Cappadocia exploration

Many of our new-found friends have opted for the early morning balloon ride through the valleys of this magical place.  Bruce and Vicky opted for a bit more sleep, knowing that there was going to be lots to see today regardless.   The ballooners had a wonderful time and we heard the stories at breakfast. 

We started with an open air museum, where these dwellings had been occupied by monastic Christians who had created several little churches and adorned them with frescoes.  Some were very tiny and some had been sadly defaced (literally) by those who came afterwards (including tourists).  This place was pretty crowded with tourists so it was rather difficult to really enjoy the site.   Several stops were made, each one giving a different perspective on the dwellings and their surrounding landscape.

 

Lots of People!

Like another world

Looks like a camel!

Trails to explore all over

Good times!

Our last stop

Then off to a Turkish Carpet demonstration with the proprietor offering lunch and an in-depth explanation of the different carpets and their quality from wool to silk.  Wow… We must have been impressed because we bought one!  Our guide helped us negotiate the price and we walked away, with treasure in hand. 

Raw silk ready to be spun.

Months of work going into each carpet

Our treasure.

Then more exploration of the valleys and cliffs, then to a ceramic pottery demonstration where we succumbed once again and have yet another item to figure out how to bring home.  A beautiful decanter, in white ceramic with turquoise coloring. 

A freshly thrown decanter that was cut in half for demonstration purposes.

Painstaking decoration