Category Archives: Turkey

Cappodochia

Global Traveller Blog Posted on October 6, 2012 by

I worried that five nights in Cappodochia might be a little too much time in Goreme, Cappodochia but I had no choice given the flight schedules. It turned out to be the best decision of the trip! I can see why some people fly in and decide never to fly out for it is truly one of the earth’s most astonishing landscapes. Here is the sight that greeted me when I opened the door to my “cave” in Sunset Cave Hotel: Neither words nor pictures can do justice to seeing those colorful balloons rise over the silent landscape of misshapen volcanic rock but, trust me, it’s magical. There’s no place like it. My day’s goal was visiting the Open Air Museum of Goreme but mostly I just gaped, awestruck by the strange rocks like this Next was the Goreme Open Air Museum a (hot) mile walk from town but a must see for the churches cut into the volcanic rock and adorned with 12th and 13th-century frescoes. It’s part of a vast monastic complex. The following day I signed up for the “Green Line” tour wih about 10 other people and our darling young guide, Estra, who, by the way, … Continue reading →

Balloon Day in Cappodochia

Global Traveller Blog Posted on October 14, 2012 by

On my last functioning day in Turkey (before my tummy went into turmoil) I did the thing that every Cappodochia visitor must do, or explain why not: a balloon ride! But which company to choose? Longtime expat, Ruth Lockwood of Tribal Collections strongly recommended Royal Balloons. She should know! And she was right. I chose the 1 1/2 hour ride and was glad I did. To really appreciate the majestic landscape, it’s important to give the pilot enough time to take you into the valleys around Goreme. After all, it’s a balloon, not a plane, and can only drift with the wind. At Royal Balloons, the pilot carefully chooses the launching pad to take advantage of the wind. That’s not necessarily true in other companies as I noticed several dozen balloons launching from the same place. We were a little out of the way and that was a good thing. Now here is why you want to get away from the crowd. This is “red valley”. Aptly named. Our basket had 12 people which was a good amount. You climb into your little corner and prepare to be awestruck as you float and drift, rise and fall, the only sound … Continue reading →

Sanliurfa First Impressions

Global Traveller Blog Posted on October 18, 2023 by

It was a long and tiring but uneventful trip from Nice to Istanbul and then from Istanbul to Sanliurfa. (See my guide to visiting Sanliurfa) On the bus ride from the airport to the Grand Babil Hotel, I found myself talking to a lovely young woman who is a resident of Sanliurfa. Filiz works for an international aid agency who is involved with helping Syrian refugees. When I asked about the earthquake last February she spoke on detail about how scared she was. She also told me that the archaeological museum was still closed which I hadn’t known. Very disappointed. There’s nothing Grand about the hotel but it is well located. I was astonished to find this NYTimes article appeared on the day I arrived! Sanliurfa is a dry town. I was glad I picked up a jagermeister at the airport. I would have slept better if the call to prayer hadn’t woken me up at 5am. After picking up a map at the tourist office this morning I was able to finally arrange my excursion to Gobleki tepe and Karahan tepe tomorrow. The head of the tourist agency informed me that tensions are quite high right now and there … Continue reading →

Gobekli tepe and Karahan tepe

Global Traveller Blog Posted on October 19, 2023 by

The world’s oldest Neolithic sites, Gobekli tepe and Karahan tepe date from around 9000 BC. Their discovery changed how archaeologists tracked human history. Before Gobekli tepe it was thought that humans developed agriculture after which megaliths and religion emerged. Nope. Throw out the old books. The builders of Gobekli tepe were hunter gatherers who hadn’t yet discovered the wheel and yet managed to erect this megalithic site filled with giant statues. Was it a temple? That’s the supposition but no one really knows. A recently discovered cistern means there may have been a settlement. It was in use from 9500 to 8000 BC. Visiting these two sites was the purpose of my visit (or pilgrimage?) to this strange corner of Turkey. I started roughly around 9:30 from Sanliurfa with Sore tours. One other guy joined us, a Turk who was late. Radwan is a Kurd who pointed out that Kurds were prompt, unlike Turks! As a side note, the region is also heavily infiltrated by the PKK, a Kurdish separatist group. Gobekli Tepe Radwan spoke excellent English and clearly had read up on the subject.  As we approached he pointed to another mound next to the main excavation point that … Continue reading →