Another day in Goreme...........

Archie has been up to no good - so an extra day.  This morning I went with one of the Australian couples with a guide to walk the extraordinary landscape I saw from the balloon.  The place we were heading for is called the Rose Valley - not for the amount of roses that grow there but because of the rose coloured rock in the valley.  All around the Rose Valley the rocks are buff coloured but the Rose Valley truly stands out because of the beautiful pink coloured rock so different from the surrounding landscape.   It was an eyeopener to be walking in it rather than flying over it.  The soil was very sandy (ground up pumice I suppose) and some of the cone shaped rocks had pigeon lofts carved into them.  In fact it is not right to say that they are cone shaped, some are, but others are so phallic that I have been discussing this with one of my fellow travellers that they really look as if they have been deliberately shaped then erosion over the centuries has done the rest.  This seems a reasonable surmise because if these phallic shaped rocks then have rooms or a dwelling or possibly a sacred space carved inside them then there is the male/female principle in one rock.  Also what leads me to suggest this is that this whole area is obviously a very special area and could well be a sacred landscape.  There are so many rock churches and certainly the whole area was of deep spiritual significance to the early Christians, who used to build their churches on previous sacred  sites.  So to me this seems to be a logical explanation of these very individual and strange shaped rocks.  While in the Rose Valley we stopped to look at another rock church- this time with beautiful blue frescoes on the walls.  Most unfortunately defaced but the face of Christ was still distinguishable as were some of the higher paintings.  The walking was quite hard as a lot of ups and downs so when we got back to Goreme it was great to go to the Haman (Turkish baths) again.  This time we got the star treatment.  One of my fellow walkers (female) came with to the baths.  When we got in there it was mixed - men and women - but half way through a wonderful soap sud massage I heard some talking and then there was a distinct change in the energy and I realised that there were only women in the baths - myself, my fellow companion and our bath attendants/masseuse. Apparently they had asked a male client to leave!!!  So after a wonderfully relaxing Turkish bath we made our way back to the pension and now I am waiting to have my supper cooked for me by somebody else.

Goreme Landscapes

ROSE VALLEY WALK

These are some of the images that I took of our walk.

 

Leaving Goreme




 



Finding this little iris was a joy and delight



More of the strange rock formations



Entrance to one of the rock churches



Rock churches

 

Typical landscape - the colour was pinker

 

The Rose Valley

 


The castle at Uchisar on the skyline



Rock formations on the way back to Goreme



Goreme

A double Volkswagen

A cart to drive away in...............

Again it is taking ages to get on to the Internet.  I dread to think what will happen when we reach China - if I can use Google there by then.  As I write the muezzin is calling the faithful to prayer.  I usually sleep through it in the mornings now but in the hostel in Istanbul it was lovely to be woken up about 04:20 to the call and to roll back over and know there were a few more hours to go.  We are a sort of international group.  At Istanbul I thought that I was going to be the "token Pom" but it turns out that there are 4 of us, a Canadian, a German, and Irishman and the rest are Australians!  Our drivers are Kiwis so as things go quite international. 

The first morning our truck Archie was really not very well so we did not make the intended 05:00 start but left about an hour later.  We had had a couple of meals together before leaving on Friday so I nearly knew every body's name.  Then the journey started.  There was a "little moment" for me when we crossed the Bosporus in the early morning sunlight.  Istanbul went on for miles.  I was sitting at the table seat for that part of the journey so could have taken photos but did not at that point.  There seems to be a massive development programme going on in Turkey- the amount of new buildings is phenomenal.  One building caught my eye as we left - a tall apartment building in a soft terracotta - the balconies were set in a circle all the way up the building surrounded by stainless steel edging.  It looked so elegant and a perfect bit of design.  Ankara was even more built up-  all around the edge of the city there are blocks of tall apartment buildings/houses - either unfinished or empty.  Going round nearly 3/4 of the way round Ankara on the orbital motorway it was incredible to see so many of these plots of either empty or unfinished buildings.  They were all in the stage of development that they did not have the local Mosque nearby which is an indication that they were not inhabited.   The journey took the whole day from about 14 hours including pee breaks and a lunch stop. 

Goreme has to be seen to be believed.  It is a town in Cappadocia which has a long history of spiritual settlement.  Firstly there are outcrops of strange phallic shaped rocks and some of them are inhabited.  Looking at some of them I really feel that they have been fashioned to really emphasise the shape and if they can be dug into and made into habitations there is the male/female principle in one go.  What put me on to this is the extraordinary amount of very early Christian churches carved out of the rock further up the valley.  Cappdocia has links with the very early church, both St. George and St. John come from here as well as numerous others.  The paintings in the rock churches are magic, some of them the designs are very simple patterns and the cross in a circle  in red ochre, but in others the walls are alive with brightly coloured frescoes depicting  stories of saints, new testament stories and the life of Christ.  The churches are not big and there are so many of them in such a small area that there must have been a significant population to come to the churches.

The first morning in Goreme we went on a balloon flight - magic was not the word.  The extraordinary volcanic/larval landscape seen from above is truly awesome.  The twists and turns of the valleys; the striated layers of rock in different shades of pale sand to pale pink; every so often in the neck of a valley or on top of a hill are small vineyards with low vines in sandy soil.  The grass is very brownish green at the moment as it has been very dry although there was a light rain first thing this morning (Monday). 

The sun is warm and a bit like an early summer day (for UK though excluding the last 3 summers!) and pleasantly warm in the sun though it can be chilly in the shade and gets distinctly cold at night.  We will be camping in a couple of days time and we are promised SNOW as well as rain.  Archie is still ill and had to go to hospital this morning, though Dion our driver is a very competent mechanic as well as many other skills but if the worst comes to the worst we all get out and push!  

We had a wonderful meal last night at a carpet shop with a great deal of useful information about carpets - and guess what I have bought a carpet!  I looked at one last night- loved it but needed to sleep on it to truly make up my mind.  This morning I went down to say "no, I did not need it" and was with another of us buying a carpet and I fell in love with the one that he did not want. 

I think that this is enough for the moment- I am sure I have left out so much but there is so much going on it is hard to remember it all to put it down and I have not got my diary with me.  Best wishes to all, SuzieD

BALLOONING ABOVE GOREME

 

The "BIG PUFF"



Getting bigger

Shall we dance?

UP WE GO! 

Some balloons get away before us

A "basket" case

Swooping over towns

Getting higher



And flying over people's vineyards

We are not alone

For some the flight is over...

... but for the moment we are still aloft

Our shadow flight  

ROCK CHURCHES IN GOREME

BUYING A CARPET IN GOREME



Boiling up the dyes



"Ali Baba" shows how to dip the wool



"Ali Baba" shows more secrets



We are wined and dined

 

"In situ" and very much at home!



Joınıng the trıp............



The "MAGIC MOMENT"
crossing the Bosphorus in the early morning.  Now in a continent that I have never been to!

It has taken me ages to sıgn ınto Google - I had to keep goıng back over the address as I am stıll usıng the Turkısh keyboard so apologıes for any unusual letters.  My ımpressıons of Istanbul - the fırst couple of days were really warm and walkıng along the seafront I saw a group of dogs lyıng ın complete abandon ın the sun wıth theır heads restıng on the kerb - really enjoyıng the sun.   There are cats galore - mostly faırly grubby but that ıs cıty cats.   Some of them have that slıghtly orıtental look about them that makes me thınk of varıous Sıamese cats I have had. 

The cıty ıs amazıng - very busy - always on the go.  Yesterday I had my fırst experıence of the bargaınıng process.  I went ınto a carpet shop and although I was assured that I dıd not have to buy anythıng I was subjected to the full on technıque.  It took about three quarters of an hour and I left carpetless - but ın the meantıme I learned an awful lot about how carpets are made.  In the end the salesman had to admıt that he was beat!  By the way the carpet was lovely and would have gone beautıfully ın my front room - but I already have a carpet ın there that I lıke.  But the whole process was so cıvılısed.  I had 2 cups of apple tea and 5 star treatment of honoured customer and I would not have mıssed out on ıt for anythıng.  Slıghtly dıfferent today when I went out to buy a chador ın preparatıon for Iran.  There were a couple of us buyıng and we got down so far but no further -  Today I went to the Museum of Islamıc Technology and I was mındblown by the beauty and attentıon to detaıl ın the scıentıfıc ınstruments that I saw.  Then medıcal equıpment ıs stıll ın use today.  A whole gallery devoted to astrolabes - and the early maps showıng far more than the European maps of the tıme. 



We offıcıally started the trıp today although we do not leave Istanbul untıl Frıday (@ 05.00!!!) to go to Goreme.  So after    tomorrow there mıght be a bıt of a gap. 



Art Deco architechture in downtown
Istanbul




 

Not all my photos came out - I had some camera problems right at the beginning with cards, etc. with the old camera.  Then I found out that learning about a new camera on a trip is probably not the best way to take photos.  But they did seem to get better as the trip progressed.

Istanbul

Here at last.  Some of the spellıng ın thıs postıng may be a bıt strange as I am usıng a hybrıd Turkısh-other keyboard and I have to remember where certaın symbols are lıke the fullstop.  The flıght went vıa Vıenna and from the plane I could see the Danube - then as the flıght from Vıenna to Istanbul went over Hungary and Roumanıa there was the Danube agaın - loopıng ın great arcs and bows.  I was remınded of a wonderful fılm called Ulysses' Gaze: set ın the immedıate aftermath of the Balkan wars: where the blındıng of the Polyphemus was represented by a huge (socıalıst realısm sculpture) marble statue  beıng taken down the Danube of a barge.  

Arrıvıng at at the hostel ın Istanbul was a trembly moment as I stepped out ınto Constantınople of the storybooks as the hostel ıs set ın the old part of the cıty near the Bosphorus.   As I wrıte I look to the Bosphorus on one sıde: (sorry have not worked out commas!) the Topkapı Palace on the other and somethıng old: stone and covered ın ferns just across the street.  Frıends who know me wıll understand my transport of delıght when I dıscovered that the lav has a bıdet functıon - an all ın one!!!  Breakfast was overlookıng the Bosphorus already ın a heat haze.  Next door the fıgs are on the tree waıtıng to rıpen over the summer.  So that ıs ıt for the moment.

This is it.................................

I sitting in Surrey writing my last entry in the UK before getting up early (0500hrs!) to get to Heathrow for 0630.  I am feeling quite calm  at the moment.  I can't really believe it is going to happen.  But this may all change tomorrow morning when I get to the airport or even on the plane. 

The demise of the snazzy pink rucksack.............

Oh dear the snazzy pink rucksack has to be left behind and won't get a chance to see the Silk Road.  Everything fitted into it, clothes, sleeping mats, bowl, mug, cutlery and all the rest............ except the sleeping bag!  And the if I am going to be camping in the mountains as promised I want that -15 sleeping bag with me.  So it was replace and repack and I've sneaked  a couple of extra books in as well.  So Marco Polo goes with me as well as Tales from the Bazaars (Aminah Shah) to travel the Silk Road with its stories.   Departure day is iminent - I stay with friends in Surrey tomorrow and I know that they are "true" friends because they are going to get me to Heathrow for 0630 in the morning on Sunday.  Then it is Istanbul and the Silk Road.

Packing...............

Packing has begun in earnest.  And if everything is to fit in the snazzy pink rucksack then some things have to go - which meant one of the sleeping mats!  But I kept the down filled one in.  A couple of the lav rolls had to go to-  I really did not want to spend my time in Istanbul buying things like loo rolls but it looks like I will have to go to the nearest supermarket.  I am finding out about the practicalities of doing this sort of trip with minimal space.  Very good for future travels.  And now only a couple more days at home and then I am off on the first part of this incredible journey.

Countdown still going..............

The departure is now getting iminent as I say goodbye to family and friends.  There seem to be so many bits of things to sort out.  But it will all be worth it later next week when I am in Istanbul and even more worth it when I get on that bus on Wednesday 24th.   So in the meantime I will just content myself with a final clear up of the house so I don't get back to a tip and a few injections for some those diseases that one would rather not know about even less go somewhere where you might pick them up! 

Countdown 13 days to go

Getting quite twitchy at the moment and wonder about how I am going to fit everything into the bright pink bag!
I have been doing quite a bit of of thinking over the last couple of weeks about how I am able to do this journey anyway and how it all came about. It all came about when about 2 or 3 years ago I read a story from the Kalmyk people which obviously dated from the time that they lived in Central Asia, this story mentioned the Tien Shan mountains. (The Kalmyks were a nomadic people, who have a wonderful and at times very sad history. Originally they lived in the part of Central Asia which is in Kazakhstan, Russia, Monglia and China. After various wars and being pushed out of their grazing lands the Kalmyks migrated west to between the Volga and the Don. After they settled the Kalmyks were the only inhabitants of Europe who were Buddhist (Tibetan). They were horribly persecuted by Stalin and transported out of their Russian homelands during WW2 and now there are very few Kalmyks in the area between the rivers Don & Volga.) After reading the story I looked up Tien Shan mountains/Kalmyks on the internet, took a look at the Tien Shan (the Celestial or Heavenly mountains) on Google and knew that I had to go there. So that is how I am on the trip.
As to HOW I am able to do this trip - I would like to give thanks to my NHS orthopedic surgeon who gave me a wonderful replacement hip, the hospital /community teams and the friends who cared for me afterwards and helped my recovery. This means that I now have the mobility to go on such a long and what will be, at times, arduous, difficult and physically challenging trip as well as being exciting, so very different to where I have been before and by the end I think life changing. Over 2 years later I am still profoundly grateful for the treatment I received and I have not yet taken my replacement hip for granted. Thank you to the NHS and my friends for this.

Having only just left work (05.03.2010) I seem to have left everything to the "last minute" like setting up this blog as well as wondering how I am going to fit everything into the extremely snazzy bright pink rucsack I have bought but with limited space. Especially as I have opted for 2 sleeping mats, one down filled(!) as recent camping style has included a battery operated blow up matress and a very large tent - and no I have not been practising so I expect a few restless nights before I get used to the sort of camping I used to do. But I have great faith in everything panning out OK.