Istanbul
April 26, 2025 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
After a long layover in China and another long-haul flight to Turkey, I finally arrived once again in Istanbul. Having transitted on multiple occasions and even staying a night or two inside this airport, it was great to finally be able to see what lies beyond its gates.
I waited for the bus heading to Taksim Square while I chatted with a guy from Chad. The locals were really kind at helping me out too. It was a long journey and the day had only just begun. Kama was waiting for me at our hotel over at Galata and after freshening up with a shower, we were finally off to explore the city.
Our first stop took us up north to visit the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua. The exterior was impressive but the interior proved to have an ancient mystical charm to it with its cave walls and ceiling paintings. We got breakfast and ate some Menemen, a classic callback to when I hosted Turkish couchsurfers back in Japan. From there, we walked towards Galata Tower and were soon engrossed in alleys of shops, cats, and goods. I got myself an awesome bracelet here which saved me a lot of time on my usual hunt.
From the Galata Tower, we arrived at the Galata Bridge where we got to see just how magnificent the cityscape of Istanbul is on the other side. It was just one of those moments where it hits you, "Yep, I'm in Turkey." The cascading domes of mosques and their towering minarets painted the horizon with amazing shapes. Under the bridge, we could get even better views of the mosques. There were also a lot of newlyweds here having their pictures taken, just goes to show how pretty the place was.
On the other side, Yeni Mosque awaited us. We checked out the interior and what can I say? The Islamic geometric interior design is just simply next level. From there we walked to Gulhane Park where we were able to meet more cats. We also caught a tip on the Dervish dances and booked our tickets for later in the day on the spot. The walk around the gardens was really peaceful, we got to see some tulips and the remains of old architecture yet we somehow ended up at the side of Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. The lines were insane and even for the Basilica Cistern, we ended up having to skip going inside it and backtracked to the other side of the gardens to see the Topkapi Palace, only to realize that it also required tickets and there were just too many people.
We opted to have lunch at one of the terrace restaurants, I just got some mushroom pasta which was pretty okay, Turkish food wasn't exactly jiving with me at the moment. We resumed our little tour after replenishing our energy and visited the Blue Mosque again, this time checking the inside which was quite impressive again, just like all the other mosques we have visited so far. Interestingly, there was also the Egyptian Obelisk of Theodosius that apparently came with a set from Egypt.
Having missed the cistern, I still had another secret up my sleeve as there was a off the beaten path one that was tucked under an art gallery, free entry and no people to boot! Not as grand as the other ones but we were still able to experience what the cistern would have felt and looked like with its underground pillars and waters.
After visiting another mosque which this time around was more local and devoid of people, we got some ice cream and walked towards the Grand Bazaar. A labyrinth of epic proportions, one could wander its halls and get lost in the endless shops and stalls. Kama got herself a nice scarf here.
We still had to catch our Dervish show at 5 PM so we exited the bazaar and dropped by Suleymaniye Mosque as part of our mosque-hopping. This mosque was probably my favorite because it had the best views of the city, we could see Galata Tower protruding up the other side of the bridge. There was also an Islamic Turkish graveyard, the first I've seen of it. We stopped by for a breather at a fruit juice stall and at the bottom of the path was another mosque once again, the Rustem Pasha Mosque.
From there, we got pulled away by another detour on a tile museum but eventually, we got to the Hodjapasha where the Dervish dances were being held. The Hodjapasha was once an ancient Hamam that was now converted into a theatre. I didn't know what to expect but needless to say, I was absolutely mesmerized and entranced by their dance. The Dervish were of Sufi origin and the dance itself is highly spiritual and metaphoric. It made me wonder how they could spin endlessly like that without losing balance or getting dizzy, all the while with their eyes closed too. It seems super zen and meditative. I was even more surprised to find out that Kama slept through it all, I couldn't believe it! I read up more on the art after the dance, with quotes from Rumi echoing in my mind.
We were quite ambitious and wanted to catch the sunset and decided to go to a far away place called Camlica Hill. We had to take the subway and then a bus and then a hike but the views and the sunset was worth it. Kama said that this was her highlight of the day. It was a long way back to the hotel and we got back pretty late but finally I could get some sleep but not too much because we were once again waking up 5 AM to catch our flight to Kayseri the next day.Read more
Cappadocia
April 27, 2025 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
We woke up around 5AM to get ready to go to the airport. Our cab was already waiting for us and we sort of got there on time but got lost in the sauce with regards to getting our boarding passes. We ended up trying the kiosks multiple times before being redirected to the check-in counter. We had to ask the staff to help us cut in line since we were about to be late. We made it just in the nick of time though and got on the airplane almost immediately.
A short flight later, we found ourselves in Kayseri. It was much colder here compared to Istanbul and it was quite a welcome change. It was time to get a feel on how to get to Goreme though and at first I was asking some people outside and they said they could help but it seems like in the end we weren't allowed on the van since we didn't have a reservation or some other random reason. We took a cab to the nearby bus station instead and got on a bus heading to Goreme which was both convenient, hassle-free, and the cheaper option.
Even on the approach to Goreme, I was already super impressed by the magical landscape. The famous fairy chimneys of Cappadocia were truly magnificent. Stepping down from the bus and seeing what kind of place Goreme was first-hand was nothing short of jaw-dropping. Like an enchanted city nestled in a nest of fairy chimneys. I couldn't complain. Our first stop was to buy bus tickets going to Pamukkale which the kind old man happily helped us with. We asked where to eat and he pointed us to Sedef. It was safe to say that the recommendation was highly appreciated as the food we got there was amazing and even cheaper than Istanbul. I think it's one of the finest and oldest establishments in the area.
We got some pizza and some eggplant, but the highlight for me was the free bread they gave and the delicious spreads. After stuffing ourselves and re-energizing, we started to ask around for Hot Air Balloon prices but the prices were a bit to exorbitant for our tastes, ranging from 240 Euros to 350 Euros. Yikes.
We went to our hostel, the Homestay Cave Hostel, which as the name suggests was a hostel with rooms built inside a cave. Once we got settled in, it was time to embark on the first adventure of the day. I was quite hesitant at first since I was still tired and sleepy but the day wasn't going to wait and we headed off.
On the way, we stopped by Galerie Ikman. I had thought that it was a nice carpet store but the inside totally surprised us as the owner had turned its space and arranged it to look like any photography studio's dream. The carpets earthy tones and geometric designs made for such a pretty sight. They were charging about 10 Euros to take a photo with yourself in it, but we were more than happy to just take photos of his work which was for free.
A short walk away, we finally got to start our hike which was going to take us from Love Valley, White Valley, Uchisar Castle and Pidgeon Valley. A loop hike starting and ending in Goreme. It was great to finally be able to get away from the city and crowds, the trail itself was very peaceful with not much people.
Love Valley got its name because of the phallic shape of its fairy chimneys. Getting up close and personal with them was quite an experience as they were truly towering above us! The trail was difficult to find at times and we would often have to backtrack and try out different routes but we more or less kept moving on.
White Valley was another amazing place, with white wavy cliffs and even the ground too. We met a Belgian family here and took some photos for them. Thankfully right above was a vendor selling fresh orange juice and by God, it was the best after a hike like that. It was pretty flat until our approach towards Uchisar. We could see it all the way from Goreme but to actually have now walked all the way here and seeing it up close. It was quite high up! I wasn't exactly looking forward to climbing it since I was already feeling tired but we took it one step at a time.
The fatigue was quickly replaced with a sense of wonder as Uchisar seemed out of this world once again, so different from Goreme seeing as the village was built on top of a rocky mountain. We stopped by a cafe where I got me some lemonade while Kama had her cake and coffee. A guy from Tajikistan was manning the place and we stayed for awhile as a downpour of rain passed by. We finished the hike to the supposed highest point of the day, but it wasn't over as we still wanted to climb up to the top of the castle so after paying for the entrance fee, off we went inside caves and a few flights of stairs. The views at the top were so worth it. Seeing the endless expanse of the colorful land of Cappadocia was just...wow.
Down the other side of Uchisar, the trail going back to Goreme cut through Pidgeon Valley. We were wondering why it was called that way, perhaps because of all the holes and tiny caves built on the cliffside. After researching though, it was actually for real. They used to farm a lot of pidgeons for their meat and their poop for fertilizer.
The hike back was very peaceful with the sun setting behind us and behind Uchisar, it was getting dark and cold but nothing to worry about. There was a rope section that was fun to conquer but other than some caves and mud, everything went pretty swell. We quickly found ourselves back in Goreme, aching to try out the local Hamam and a massage.
The Hamam experience for me was quite... all right. It wasn't exactly the best seeing as it was municipally owned, the prices were cheaper but it was public. Still, it was late and we were the only ones there so we had an almost private experience. I didn't get the full course as I was ushered into the sauna then straight into the baths where I got a foam massage and an actual back-cracking massage. I didn't even know my spine could crack like that but I wasn't complaining! I was feeling quite refreshed after but also peckish.
The ol' reliable Sedef was actually full, a far cry from the morning. It seems like everyone in Goreme would just come here for dinner. We opted to find someplace else and ended up eating Chinese instead. A much quieter experience as they were already closing up and we were their last customers. I got some soup and noodles which was exactly what I was looking for after the Hamam. We got back to our hostel already pretty well late into the night. I had to catch up on some sleep because Cappadocia was really going to take a lot from us. Tomorrow was going to be even earlier than today since we were going to try and catch the hot air balloons for sunrise.Read more
Cappadocia II
April 28, 2025 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
Kama and I woke up around 4:30 AM with a mission: to catch the hot air balloons during sunrise. I had initially scoured for a potential place to look at them but we had to hike there for about 40 minutes or so. We got ready and headed out, on the way to the trailhead for the Love Valley viewpoint, we were suddenly accompanied by a German Shepherd. This dog followed us all the way out of town and into the mountains, all the way to the top. It chased away the cars coming near us, as if it was protecting us, never leaving our side for a moment. It was such a rewarding and profound experience. I was nervous at first if it was going to be the right place or not but the information I had gathered around town should be accurate, the balloons always fly towards Love Valley.
The first sign of the balloons rising started as we saw the shape of distant silhouettes as the rose higher against the hues of sunrise. We picked up our pace, not wanting to miss the moment. We were joined by other cars and soon the buses, but despite the huge number of people, we were able to get a lot of shots for ourselves, all the while being followed by the dog whom we named Bynka. The balloons numbered dozens upon dozens and soon the whole sky was filled with them and they slowly approached us and got larger and larger. The photos turned out amazing and after grabbing some snacks by the food stall, we started the long way back.
We stopped by a cute cafe, manned by a Japanese-speaking Turkish man with his adorable dog, Cinnamon. We got some good breakfast before going back to catch some sleep. Kama wasn't feeling up for a hike today since she got injured yesterday with a jump so it was going to be just me this time around. It was a welcome idea, some solo time in the vast nature should be great.
The route was long but after I got some sleep and the usual lunch at Sedef before beginning my hike. I started at Goreme Open Air Museum where it had one of the most amazing fairy chimneys I have seen so far in Turkey. Then I reached Meskendir Valley where there were a lot of interconnected caves, stopping by a vendor selling orange juice. It was like an oasis in the desert. The hike took me higher towards Rose Valley, characterized by the pink rocks and mountains before reaching Red Valley. It was hard to tell which was which as both had the theme of having pink and red wavey cliffs. I always stopped by any place selling fresh orange juice, the one by the church cave was no exception. The whole loop after Red Valley brought me to even more fairy chimneys before I found myself back at Goreme Open Air Museum again with plenty of time to spare.
I was feeling refreshed despite the long hike and allowed myself to rest a bit. I was later joined by Kama and we went out to get some dinner inside a restaurant in a cave. I wanted to catch sunset at the Sunset Hill thinking it was just going to be a fun place, it was even a bit cloudy so I wasn't so confident if it would be worth it or not but it was just a few minutes behind our hostel so we opted to go for it. Needless to say, it was actually one the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my life. Being able to see the whole of Goreme with all of its protruding fairy chimneys, cradled by the valley and Uchisar Castle in the distance all the while with the radiant glow of sunset slowly coating the city in its golden light was nothing short of breathtaking. We were mesmerized and spent a long time here and even until the sun had set, watching the city come to life, or should I say light, with thousands of twinkling lights dotting the landscape, it just kept getting better and better. Not to mention how another dog ended up joining me while we sat and watched the sunset. It was like I was in a fairy tale. Kama went back first, but I wanted to spend a bit more time just feeling the wind and the cold. It was a great way to end the day because the next day was going to be another day of chasing after the balloons during sunrise.Read more
Cappadocia III
April 29, 2025 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
Kama wasn't up for joining this round of sunrise as well after skipping yesterday's hike which was a shame but I wanted to experience more of Cappadocia's magic. I found another place to try nearer to Goreme with a lot less people too. Just a dozen or so of us seeing the balloons once again take to the sky. It was cold but again so worth it to see them from another angle, this time with the huge plateau as the backdrop. They still came over to our side and I was able to snap a lot of close ups too. On the way back to my hostel, I saw the balloons flying over the city towards Uchisar.
I had brunch with Kama at Sedef again and once again she opted out of the day's activities and decided to just stay in the hostel again. I went ahead and rented some bikes though I wish I had rented e-bikes instead because the journey was tough as hell. It was a long bike route going to several valley scattered around Goreme.
My first stop was the furthest one, Devrent Valley or Imaginary Valley. Getting there was so difficult due to the slopes and my tired legs from several days of hiking. I was huffing and puffing all the way and pushing myself hard but eventually I did reach this fabled place. Was it worth it? Maybe. It wasn't as big as the other valleys but it was still unique because it had really strange looking rock formations that resembled various things from a camel to a dancer, up to one's imagination, I guess!
I went to Zvelve Valley next, it was quite similar to Goreme Open Air Museum in that it too, functioned as one. This place had far less people than Goreme though and it was a much more intimate experience to explore these caves, an almost alien and ancient civilization in its shape and form.
All throughout the day, the rain comes and goes but the journey to Pasabag Valley was getting quite wet already. Also known as Monks Valley, it was another unique natural wonder, my guess is that the monks used to live inside the fairy chimneys around here as well. A bit phallic shaped just like Love Valley but not as quite, it was a small place and I was done in half an hour yet I had to stay longer just to let the torrential downpour pass before putting on a brave face and riding back to Goreme.
The journey was brutal as all the downhills coming here had now become an uphill, it was gruesome and I was glad to have arrived back at the city to give back the bike. I really wish I had gotten an e-bike instead. I went back to the hostel to take a shower and rest up. We ate Kama's fish with some bread for dinner and then went to catch our bus going to Pamukkale. Supposedly.
Drifting in and out of sleep with the numerous stops and noisy riders, we got woken up just a few hours pass midnight to find we were in Denizli. Of course we were, no way the bus heads to Pamukkale, looks like we were sold duds. A man came to pick us up and bring us over to his office to start hustling and selling us some packages for Pamukkale. To be fair, he was quite helpful and we managed to get things settled with him including a ride to and from our hotels, Pamukkale, a restaurant, and the airport the next day for a fair price. I paid him a hundred dollars expecting to get some change which he said he would but he ended up running away the next day and I lost some money but ah who cares.
He made some calls and we were able to stay at another hotel since ours was closed, just to sleep for a few hours and freshen up before being taken to Pamukkale after sunrise.Read more
Pamukkale
April 30, 2025 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
Just having a couple of hours extra sleep made all the difference. Being able to freshen up and get a new change of clothes was another big bonus. Afterall, it was going to be quite a picturesque place.
Our cab arrived a bit late but we eventually got there (along with the other tour groups for the day), but we knew what we wanted to see and went and tried to get ahead of the crowds forming behind us.
We got to see the first area of the famed travertines, the cotton castle, they called it. Some sort of limestone-esque cascades except they were all in white, with layers upon layers. The opposite mountains was the same, all coated in white. However, this wasn't the one we were seeing in the photos. We were also quite hungry so we decided to have breakfast here. Some instant noodles and cookies which were such a lifesaver.
We explored a bit more until we found what we were looking for, the full Pamukkale experience with its crystalline turquoise waters flowing through the white travertine pools. We ventured downwards as the further down we go, the more beautiful the scenery became and the thinner the crowds of tourists were. We took plenty of photos all down to the last pools which I think were the best of the bunch.
After we were satisfied with our photos, we went back up and explored the Roman Ruins next which was Kama's highlight of the trip. I also liked how this part of Pamukkale seems to be devoid of crowds, as if everyone just forgot about the existence of the Hierapolis which the travertine pools were only a small part of. We played some songs from the Marias while exploring all the way to the end. Kama made comments on how similar the whole landscape was to Elden Ring and I couldn't help but agree.
On the way back, we called the guy who called us our cab, who technically still owed me money. We got sent to a restaurant with buffet, Kama and I ate our share. I was carrying a lot inside of me even at this time, especially knowing that Turkey was coming to a close and the window of redemption in my mind is also slowly diminishing. After lunch, we went back to the hotel to chill for the rest of the day. Having our guesthouse host cook us up a grand last meal. We stayed in our rooms listening to music and sharing stories. Something about beef between rappers and breakdancing.
Our last morning together had us waking up earlier than usual with a bit of anxiety as we couldn't contact the guy from yesterday, and we didn't know if a cab was really going to be showing up or not. We kept trying to call him as there was no other way for us to get a cab at this unholy hour. The host's son was also sleeping in the couch and couldn't be bothered to help us. After some frantic pacing, the cab did arrive thankfully. However, we were late. I still tried to find the guy who owed me money but conveniently he disappeared and no one else could contact him, not even his staff. Our cab urged us that we must go as the airport bus had already taken off. We had to go full on Fast and Furious to catch up to it at one of the stops, where we transferred and got on from there. What a way to start the morning!
When we finally got to Denizli Airport, I remember telling Kama that "I'm anxious." as the knots in my heart started to grow and twist even more. The usual tension that has haunted me for months on end. A short flight back to Istanbul, the moment we landed, all that tension disappeared just like that. New zone, new energy. We had our last lunch here and said our farewells as I went ahead to board a plane heading to Prague.Read more
