I'm not a fan of going to places twice, but if heaven permits, I might. To begin with, Turkey is a massive country and Cappadocia has always been on top of the list (If I have any). I just traveled to Istanbul first for the company, but this time, it's Anatolia. Though I was granted 4 days off, I originally booked a 3-day journey from London to Istanbul then Kayseri and vice versa. Will all the travel and less rest worth it? Not to mention the current events in the East, air strikes and attacks going on, I just entrusted everything to the Almighty. Nevertheless, I've been a witness of his protection for years. Day 0 London Stansted - Istanbul I will never get tired of being in flights across the world, no matter what the carrier is. Tiring? Probably. But seeing it take off and be in the skies with the clouds gives me a bit of relaxation. A little bit away, away from everything. Sabiha - Gokcen Airport to Viaport Outlet Mall Honestly, I like SAW airport, a decent airport with everything you need. With the metro underground and buses/coaches in front of the entrance, it is a convenient airport indeed. I may not know what bus I needed to take as I forgot to save it in my phone but the people were trying to help me and led me to it. (Good thing I got my Istanbul Card with my and some Turkish Liras) P.S. Most of the wi-fi spots need a Turkish sim card and I forgot to charge my phone for roaming. Viaport is an outlet mall with cafes and restaurants being well-placed and decorated. My complacent mind thought that buses run over night, so I took a taxi to the airport, and surprisingly, the driver was honest and such a gentleman, way different from what we experienced in Downtown Istanbul. Although I didn't intend to stay in the airport's Starbucks, I had no choice as it has good seats but lurking with travelers like me. One of the pros being a solo traveler is to see the world in a different light. As I was finding my space in that coffee shop, I see travelers from across the world like me, waiting for our boarding time, others chatting their loved ones, the other sleeping on that narrow cafe benches, and the other, stressed out since her phone was not working. Anna, a Russian was sobbing beside the couch I was sitting on, asking in gestures to help her. Minutes turned to hours of troubleshooting it with another traveler bound for Adana, it worked. All of us were then relieved and we parted ways for our boarding gates. A DAY OF TRAVELAnatolia, also known as Asia Minor is an hour away from Istanbul via Pegasus Airlines. I certainly have no idea what to see other than the fairy chimneys and hot air balloons when I get there. With heavier eyebags and hours of sleepless travel, I was surprised of how modern and neat of their Kayseri Airport. As directed by Welcome Pickups, went outside the entrance and greeted with a signage and welcomed by their driver, Bekir Selvi who has been the most professional with his Citroen Jumpy Space Tourer. A complimentary water was given and I got the most comfortable one hour ride from Kayseri to Goreme. Just in time for an early arrival at my hostel, Nomads Cappadocia and tried their breakfast platter for TL 300. Washed up and dropped my bag as I waited for my pick up for that Green Tour by Klook led by Mustafa.
Knowing that I'll be spending 24 hours in Cappadocia might be insane but that only means that I need to plan things well. Probably the reason why I chose the Green Tour is it includes Derinkuyu Underground Village, and everything was a plus. So let's start. CAPPADOCIA PANORAMIC VIEWPOINT I must say it will be quite a trek if I didn't book this tour. Though crowded, I am impressed that the people did not go beyond the limits and yes, you will see that iconic tree with evil eyes (I honestly don't know what it represents) with the Cappadocian sign. KEM ART CENTER - Jewelry Museum/Store What's special about this? Zultanite! Fortunately I don't fancy jewelries and nothing entices me but it is quite interesting. DERINKUYU UNDERGROUND VILLAGE Derinkuyu Underground City is the most famous of the Cappadocia subterranean cities built by early Christians and protected by UNESCO. If you ask for my take on it, I have always been impressed of how clever the minds of the people before us. To have the capacity and foresight of creating marvelous infrastructures over and under ground. You may read a lot about this but being there, walking around the subterranean masterpiece, breathing that cooler air under the enclosed space is another surreal moment. AKSARAY - IHLARA VALLEY Being a joiner in Klook has its pros and cons, I can either be happy with being alone in a crowd and enjoying the gift of nature with less of my face in the photos or blending in with them. Being in this part of Anatolia surprised me, I see Mt. Erciyes with its snow cap on the right, and the fairy chimneys on the left. Another will be monasteries built from the carved rocks overlooking the lands it once held. Lunch at Belisirma I didn't expect this lunch from Belisirma to be included in the tour as well. The group enjoyed the flavors on the river with swans swimming across the stream. Another good trek for beginners I must say. That lunch was a mood breaker that I learned how young that crowd was, 5 of them are fresh graduates from Singapore and the two are Malaysian and Singaporean colleagues in an IT company on their early 20's. UCHISAR Last stop before the tour ends, what more but souvenir shops! Well, I bought some from a convenience store and my favorite tea powders and homemade halawa. GOREME SUNSET VIEW POINT The IT people, Amber and D told me about the sunset viewpoint and I couldn't resist but to go with them that was apparently a 15-minute walk from my hotel. Mustafa was kind enough to drop us off near the steep alley and made our walk shorter. With a TL 20 entrance free to the viewpoint which we think was a scam but we didn't care, we walked until the top and saw waited for that magnificent sunset. It was another sight to behold as it overlooks the city on two sides. One where the hotels and restaurants are, and the other, uncorrupted nature views. It may be great to be with them in dinner but I prefer on trying that infamous clay pot dish for my first and last dinner so I told them that I need to go home and freshen up as I had a long day and haven't checked in my room yet. NOMADS HOTEL CAPPADOCIA I finally checked in and was surprised that I was upgraded. Firstly, I was impressed of how close it is to the center, stones away from the coach/bus station and it is surrounded with restaurants and cafes. A 15-minute walk to the sunset viewing deck and basically everywhere around the town. The staff and Kaya, the hotel dog were up-the-bar nice and accommodating. Food was superb that was included with the room. Facilities wise, nothing exceptional but pretty decent. CAPPADOCIAN CUISINE RESTAURANT AND VIEWPOINT CAFE A perfect first night-last night experience in Cappadocia. What more can I say?
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AuthorI go for the name GK since it is short for Gloria Katherine. A nurse by profession but a traveler at heart. I hope you'll find my blog interesting and noteworthy. ArchivesCategories |