Caves
It seems the next logical step in accomadation to move from a treehouse to a cave…and if it’s not logical (because come to think of it, it really doesn’t sound it) it’s what I did!
I’m now in the amazing Cappadocia region, home to mythical rock formations called Fairy Chimineys by the Turks. It’s the strangest landscape I’ve ever seen…soft volcanic rock worn away by wind and rain to form pillars with caps (like mushrooms) and other weird figures that look like people or camels or whatever your imagination thinks of.
To top it off…we’re staying in a cave….a cave pension that is. Nicely fitted rooms with elegent baths carved right into the rock, as many of the locals live. It’s so cool! Literally too…the rock naturally keeps you cool during the hot, sunny hours of the afternoon…though it doesn’t do much for the cold nights in the region…I had to break out my thermal shirt last night.
I’ve had an accident prone week and have slipped on a wet tile floor, leaves a giant bruise on my behind and a scrape on my elbow…..then I slipped on a dark rock path and stubbed my toe rather badly and am contemplating going to the doctor for that one…..but my favorite injury….drumroll please….only I could do this…..I walked into a tree! To be far the paths at the treehouse place were full of low braches, sticking out at weird angles….and while walking and looking at the campfire I turned my head and smacked right into a tree…hard enough to almost knock myself over. I got a couple scrapes on my eye and eyebrow…because you really should walk into a tree eye first, yeah?…but thank goodness I closed the eye!…but i’m otherwise okay.
The Cappadocian trails are a little rough to walk at the moment because of aforementioned toe…so we went horse riding! Yes…I know…haven’t I hurt myself enough without help? Don’t worry…I was fine…it was Zakaria who fell off the horse! The trail leader brought her 7 year old son on the ride, and while he’s an accomplished rider, he’s got a need for speed…which scared the other horses…Zakaria’s took off and knock him off and dragged him a few feet before he was able to get his foot out of the stirrup. But trooper that he is, Zakaria literally got up, brushed himself off, and hopped back on. AND it was his first time on a horse…he’s a champ.
We took a 2 hour ride on some difficult trails, through valleys, passed weird rock formations. I’m glad I got to ride because I couldn’t do the hike at the moment.
Tomorrow we go hot-air-balloning!…and sunrise! Oh wow!
Details soon…
Tags: Turkey
LizG