Travel day - May 1

Early pick up this morning by our driver to get out of town and to the airport before the May 1 annual Labor Day protests begin. Streets are quiet as roads are blocked and public transportation near Taksim Square curtailed. It is also the first of three days celebration for the end of Ramadan and schools are closed this week. The news said almost 2 million of Istanbul’s 18 million people have left the city to see family or vacation this week. We are flying to Kayseria in Cappadocia.

Turker Mutlu, the very kind owner of the tour company we used, BellaTurka, took us out to dinner and to the shopping mall this evening to buy underwear, shirts and shoes as our luggage is still MIA. Thankfully, Turkish made clothing is very inexpensive.

Our hotel, Utopia Cave Hotel in Urgup, was built right into the side of the hill and incorporates some of the old cave homes.Read more