FAIRY TALE ANATOLIA

From Istanbul we travelled down south to the whitewashed limestone pools of Pamukkale. Known around the world we said to ourselves let’s do it. It was a huge detour but it was well worth it.

 

It took us 3 days to get there. The peacefulness outside of Istanbul made it such a relaxing trip though. 

From the Atatürk Airport on the west of Istanbul it took us about 2 hours to get to the other side, on the highway! 

 

We drove over the Bosphorus which connects Europe with Asia and we just weren’t sure whether we have to pay for it or not. So we looked it up online and everyone was saying yes you do! But you have to purchase some sort of card, you cannot pay cash. And, you can only get them at Post offices or Petrol stations.

 

Alright, so we stopped at 4 different Petrol stations. Nobody had a clue what we were talking about. In the end we said, hey, let’s just go for it and do it without any ticket or card. We don’t know if they will send any bill or not but it was certainly no problem at all just passing the bridge without any payment.

PAMUKKALE

 

As you get closer to those white rocks you think to yourself what on earth is that… It looks like snow, but it surely can’t be. It’s a real cool feeling walking on those limestone rocks, they have so much grip and you are only allowed to walk on them bare feet which is a very good thing. Hot streams run down and you can even take a dip in one of the many hot pools.

 

Some time back, tourism almost completely destroyed Pamukkale because everyone built their hotel right on top of the hills and just flushed their waste down the rocks. Thank God, the country of Turkey went the right way and banned those hotels for good.

 

 

Entrance is 50 Lira (2018) per person and you not only get to see the limestone hills of Pamukkale but also its backyard which is full of ancient buildings. These were actually the coolest monuments we have seen so far because they stand completely free, no fences, no guards shadowing your every step. We didn’t feel like we were in Turkey at all, but rather in Scotland. The mist of course helped ;)

For the Cleopatra Pool you pay a little extra, 30 Lira. That we didn't do because, let's be honest here, it's way more beautiful from the outside ;)

 

In a nutshell, we both said, due to its secludedness, the one would not survive without the other. The limestone hills need the ancient architecture at the back to support it and vice versa.

CAPPADOCIA

 

This region was actually the one thing in Turkey we wanted to see most. You always see those pictures on the internet with the hot air balloons gliding over fairy tale like landscapes… It’s gotta be something special. And it surely was!

 

We started off by walking through those Fairy Chimneys that just look so unreal, beautiful. We were the only ones there, it was winter and still, there was a guard wanting money. We walked past him and took the next entrance. You walk through a small village and right up to the Fairy Chimneys. The only other people you will see is a heardsman with his sheep.

 

Along the road you will see Star Wars Movie Set signs which propose that Star Wars was shot there. Ehm, we checked it out online and thats not true at all. So don’t fall for that ;)

But the landscapes would have definitely made a perfect spot for it, no doubt!

 

Derinkuyu - The underground world! Cost: 30 Lira per person. A really cool thing to do. You can walk down as far as 100m underneath the surface of the earth and its hard to believe how those people were able to make this.

Hard to imagine how people made it through the day in these narrow halls and walkways, no daylight, no walking upright... They even built their own ventilation system and graveyards!

We loved it because down there it was a bit warmer than outside. Those days in Cappadocia were the coldest days on our journey! But also ones we don't want to have missed.

 

Driving on to the small town of Göreme, you’ll get another breathtaking view! Especially when you wait till morning for the hot air balloons to arise. That really is an incredible feeling. We parked our Van on top the hill in a huge parking spot and waited until sunrise.

 

The town itself is pretty cool. Yes, it is touristy, but it still has a certain charme to it. And most of the products they sell are genuinely high quality. Especially carpets, towels, shoes and belts. That’s surprising simply because in other tourist hotspots you only get to buy junk. Not in Göreme!

 

What we loved about the place is that the town ends at a certain point, past that you stand out in the open immediately, whereas other towns tend to go on forever.

Also, walking through the Rose Valley, you can walk and walk and walk through the bush and there seems to be no end which is really cool.

You can park your car anywhere you like and don’t have to pay for it.

 

To ride in one of those Hot Air Balloons it would cost you €130 per person (2018) during off-season. The baskets can accommodate up to 20 people. We saw round about 100 balloons the next morning and we eventually stopped counting.