The area is surrounded by valleys of different attractions like strange rock formations, fairy chimneys, and tons of cave churches to explore. We chose to see pigeon valley which is famous for the pigeon holes that can be seen on the top of large rock formations. These were created by the people so that they could domesticate the pigeons, collect their droppings, and use it as fertilizer since they were avid farmers.
It was a beautiful hike after a few days of busing and it felt so great to be in the fresh air and exercising. The rock formations are massive, some having been dwellings for the people and the scenery is unbeatable. We came across a cute elderly man named Hassan who offered us orange tea. He then asked if I wanted to see his turtles and although I thought it was weird, I climbed up a ladder to find a blanket that he told me to pull back. I was apprehensive as to why there were turtles up there and that should have been my first clue since I pull back the blanket and I see a a bunch of fake turtles. He was very charming, laughing hysterically at his own joke and he gave me a little turtle to keep! Very quirky!
The sunset was gorgeous as it moved across the sky, and the cave houses and hotels look very striking when they are all lit up. We were tired but went out for some baclava (we can't get enough!) and ran into a couple we met in Olympos named Jono and Goi. We have a lot in common since they are taking a one year sabbatical from their workplaces and will be following us to India two weeks later. As always, we hear amazing things about other places and it gets us thinking about our itinerary (Burma anyone?). They will be back in Thailand in November so we are excited to know some locals that can give us some tips.
We woke up in our lovely cave room in our wonderful cave hotel (Safran cave hotel) that we completely adore. The bed is amazingly comfortable (most are very hard in Turkey) and the bathroom looks like a mini hamman. It is perfect to relax in after a day of intense hiking! We didn't realize before we came how much trekking and hiking is involved (if you don't take a tour) and we are having so much fun discovering the valleys and having some unexpected thrills which I will elaborate on later.
Our first stop was the Open Air Goreme Museum which is a series of caves that housed secret churches dating back to the 11th century. We had great fun poking around into every nook and cranny, me always waiting for Josh's infamous, "oh, cool!!" to know that I would be coerced into tiny holes or up rickety ladders (see video). There were a series of churches, a nunnery and monastery, and several caves with tables where they ate and had fire pits. What was especially neat to see were the in tact frescoes in some of the churches that were alive with vibrant colours (rich reds, deep blues...) depicting every biblical scene imaginable. Obviously we couldn't take photos but it was hard not to! It was amazing to see such beautiful art on its natural canvas being so well preserved. Unfortunately there was some vandalism in the past so one instantly noticeable thing is that many of the faces have been scratched out which is such a shame. All the same, being in those churches with the frescoes really brings the past into the present and you can almost imagine being a clergyman in hiding, always ready to close off any entrance with boulders to protect himself. Apparently we can see more churches in other valleys we haven't yet explored and I think that Josh especially will want to see more (he thinks he is Indiana Jones sometimes...).
In the afternoon we decided to hike Love Valley to see unusually large rock formations and yes, some look like the male organ but they are very neat to see anyway (or because of!). We got a tip online to walk the highway up, enter Love Valley and walk to Goreme that way. The hike was really nice and we took some great photos of the rock formations, but we started to get a bit nervous when the sun was going down and we weren't sure if we close to exiting the valley. The valleys are difficult because they are not marked at all (likely because they want you to go on a tour) and we started hiking very fast, hoping to exit in time. At this point we were in White valley and it had the best panoramic shots and gorgeous scenery. Thankfully, a rogue helpful had spray painted a few arrows leading up out of the valley and we were so relieved when we made it out and could see the highway.
We start trekking back towards the highway when I suddenly notice four large dogs (similar to German Shepherd size) across the hill without any people around. They stared at us and started to whine and bark in a way that sent chills down my spine and I knew instantly that we needed to get away. At this point they seemed far away but one broke away from the pack and started down the hill. As calmly as possible we turned the other way and continued walking. I was feeling very scared, not really sure if there was danger but feeling it intuitively. After about five minutes I felt fairly safe as there was no sign of the dogs and right then, a flash of fur enters my periphery as it lunges behind us and I scream involuntarily as it barks threateningly at us. Josh was very steady and held me by the waist and we just walked calmly and discussed our plan in a whisper. We could handle the one dog maybe, but there would be no way against four and our fear was that his cronies were not too far behind. We resisted the urge to look back which was insanely difficult and eventually made our way to a small town. It is really hard to say whether we were in danger of being attacked or if they were just curious and for all we know, perhaps they have owners somewhere! All I know is that it was a little more thrill than we bargained for but really, isn't that what traveling is all about? I probably had the most adventurous day of my life so far and I doubt we will forget this story anytime soon.
We relaxed to take the edge off and relax our sore muscles (we probably hiked 20km and at quite a fast pace due to our adventures) then went out for a nice supper. We are in a cute coffee shop right now, sitting in bean bag chairs, listening to groovy music while reflecting on the day. What's funny is that it doesn't matter to me if we have our iPods stolen, are overcharged on a bill, have a crummy day in Konya, or are scared of a bunch of dogs...it is all part of the adventure of traveling and that is what really matters. All these experiences I am having are amazing and every day my mind and body are challenged to the maximum with planning itineraries, trekking in valleys, and reflecting on life in general and I love it. I am not at all a morning person but every day I wake up filled with excitement and energy; I am literally ready and out the door in 10 minutes! I feel like my life is consumed with so much excitement and curiosity that I have no time to fuss over little things that might have entered my consciousness even a month ago. I feel really healthy mentally because I am always learning and challenging myself and physically because some days are really quite arduous. I can say for sure that even on the worst day of traveling, I would still not rather be at work (sorry guys!) and I feel like this is the best thing I could be doing with my life right now.
In general, I really love Goreme: the hikes in the valleys are amazing, the history is fascinating, and the village is really quaint and hoppin', not to mention our cute cave hotel! I am so glad we have two more nights here and we are off to an underground city tomorrow!
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