Bath in Goreme. The experience was a little different from the one I'd done in Istanbul. This time we started with the sauna before showers (regular showers instead of buckets of water), and a scrub on the octagonal marble slab where the 4 of us girls each had a side. The bubble bath was much nicer and less rushed though as we also got a bit of a massage. The scrub itself felt half hearted though. A brief oil massage concluded our experience. Not sure if I want another Turkish bath on this trip. While not overly expensive, it does add up.

Dinnerwise, I headed to a restaurant by the square which other folks recommended. We ordered a pide (Turkish pizza) that was in excess of 1 meter and lamb stew. A very delicious dinner and we got to cross another Turkish food off our list.Read more