Hiking in Kapadokya or 'land of the beautiful, wild horses' is amazing. We have been covering 15-20km a day (on the days we hike) and have hiked all the major valleys - Pigeon (named for the pigeon houses carved into the cliffs), Red, Rose, White (named for the colour of the rocks), Love (named for the phallic shaped rock formations) and Sword (who knows!!).
Whilst it is difficult to get really lost, we developed losing the trail into an art form. On several occasions, our hiking boots were sorely missed and a rope would have come in handy. The trails are not well marked and finding a dead end at a tiny orchard perched between the rocks in a narrow valley is not uncommon.
Spring is here so we are spoilt with a display of wild flowers and blossoms. Throughout the valleys are tiny orchards and vineyards, all in full bloom. Some have been tilled for planting whilst other still sport weeds and flowers. Birds flit around and insects buzz in the sunshine. Small cafés dot the trails selling freshly squeezed orange and pomegranate juice.
Turtles and lizards have been the extent of the wild life spotted in the valleys. In town, however, there are an enormous number of dogs, and cats, roaming around and can be quite noisy. Donkeys, horses, chickens and turkeys also add to the raucous. The dogs run yapping after tractors and cars. The drivers are insane with cars flying along the narrow, steep, cobbled streets. Yet, we have not come across a single squashed dog or, for that matter, pedestrian.
Boringly, we have mostly frequented a single restaurant - Cappadocian Cuisine. It does live up to its name, serving all the regional favourites. Much to the bemusement of other tourists, we are now greeted with kisses from the maître d'. We have munched our way through most of the menu and if our meal costs more then $20 for the two of us, it is due to excess beer consumption.
Our hotelier encouraged us to try Cappadocian wine - the red. We obligingly sampled several and find them most enjoyable. They have had a lot of practice after all, wine has been made here for more than a millennium!
We have had hot weather, rainy weather, thunderstorms and rainbows but our enthusiasm for this extraordinary place is undampened.
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