Turkey part 5: Central Turkey and Cappadocia

April 2^nd 2022

Tarsus – Kazıklıali Canyon, Turkey

Miles: 90 (150km)

Miles total: 8’040 (12’950km)

Today the Iveco has to work hard. It goes up from sea level to 5000 feet (1600m). We prefer the main road for this mountain stretch and not the highway as it is full of trucks! The reason for this is Turkey's largest port in Mersin, from where trucks transport goods throughout the country. The higher we get, the closer the snow is. Around noon we look for something to eat in the empty restaurants. Today is start of Ramadan, the Islamic fasting season. Muslims are not allowed to eat or drink anything between sunrise and sunset during a month. We and a few other guests are still served something from the partially reduced range of food :-)!

At the edge of Aladağlar National Park we arrive at our destination, Kazıklıali Gorge. We find one of the most beautiful places to sleep on this entire trip. In the background, the more than 10’000 feet (3000m) tall peaks of the Taurus Mountains and right next to us the Kazıklıali Gorge. 10 minutes after our arrival, a park ranger comes rushing up in his antique Renault and wants to collect the national park fees.

April 3^rd – 4^th 2022

Kazıklıali Canyon, Turkey

A cold wind is blowing outside, we enjoy the fantastic view from our couch in the morning and occupy ourselves with diary writing, internet, household chores, etc. Incidentally, we are still enthusiastic about the open, bright living room of our camper. The windscreen has already given us some fantastic views in the past! In the course of the morning we suddenly see three large dogs on the horizon, slowly trotting towards us. We get out and bribe them with some dog food :-).

Not only the size of the Kangal-dogs is extraordinary, but also their fearsome spiked collars. These are the livestock guardian dogs that belong to the large flock of sheep that is now also slowly coming over the hill. The spiked collars are put on them so that they cannot be bitten on the neck during predator attacks. In any case, we have quite a bit of respect for the huge dogs and don’t cuddling them for the time being. The herd and other dogs approach until we and the Iveco are in the middle of the flock of sheep :-).

The woolly animals graze peacefully next to us for a while, use the Iveco as a scratching aid and the dogs make themselves comfortable in the shade of the Iveco. One of the seven! dogs is particularly trusting and like to be petted by us. We try to exchange a few words with the shepherd and are finally able to repeat the sentence “The sheep are beautiful” that we had learned in Turkish :-). Soon the shepherd drives the sheep on and we prepare for our hike into the gorge.

We first march along the chasm across the plateau, then a small road leads down into the gorge. In a good two hours, we walk through the whole gorge and are amazed by the beautiful rocky landscape that we find here. The snowy mountains in the background make everything even more beautiful :-). Towards the end we even meet other people, a couple from Austria, who are climbing here and are also traveling with the camper (truck). They have already been here for a few days and even went on a ski tour in the Aladağlar Mountains the day before.

The next day we drive into the national park, we want to spend the night at the official campsite. It's actually a short distance there, but we're making slow progress as we keep sighting animals.

First, we discover a herd of ibexes on a nearby slope! We excitedly pull out our binoculars and camera. The beautiful animals with the magnificent horns and black goatees only move away from us slowly, so that we can watch them for quite a while. A little further from the bucks we also discover stone goats with their young team. A beautiful and totally unexpected experience! As the journey continues, we encounter a few “wild chickens”, a pair of willow hops and a squirrel. After the welcome stops, we arrive at the campsite, set amidst a magnificent mountain backdrop. There is still snow left and the grassy areas are quite muddy. Since we are alone anyway, we easily find a suitable place. Apart from us, only the park ranger is present, but he doesn't notice our arrival because he's sleeping on the back seat of his old Renault 9 :-). There's even a smart sanitary building here, which I've been to inspecting. In a toilet, I see a heavily dripping faucet and want to turn it off. I would have let this action better be!

Unfortunately, due to the language barrier, we can't talk to him much, but when we tell him about the ibex, he gets his binoculars and shows us a place where the ibex often stay. And indeed, high up we spot a whole group lying happily in the sun or scrambling around on the rocks. We offer the ranger tea, but he refuses, he strictly adheres to Ramadan. He also has his prayer rug with him and later performs his prayers in the middle of the campsite.

In the afternoon, we take a short hike into the mountains, but the snow soon stops us from further ascent and we enjoy the rest of the afternoon at the quiet idyllic campsite.

April 5^th 2022

Kazıklıali Canyon – Göreme, Turkey

Miles: 90 (150km)

Miles total: 8130 (13’100km)

We want to see them again before we set off, yesterday's ibexes! And indeed, they are in the same place. There is even an ibex at the top of the summit! We leave the valley at 5200 feet (1600m) satisfied. On the way, we meet the ranger again, but unfortunately we can't say goodbye to him because he's sleeping on the back seat of the Renault again :-).

Despite the fasting period of Ramadan, we find a place on the way that serves us soup and a local specialty, a clay pot with bubbling chicken.

Now Cappadocia, probably the most touristic region in all of Turkey, is getting closer. We see the first rock caves and tufa rocks (more details in the next report) and shortly afterwards land in the mega-touristy village of Göreme. Since we will be here for 10 days we look at all three campsites. Luckily, the prettiest is also the cheapest :-). Extreme tourist spots also have their good sides, so in the evening we visit a delicious Indian restaurant and fill our bellies with spicy curry dishes.

April 6^th – 17^th 2022

Göreme, Turkey (Cappadocia)

Miles: 50 (80km)

Miles total: 8’180 (13’180km)

The report about the world famous Cappadocia is divided into the following chapters:

1. The first few days alone

2. Family visit from Switzerland

3. The last few days alone

Link from a newspaper - An exciting travel report with lots of interesting background information about Cappadocia. Very worth reading! We have not given much details of the places visited in our own report for this reason.

1. The first days alone

The reason why we set up camp for ten days is the expected family visit from Switzerland! My parents and Stefan's mother are coming to visit us for five days! After almost a year on the road, we are so happy to see our loved ones! But before that there is still a lot to do and so we spend the first two days mainly on the campsite and do overdue work such as washing clothes, tidying up and cleaning the camper as well as the always pending work such as writing diary, sorting photos, editing the website etc. We can reach the village Göreme in just 10 minutes on foot and so we let ourselves be spoiled every evening by the culinary variety offered there!

We roll out of bed and walk onto the campsite's viewing terrace. From here we see around 40 colored balloons floating in the sky above the bizarre landscape! A breathtaking picture, almost like from another world! We walk to another vantage point outside the campsite, which also offers a fantastic panorama and is also better suited for taking pictures without backlight. Great start to the second day!

2. Family visit from Switzerland

On April 8^th, the time has come! We pick up the previously organized rental car around noon. We have to admit that this Renault Symbol is a bit nicer to drive than our Iveco ;-). And so, we rush through the area a bit, Stefan can really push the pedal to the metal again, and we explore the region. In the nearby town of Avanos, we have lunch and discover by chance the varied weekly market, where loudly vegetables, fruits, spices and herbs are offered for sale, but also tools, livestock accessories, clothes and shoes are sold. Towards evening we set off for the airport, which is a good hour away from Göreme, in the big city of Kayseri. At 10PM is the expected arrival! It's a small airport, we have to wait in front of the building because nobody is allowed in the arrivals area. Half an hour after landing we are getting a bit restless, everyone is already outside, where are they? We suspect that something went wrong with the luggage! Suddenly we spot them through two windowpanes in the luggage area. We wave, Stefan's mother Rosmarie has already spotted us and rushes out to us without luggage... A warm welcome! Unfortunately, a little drama begins now! The luggage was already transported to Kayseri on a previous flight and is therefore not on the luggage belt. A flight attendant organizes the suitcases, but logically asks for the third person (Rosmarie), who unfortunately is already outside and will not be let in. However, this is not clear to my parents and so my mother Christa also leaves the baggage area to bring Rosmarie back inside. We can still prevent her from getting out of the building and so Rosmarie is now with us, Christa is stuck in the intermediate area and my dad Hans is waiting in the luggage area! We try to negotiate with the security woman, but she hardly speaks English and strictly follows her rules. Now Rosmarie loses her nerve and impulsively pushes past the security lady. Followed by this, she runs to the next door, where Christa is negotiating with a security guard via Google Translate. Here, too, Rosmarie runs through, a small scuffle ensues, whereupon she tears herself away from the security guard and stands back in the baggage area, surrounded by security guards! What a tumult!!! At the same time, Hans is on his way to the exit with the flight assistant and his luggage. The situation calms down, fortunately Rosmarie can get out of the building without further consequences and can receive her suitcase from the flight attendant. Finally, we can say hello and hug each other. The great excitement overshadowed the other emotions a bit, but the joy still prevails! Luckily, the hour-long drive to the hotel runs without complications and our parents move into an extravagant room in one of the many cave hotels.

For the next five days, we will explore the unique Cappadocia together. The many valleys are scattered over a large area, each with unique rock formations, in different shades of color, created by wind and weather. A natural spectacle of a special kind! We visit the most famous valleys, go on short hikes, visit old cave churches and dwellings, stroll through the weekly market in Nevşehir and taste the delicious Turkish food. We enjoy the time together and are happy that we can share this extraordinary experience with our parents.

Rose Valley & Red Valley:

Ürgüp, the three beauties & Devrent (Imagination) Valley:

Göreme, Sunset Point & Open Air Museum:

Pasabag Valley:

Zelve Valley & Göreme:

Love Valley:

Uchisar Castle:

Ilhara Valley:

How did this area got created? Two active volcanoes covered the area with a thick layer of lava 50 million years ago. When cooled down, this resulted in a mixture of basalt, ash and sand. The mass has solidified over time into tuff, a soft rock. The weather made its contribution and deformed the rock layers of different hardness into the most unusual formations and landscapes. More interesting background information can also be found in this news article or on Google :-).

On the fourth day, we experience the return of winter, the daytime temperatures drop from a pleasant 70°F (20°C) to 40°F (5°C) and in between it even snows. Actually, an ideal day to visit the underground city in Derinkuyu. But unfortunately, my stomach puts a spanner in the works. I wake up in the night and feel very uncomfortable. Towards morning it is finally clear that it is a gastrointestinal problem. My body-circulation also breaks down, I briefly lose consciousness on the way back from the toilet and Stefan has to pick me up off the floor.

Ironically, when there is a visitor, something like this has to happen! I probably ate something bad the day before. In Nevşehir we ate in a small non-touristy restaurant, where a reduced menu was offered despite Ramadan. Everyone ate the same thing, and Stefan and I each drank a glass of Ayran (yoghurt drink). Strangely enough, but luckily, no one else had problems except me.

On April 14^th, at 5:30AM, we leave for the airport. Unfortunately, it's time to say goodbye. This time we get away without police intervention and can enjoy the last breakfast together at the airport. Saying goodbye is difficult because we won't be seeing each other again for a long time.

3. The last days allone

We stay another three days at the campsite, twice undertake longer hikes through already known, but also unfamiliar terrain. A fantastic area for walking!

Uchisar & Pigeon Valley:

Red Valley & Rose Valley:

On April 17^th, we leave the campsite and make up for a visit to an underground city, of which there are over 37 in the area! We choose Kaymakli, a labyrinthine cavern of tunnels and rooms, the ground has been excavated eight stories deep (but only four are accessible)!

The cities are over 2000 years old, but have been used and expanded in different centuries and mainly served as hiding places from attackers. Some of the residents lived under the ground for months at a time!

Back in Göreme we treat ourselves to another delicious Indian dinner and then drive to a place to stay with a magnificent view of the rocky landscape. On the way, we spot a beautiful gray fox prowling around the area at dusk. Later in the evening we make the contact of René from Berlin, who is driving his Renault Twingo from Germany to Iran via Turkey and is sleeping in the car! Of course, we invite the nice guy to our Iveco living room and enjoy tea and cookies while chatting.

April 18^th 2022

Göreme – Kangal, Turkey

Miles: 170 (270km)

Miles total: 8’350 (13’450km)

13 days Cappadocia! We can only afford this in terms of time because we are allowed to stay in Turkey for more than three months thanks to our Turkish identity card. The time has come to move on! We leave before 10AM. The reason is the wind. Also at night and now in the morning it will blow strongly, according to the forecast it will be 50 knots wind in a few hours! It's going east. As expected, the wind picks up and blows full throttle from the side. The awning rattled frighteningly through the storm, we shook back and forth and the steering wheel had to be kept firmly in hand. Now it's getting too colorful for us, we take a tea break and hope that the wind will calm down a little. Halfway through the route we prefer the side roads. Why side roads, one or the other might ask? In countries like Turkey they are often in worse condition! We are still drawn to such paths regularly! You drive leisurely through villages, have time to experience local life and simply experience the area more intensively than if you rush down main roads.

A section of this side road is probably only used by tractors, in any case we don't meet any cars and our speed is reduced to 15mph (20km/h) because of the unpaved, stony road! The area is heavily used for agriculture. Farming as far as the eye can see and the tiny villages consist only of farms. The hills that appear again and again are covered with sparse grass, and there is still snow in places. Since there is no traffic next to us, we are even greeted by a kind of meerkat and strikingly beautiful ducks on the roadside :-).

Despite the lonely area, it is rather difficult to find a place to sleep. The few paths that branch off the road usually lead to residential buildings. We don't want to stand in places right next to the road and the remaining areas are taken up by agriculture. After some searching we end up at a picnic area, a little off our street. Unfortunately, a thermal power plant is nearby and we smell a somewhat unusual odor outside, which is blown in our direction by the wind.

April 19^th 2022

Kangal – Divriği, Turkey

Miles: 90 (140km)

Miles total: 8’440 (13’590km)

After a few miles, we head for the town of Kangal.

On this rainy day, we move further east to the town of Divriği and look for something to eat in the early afternoon despite Ramadan. As expected, the offer is limited. There is a Turkish pizza called pide, a soup and two teas. Our soup plates are only half full, hmmm... why? When paying, the woman insists that we don't pay for the soup because they've obviously run out of it. And so, we only pay 3$ for our food!

Now we take you to a building that is second to none! The Divriği Mosque. We can see from afar that it is being renovated (already for 6 years). The gates are closed and entry is not permitted. Nevertheless, we stand full of enthusiasm in front of the gates of the mosque.

The 800-year-old structure is said to be unique in the Islamic world with its carved stone gates, which have undercut and bridge-forming shapes, and the extremely good condition. There are people who say that the extraordinary and intricate craftsmanship proves the existence of God. We don't go that far :-) but we are full of enthusiasm.

Now further, with the idea in mind to find a place to sleep. We continue east along a large iron ore mine with the largest iron reserves in Turkey. On Google Maps, we coincidentally discover a beautiful rocky landscape not too far from the road. We steer the Iveco a few miles along a gravel road to our destination and park on the side of the road for the night due to the lack of alternatives.

April 20^th 2022

Divriği – Kemah , Turkey

Miles: 70 (120km)

Miles total: 8’510 (13’710km)

Despite the unusual place to stay right on the little road, we slept great. The side street is hardly used. And luck with the weather is also on our side! In the most beautiful sunshine we hike to the rock formations.

Deep ditches open up in the hilly, green landscape, the various layers of red rock appear, sometimes hundreds of little rock towers have been formed by wind and weather. It amazes us that this fantastic natural wonder is absolutely unknown. We explore the quiet area on foot for almost two hours and enjoy the beautiful landscape all around. Nearby there is a large lonely farm from where the shepherds go out over the hills with their goats, sheep and cattle. The onward journey towards Erzincan takes us through breathtaking landscapes.

The rounded hills of soft rock are sparsely overgrown and furrowed. The lush green fields in the valleys are in stark contrast to the dry brown hills. Wherever a river flows through the valley, tall poplars grow on the river banks. The snow-covered mountains appear repeatedly on the horizon. We are fascinated by the different layers of rock, some of which run through the mountains in bands, characterize entire hills or individual rocks. In the town of Ilic we make a stop for something to eat. Once again there is our Ramadan menu: Pide! We are always amazed that there are such large villages, almost cities, with several blocks of flats in this rather isolated area. Before leaving Ilic, we drive briefly to a viewpoint with a magnificent panorama. What also strikes us in this area is the large number of sheep that move across the country in large herds or stay in pens in front of the simple stables. On a small winding road we continue to the east.

The red layers of rock are becoming more and more frequent and intense, rock and soil, yes the whole landscape is turning red! We are happy to find a nice place to stay in this area, a little off the road near an old quarry. During dinner, it's already dark, we suddenly hear car doors and voices. We feel a little queasy, we open the door and see four men in the headlights. Two come closer, we say hello and they ask us something in Turkish. Stefan stands in the door and only replies that we don't understand anything. That's apparently all they want to know... They say their goodbyes and quickly disappear. We spend the rest of the evening speculating who that might have been. Was it nosy neighbors or the police? We don't know, but our guess is that it's either civilian police or military.

April 21^st 2022

Kemah, Turkey

Write reports, bake bread, juggle. Like this, we spent the cozy day in a beautiful place!

April 22^nd 2022

Kemah – Bindal, Turkey

Miles: 70 (110km)

Miles total: 8’580 (13’820km)

We continue through a valley along the Euphrates. Like us, this river may look familiar to you. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the most important rivers in the Middle East and continues to Syria and Iraq, where it forms the lifeline for millions of people.

Now on with the journey. To our surprise, we pass a heavily guarded military checkpoint. Several heavily armored vehicles are ready and the military are there with bulletproof vests and rifles. We're waved through. As always, I watch what is happening in the rear-view mirror and notice that someone is running after us and waving. So, we have to stop. The somewhat grumpy men check our passports and even our Turkish identity cards accurately. Now someone gets into the camper and wants to see if there are other people in it. We suspect that the increased presence is due to tensions between the Kurdish Workers' Party PKK and the Turkish government. In the larger, un-touristy city of Erzincan, we head straight for the large shopping mall, as this is the best place to get lunch during Ramadan. Before we can get our hands on something, we are intercepted at the stand of an animal protection organization and of course we are happy to donate a few lira to a good cause. Further in the high regions of Turkey. We master a 6500 feet (2100m) high pass and look in vain for a suitable place to sleep. We want to be a bit hidden off the main road. A small, hardly used road leads towards tiny villages; we try our luck. In the first village, an astonished old man explains to us that the road is not entirely passable. We turn around and stand in a place aside the road between the village and the main road.

April 23^rd 2022

Bindal – Zigana, Turkey

Miles: 90 (150km)

Miles total: 8’670 (13’970km)

Like three days ago, we get a visit from some security people in the morning. Without showing any ID, without a uniform, without an official vehicle. We suspect that it must be some kind of federal police force. With somewhat serious faces, they want to know what we are doing here and we explain with our few Turkish words that we will continue in a moment. And they're gone as quickly as they came. We continue east.

On the way, we fill up 55 gallons (200L) of spring water at the roadside and empty our toilet at a mosque. Here in the mountains there are often small, lonely mosques on the side of the road, which always have the simplest outhouses and running water. So, perfect for emptying the toilet :-).

The journey runs through barren, brown, stony valleys. Right in the middle of it are larger towns like Gümüshane, where construction is almost always going on like crazy. Entire block settlements often arise. We climb the 6500 feet (2100m) high pass on a more direct route, which, however, leads over small, rather untraveled roads. There we set up camp next to a ski lift and treat ourselves to tea in one of the pass restaurants.