Suitcase and World: Walking on the moon?

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Walking on the moon?


T
he surreal landscape of Cappadocia. We had floated above it in a hot air balloon, driven through it by car, ridden through it on horseback but now it was time to walk through it - a chance to see it from yet another vantage point.

By now it was mid afternoon and the walk through the Rose Valley was the last activity on our Cappadocia tour. Originally, Lei and I were going to bail out of the tour out of concern that we would not get back to the hotel in time to catch the bus to Fethiye. As it turned out, we had plenty of time so we joined the rest of the gang.

Poor Lei was a groggy from having taken a wee bit too much Drammamine so the poor thing - not sure she really enjoyed her time.







This was a gentle stroll - no climbing of any sort which was nice because you could actually enjoy the views and not have to focus on slipping and falling.

It was a picture perfect day for a stroll through the park. As usual, I lagged behind everybody else so I could snap photos.



























We finally got to see, up close, the dovecotes that local farmers carve into the side of the caves. I cannot imagine how hard it must be to have to scale the side of the cave to retrieve the poop left behind by the birds that make their homes in the dovecotes.




 














Somewhere between admiring the wildflowers that were blooming and the carvings on the cave walls, I found myself lost in a very serene place in my head. At times, I was so lost in my own thoughts that I lagged so far back behind the group that I actually lost sight of them. Fortunately, we were following a path so I figured I would not get lost.


































Before I knew, it was time to get back into the van. On the ride back to the hotel, I flipped through the images in my camera and admired all the photos I had taken over the course of our stay in Cappadocia. What an amazing, amazing place this is! A remarkable mix of nature and history. I only wish I could stay to see more.....someday.