Romantic Nights at The Spelunca

On my last trip to Goreme in Cappadocia, I took a lot of time deciding which hotel to book.  This was the first holiday that my husband and I would take in four years.

Everything had to be prefect and stress free. I had heard about the cave hotels in Cappadocia, however was unsure if I wanted to stay in one. After all, my knowledge of cave hotels was zilch and I stopped watching the Flintstones when I was 13 years old.

Having read Trip Advisor though, a lot of people recommended staying in a cave hotel whenever a visit to Cappadocia happens. So I took the plunge and booked the Spelunca Hotel in Goreme.

It was a good move to make because the Spelunca was everything I wanted it to be. The authenticity of the rooms and the hotel itself, gave emphasis to a romantic atmosphere that instantly made me relax. The hotel was also in a good location and an excellent base from which to explore the area ofCappadocia.

All mod cons were present in the rooms including heated towel rails, LCD TV with satellite channels, tea / coffee maker and the famous Jacuzzi bath. Famous because this was the first time that my husband discovered it is not a good idea to pour hotel bottles of shampoo into a Jacuzzi bath.

Breakfast was the traditional Turkish breakfast however the hotel expanded on their range so you had a wide choice of fruits, cheeses, olives, bread, and jams. You name it, everything was there. While the hotel did not do evening food, they would gladly order you some food in, if you did not want to go out.

Even though it was our holiday, I got into the habit of waking up at 6am every morning. My reason for doing so was the view of dozens of hot air balloons floating across the landscape. Every morning I made a cup of coffee and sat on the terrace watching them. The balloons would come so close and I swear that one morning, I heard someone shouting hello from the balloons.

So there must be something that I didn’t like about the hotel right? Well, their gardens could do with better upkeep and the 5 minute walk up the hill to the Spelunca hotel was enough to get me panting for breath. However apart from that, I actually felt like I wanted to sell up here in Altinkum and move into the hotel permanently.

I don’t think I will be going back to Goreme anytime soon so I won’t be returning to the Spelunca hotel. However I have found that sometimes in life, it is better not to go back to the places that you have fond memories of. The second time never measures up to the first and I want to keep the fond memories that I have of Goreme and The Spelunca Hotel.

Turkish Men – Why Your Holiday Romance Is Doomed

Turkish Men are once again causing heartache all over the globe. Every year, thousands of foreign women enter Turkey and strike up a holiday romance. For some, the holiday romance does not work out and they move on. Others however can not accept the holiday romance for what it was. They join Turkish Love Rats and make it the  focus of their Facebook page. They start free blogs  slating off every Turkish man they know and then join numerous amounts of forums to declare to the world that all Turkish men are sleazeballs and should never be trusted.

So when thinking about Turkish men, I type this post in despair.  From today, I am sending out a strong message to all women travelers or tourists. Do not get involved in a holiday romance with a Turkish man simply because you can not handle it. I don’t want to read your blog, like your Facebook page or meet you on a forum. Stereotyping the whole male race of a nation simply because of your failed holiday romance is OTT and on the verge of bunny boiling.

The fact is that there are plenty of mixed relationships between Turkish men and foreign women that work perfectly well. I can  however tell you the top three reasons why a holiday romance did not work out.

1 – You live in two different countries. Now, it does not take a rocket scientist to work out that when you live in two different countries, the odds are stacked against you. Any man can have an affair even if he lives in the same house as you, so why do you think he is going to be honest when he lives in a different country?

If you are dating one of the many Turkish men who break women’s hearts, then don’t call him the love of your life when you live in two different countries. It is what it is, a holiday romance, even if you return six times a year to see him. If you both want to take the romance further, then one of you has to move countries.

2 – There are two different cultures joining here. Unfortunately most of the relationships that I have seen fail,  is because the women wants to keep 100% of her culture and the Turkish man wants to keep 100% of his Turkish culture. For it to work, both of you has to meet in the middle and give something up. Yes, his mother will always come before you, get over it! As for him, he has to accept that you do and always will eat pork.

3 -  If you can not spot a sleazeball then your life skills really need tuning up. Remember, that a lot of girls let their hair down on holiday and are somewhat more trusting then they are in their hometowns. Some of the signs that he is a sleazeball are

-           He tells you that he loves you when you are older than his mother

-           He asks you for money.

-           He makes a move on you in the first night.

-           He introduces you as a friend

-           He hides you from his friends

-          He runs away to the toilet when his phone rings

If you want to visit  Turkey and fall in love with a Turkish man, then be prepared for a life changing experience.  If it works out, then I am happy for you, if it does not work out,  then please publish tales of your failed holiday romance  with Turkish men somewhere else than the internet.

Setting Off On My South Western Tour

For most of the summer I have been feverishly working seven days a week in order to top up my traveling fund which I had previously emptied down to the last penny. I can finally say that with much delight, I have saved up enough money for another trip.

Well done me and I am giving myself a pat on the back as it did not take me as long as I thought it would. So tomorrow morning, with my bags packed I am setting off …

So Where Am I Going?

My next destination was to be the Black Sea region however I have delayed this until next year as a friend would like to accompany me on this tour.  So instead, I have planned a rough route on theSouth Western coast of Turkey.

Picture Courtesy of Antalya.org

Those with an in-depth knowledge of Turkey will realise that my route  is  the Lycian  Way walking route which is a 509km trek from Antalya to Fethiye. I won’t however, be trekking! I don’t have the stamina, strength or enthusiasm to walk and explore that route.

Instead I will be staying in the towns and villages along the route and using local transport to get from one location to the next. I have  made some changes in that I am starting in Kemer and leaving Antalya as a city break for another time. I also plan to extend the route and finish in Dalyan instead of Olu Deniz.

What Are the Things To Do Along This Route?

Once I started planning the trip, I realized that this area is culturally and historically rich and there are so many things to do and places to see. It is  much more exciting than the Aegean Coast of Turkey.  If I wrote on this blog post everything that I plan to do, then I would still be writing next week,  however a few examples are…

Traveling in a cable car up to the top of Mount Tahtali

Picture Courtesy of tahtali.com

Sea kayaking over the sunken city of Kekova

Visit the Church and birth place of St Nicholas who is better known as Santa Claus

Hop across to the Greek island of Meis

I also want to visit Butterfly valley and the ghost town of Kayakoy near Fethiye. Last but not least, I want to end up in Dalyan and sail down the Dalyan River to marvel at the Lycian rock tombs and take a mud bath. The last time I was in Dalyan was ten years ago and I have no pictures while my memories are fading fast.

How Much Time Do I Have?

One month to complete the whole route. If I run out of money, then I will be returning early but hopefully I will be able to budget well.

Who am I Going With?

Well, I am actually traveling solo. Hubby is still working and no friends want to come on a month’s tour of the South Western Coast.  The last time I traveled solo was before I got married and in my repping days so this will be a shock to the system.

I am also going to miss hubby tremendously as he is my rock and organizes everything when we travel.  I am nervous but the fact is that if I call off the trip because I am traveling solo, I know this trip will never happen. It is just not other people’s idea of a good holiday.

When will I update my blog?

It will be on an “as and when” basis because I have no plan. I don’t know how long I will spend in each destination and what I will be doing from one day to the next.  However, I hope that you will be following my posts when I do manage to publish as I am certain this trip will provide some wonderful memories that I would like to share with you.

If you have any tips or suggestions of places to go and things to do, then please leave them for me below.

A Guide to Tasty Turkish Street Food

For many, a big part of any holiday is the food you eat, the food you remember and the food you would rather forget.  In Turkey, street food is a way of life and simply cannot be ignored.  Some of your finest meals will be made instantly in front of you so here is a little taste of what to expect from Turkish street food.

 Kokorec, spiced offal wrapped in lamb’s intestine is of course, a tasty treat to tie you over until dinner.  For anyone wondering about the necessity of the intestine, it has been suggested this is in order to disguise the taste, raising the issue of whether or not the entire dish should be rethought. However, when in Turkey……something that sounds that questionable must be worth a try.

Kahvalti, or ‘before coffee’.  Most of us would shudder at the prospect of anything before coffee but this actually means breakfast, and breakfast can be grabbed from the street in the form of a giant bread polo called simit, reminiscent of a bagel really, but tasty all the same.  Having one with a strong Turkish coffee, or kiwi tea, is even better.

Kebabs.  Arguably you don’t necessarily need to travel hundreds of miles for one, when getting one in your home country is extremely easy.  The overwhelming hunger, the actual need for food, the fact that it is accompanied with lettuce is an easy justification for a late night healthy snack. Don’t forget about the ill-advised flirtation with the kebab man and the overwhelming disgust, the following morning at your gluttony.

Turkey welcomes you to a whole new world of the kebab.  At any point of the day, more than one if you fancy, the kebab is street food to start you off.  The fresh bread, salad, and meat taste is better than ever and the friendly banter with your street chef will keep you coming back day after day.

Gozleme.  Essentially a pancake.  Cooked fresh on the street with endless options of fillings they are irresistible and should come with a warning that you will reach new levels of gluttony after your first. Be aware though that many people return from holidays to Turkey a few pounds heavier after eating too many of these!

 If this doesn’t fill you up there is plenty of fresh food and fiery flavours on offer so do not leave Turkey without trying some form of street food. Turkey holidays come in all shapes and sizes, whether you are relaxing by the beach in Marmaris or soaking up the culture in Ankara, but if you are  feeling peckish do not be afraid to sample the street food that Turkey is so famous for.

Goreme Open Air Museum – Did The Guidebook Lie?

I am a realistic person. I don’t expect everything to be perfect or suitable to my tastes. It was the second day of my holiday in Goreme, Cappadocia and everything felt right. The food was delicious, hotel was clean and the people were friendly. That is when I started getting, warning bells.


You see, there is always something about your holiday that you hate. It might be the loud person in the hotel room next to you or the flight that was delayed for six hours. I was waiting for whatever it was that would push my buttons and it came to me in the form of The Goreme Open Air museum. The simplest way to describe it to you is as follows.
Cave Churches – The Guidebook Definition


Goreme open air museum is a place where history comes alive. Visit the ten beautiful and historically important cave churches that are the most fantastic sight to see in Cappadocia. Goreme Open Air Museum is a member of UNESCO World Heritage List and is admired by thousands of visitors from all around the world. One of the most photographed destinations in Cappadocia.
My Definition


Goreme Open air museum is 13 cave churches that all look the same. Throw in the Cappadocia tour guide that screams at you, the overpriced entrance fee, the vile coffee, the mile long toilet queue, seven coaches of selfish tourists and it will certainly be a day that you will remember for the rest of your life.



Did the guidebook lie to me or was it the snowball effect in action?


When I look back on the day, I suppose I could contribute my lack of enthusiasm towards the snow ball effect. If you have not heard about the snowball effect, it is when a succession of things go wrong one after the other. The result is that you blow your top and head for the nearest bar to drown your sorrows. So, my snowball effect experience went as follows.


1 - Having read the Cappadocia guidebook, I spent ages trying to persuade my husband to visit the “must see” Goreme Open Air Museum. The problem is, he is not really into sightseeing or cave churches If there had been nightclubs in Goreme, then I am quite sure that all our spending money would have gone into buying shares of their business. Half an hour later, I had managed to drag him up the steep hill to the entrance of the Goreme Open Air museum. (When I say steep, I mean very steep)


2 - On discovering that the entrance fee was 15tl for each person, I then had to listen to my husband moaning about how he would be a rich man if he had not married me. That is the other thing about my husband, he doesn’t like paying for things that he does not want to do. Well to be fair, who does? So a total cost of 30tl ($20) to enter and ten minutes of repetitive moaning about his bank balance.





3 -I put this behind me and entered the first cave church. I was admiring the antique paintings and a tour guide walked in with his small group. From experience, I have learned that most tour guides in Turkey suffer from the god complex i.e., the whole tourism industry is going to collapse without them. So I always make a point of ignoring them and leaving them to their group. I got the camera out of my bag and started taking photos.


This prompted the tour guide to practice his god complex on me. “No photos, no photos” he repeated in a panic. It turned out that you were not allowed to take photos inside the cave because the flash on cameras was ruining the ancient paintings on the walls. Well, if they made this known on signs, then I would have obeyed it. I sneaked out of the cave with my head bowed in shame and amongst a sound of repeated tuting and rude looks from his loyal group that was following him.





4 - So I soon realized that when you have seen the first cave church, you must as well go to the exit of the open air museum because all the cave churches look the same. I decided instead, to make the most of it and practice my new found hobby of photography. This is the other thing you must know about Goreme Open air museum. If you want family photos, know that every Tom, Dick and Harry will appear in them as well.


If someone was taking photos, I stopped and waited instead of walking in front of the camera. When it turned out that I was the only one with this philosophy, I decided that if you cannot beat them, join them. My face will appear in random stranger’s photo albums across the globe.





5 - Did I mention that the guide at the entrance also said that in the height of season they receive up to 2000 visitors a day? Bear this in mind, when I tell you that there is only one toilet! 35 minutes later, when I was seriously considering peeing into an empty water bottle, I managed to make it into the one and only cubicle, which at that point seemed like paradise even though it had run out of toilet paper.


6 - I returned to my husband who was waiting outside for me with a cold cup of vile coffee and a smug look on his face that said “I told you so…” Just to get back at him, I made him buy me a book on Goreme Open Air museum that I didn’t really want and to this day have still not read.


So, I don’t know whether the guide book lied to me or it was the snowball effect that left me with a poor impression of the Goreme Open Air museum. However I am glad I went because I can at least say that I have been there and done it.

Walking The Ihlara Valley

Ihlara valley in Cappadocia is a place that you will either love or hate. It is a 14Km hike through a gorge that was formed thousands of years ago when there was an earthquake and volcano eruptions one after the other.

If you don’t want to complete a full 14km trek, there are four entrances and exits situated at various points. Just completing 4km of the Ihlara Valley trek will amaze you and remind you about the power of Mother Nature. The entrance that I walked down was 365 steps but there are other entrances where you can drive straight down to the gorge.

Along the trek are four ancient Christian churches that were made hundreds of years ago when people carved into the rock and made caves their homes and places of worship. You can see still paintings on the rock face that were made all those years ago.

Pack plenty of water bottles to drink along the way because even though there is a tea garden and restaurants along the trek, you will definitely build up a thirst. The food at the restaurant was good if your taste buds had previously lost the will to live, otherwise I would take a packed lunch if walking makes you build up an appetite.

I went to the Ihlara valley as part of a day tour that I had booked. We spent about three hours there and that included having lunch. If you are the type of person who loves walking and sightseeing then I would suggest skipping the tours and coming here independently  so that you can spend a full day taking in the surroundings at your own pace. We were with a group of eight other people and I felt the walk through the gorge was too quick.

We only completed 4km but in this time, I would have liked to stop and take in the beauty of the Ihlara Valley.  I also would have liked to visit the small village of Ihlara nearby, and take in the ambience of how Turkey really is.  Readers that know me, will also know that I live in Altinkum which is a Turkish town geared up for tourists. It has lost its authenticity where as one look at Ihlara will tell you that they have been totally unaffected by the thousands of tourist that visit there every year.

This walk is definitely getting in touch with nature in its prime and even if you only complete 4km of the trek, I strongly recommend you put it at the top of your list of things to do when in Cappadocia.

In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks. Quote by John Muir

Derinkuyu.The Ancient Underground City

The ancient underground city of Derinkuyu is proof of what man can achieve when his life is threatened. It is a complex network of tunnels and rooms that formed a city 100 meters under the ground.

Hundreds of years ago, when the area was attacked, citizens used to flood to the underground city and stay until it was safe to re-enter the land of the living.

Warning

The ancient Derinkuyu underground city is not a place to visit if you suffer from claustrophobia, high blood pressure, a dickey heart or panic attacks. Walking down the flight of stairs in the Derinkuyu City sometimes becomes so cramped that you begin to lower your head and feel suffocated by the lack of space.

There is a mass of tunnels and rooms and the only way to find your way is by following the arrows put there by the association that manages the city. Red means you are going further into the city, blue means you are going out and back up to the surface. When visiting Cappadocia, I entered the Derinkuyu caves and explored eight levels  of this man made city which makes me give credit where it is due.

The Derinkuyu underground city is impressive and shows man’s commitment to self-preservation and what he can achieve when everything he has ever known is threatened. ( Note, there is eleven levels to the city but not all of them are open  to the public).

The city was big and complex but there was a general layout to it. Animals were crowded into the top level of the city; the kitchens were placed on the next level, domestic living rooms on the next level after that and so forth. The citizens that built the Derinkuyu underground city thought of everything. This city was not intended for permanent living however it could be months that they stayed in there until it was safe to go back up.

So they had a plan for everything

* Sometimes people would go crazy. Days without sun and fresh air can affect a man’s mind. If people went crazy, there were stone slots that they were tied to with a piece of rope. This would prevent them from trying to escape to the surface or attacking other people.

* If anyone tried to sneak out of the underground city, they would be crucified and their bodies were all put in one room to prevent disease. This was done as a deterrent because if anyone got caught on the surface, it is possible they would give away the secret of hundreds of people living under the ground.

* Stone wheels were rolled across entrance ways to form doors and they could only be opened from the inside.

* There was fresh well that provided water to certain levels and air ducts ensured a fresh supply of oxygen.

* Weekly prayer took place in the church. A storage room would hold the supply of wheat and grain while a winery would produce alcohol so everyone could get drunk and forget where they were living.

I have to say, that when I come out into fresh air, I was very glad. I felt suffocated just spending an hour in there; can you imagine how people felt in the past when they had to spend months in there?

Be prepared for a rush of touts selling items when you leave the underground city, apart from that it is a fantastic place to visit and makes you feel very humble indeed. If underground cities are your thing, then make your holiday a long one as there are 36 of them to see in Cappadocia.