From May 20th (Mon) to May 29th (Wed), I took JAL on its new Doha route and visited Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, and Doha. This is the second article in my series and I will focus on sightseeing of Cappadocia

May 23rd (Thr)
I embarked on a 3-night, 4-day tour with Torqiem Tours, booked through the travel agency Veltra, to explore Cappadocia and Pamukkale. My flight, AJet VF3172, took off from Zabiha Gökcan Airport on the Asian side at 07:00 and landed at Kayseri Airport at 08:25. The tour’s driver was ready for me at the exit, and a Japanese-speaking local guide met us at our first destination, Devrent Valley. Here, the peculiar rock formation known as Camel Rock is visible just left of center.

Our subsequent destination was Pasabag, commonly referred to as the “fairy chimneys.”

The unique rock formations of Cappadocia are thought to have formed from the erosion of the underlying soft tuff by wind and water, after the deposition of lava and volcanic ash by the volcanoes of Central Anatolia, creating the mushroom-shaped pillars. Additionally, one can explore the region where Saint Simeon resided to avoid worldly distractions.

Following the tour, we visited a ceramics factory and store situated within a cave in Avanos, the neighboring town along the Red River.

After trying out the potter’s wheel turning experience, I purchased a plate made by the master as a souvenir.

This time, we had kebabs cooked in a pot at a cave restaurant.

After lunch we went to the Ozkonak Underground City.

I was able to take some fantastic photos of the ventilation holes.

The circular stone is a door that closes when enemies attack.

After the tour, we went to Esentebe, where the Three Sisters rocks are located.

Today’s sightseeing ends and we head to the cave hotel.

A view of the hotel from outside the room, with the restaurant at the bottom.

The bathroom is also inside the cave.

Since I was tired today, I had dinner with wine at the hotel restaurant.

May 24the (Fri）
I had reserved an early morning hot air balloon tour for today, but it was called off because of poor weather, sparing me an early rise. The operators have been cautious and frequently cancelling tours lately due to previous mishaps. My first stop was the Göreme Open Air Museum, a World Heritage Site. This site served as a refuge for Christians escaping persecution in the ancient Roman period.

It is not possible to take prescore photos inside so we used a sign instead, but it was in very good condition.

After the tour, the hot air balloon ride was cancelled, so instead we were taken to an observation deck with a similar view. There was no fence, so I approached cautiously to take photos.

After seeing the view of a certain village, we went to a local winery.

Unfortunately, tasting was not available so we bought a set of small bottles of red and white wine and drank them at the hotel, which were delicious.

Next we went to a carpet factory. The shopkeeper, who spoke fluent Japanese, explained that the carpets in this region are highly durable because they are woven with double threads. There were many wonderful carpets, but the prices were too high, so we gave up on buying one.

After seeing the distant view of Ortahisar village, we went to Uchisar Castle. Although it is called a castle, it was not actually a castle but was used as a watchtower.。

It is located on the Silk Road, so camels are a nice sight.

Next, we went to an observation deck where we could see Ortahisar village up close. Ortahisar Castle was also one of the past watchtowers.

After the tour for the day, we headed straight for the hotel. For dinner, we went to a restaurant in town, about a 10-minute drive from the hotel. For the appetizer, we ordered large shiitake mushrooms fried with oyster sauce and garlic, which were quite delicious. We had them with Raki, a Turkish distilled liquor.

I had Raki when I went on a business trip to Istanbul in the past. It has an aniseed scent, and when diluted with water, it becomes cloudy as shown in the photo. I think it is the same type of drink as French Pastis and Greek Ouzo. I’m heading to Pamukkale from tomorrow.