Istanbul - The day before my trip to Turkey, my friend Sharlene demanded I stop in Göreme, and reluctantly I did. And for that I am eternally grateful.
The landscape is fascinating. The entire area has a mystical hobbit feel to it. You walk around the shire half expecting to set eyes on Gandalf or Bilbo. The Nevsehir Province is made up of these sandstone cone shaped mountains that all look like fairy chimneys.
Göreme is a historic region and recognised Unesco World Heritage Site. The first chronicled inhabitants were Christians during the Roman period and they lived in square carved-out caves impressively high up in the cone shaped mountains.
I opted to dwell in a cave for my one night there, it was simply called the Traveller’s Cave Hotel and at E55 (R737) for B&B, was an affordable experience. Bekir, the hotel owner also kindly shuttled you up the steep hill from the bus stop. From the reception to my room I ambled down 91 steps.
This magical town is easy to navigate, with two main roads bisecting each other and a number of smaller offshoots winding up the hills. Following the route the shuttle had taken me, I strolled down to the main part of town. Turning left into the next main road, I headed out of town towards the hills to Pigeon Valley. After a decent hike and a bit of rock climbing I literally had a bird’s eye view overlooking all of Göreme.
On my way back I stopped for an early dinner at a spot called One Way. I was eager to try the meal Cappadocia is renowned for, pottery kebab. It came in an enclosed clay pot which the waiter broke open with a small hammer. The meat dish was served with rice and a simple garden salad. Delicious.
Once the sun had set, the fairy chimneys became more mystical bathed in yellow lights: some from large spotlights, others from the abodes cut into the rocks.
Sunrise greeted early risers, taking the opportunity to float above the chimneys in hot air balloons. The experience cost e120 through Bekir. Other adventures on offer were quad biking, horse riding, cycling and hiking.
My highlight in Göreme was cave crashing. I spent several hours on foot following signs for the famous Rock Churches. After spending ages in the El Nazar Kilisesi Church looking at the beautiful cave paintings, I roamed the surrounding area discovering more caves with humble paintings that were open to the elements.
The former tenants had chipped away steps to their front doors, so with a bit of clambering, you could get in. Each cave had a different feel to it, some with crumbling pillars others with real pigeon holes, small rooms sprouting off the main living area. All of these had their own modest paintings on the walls, nothing as detailed as the churches, but enchanting nonetheless.
Next stop, Ephesus. This ancient place is remarkable and majestically beautiful, an ancient Greek city that started taking shape in the 10th century BC.It was modernised by the Romans.
Ephesus has the largest collection of Roman ruins in the eastern Mediterranean. Researching Ephesus, words such as flourished, attacked, conquered, destroyed, raided and damaged jump out at you and standing among the ruins it is hard to imagine all the blood that has spilt in this wonderful area.
Only a fraction of the ruins have been excavated and there is still so much more preserved under the surrounding hills.
Moments that stood out for me were visiting the original public toilets, the massive and impressive amphitheatre that until recently hosted big names like Sting, Pavarotti, Elton John and Ray Charles. The old harbour road and the road leading to the library that is rumoured to have housed all the best shops.
An outline of a foot carved into the marble promenade outside the brothels showed if the customer was man enough to spend time with the ladies. If your foot was smaller than this yard stick, you were unlucky.
The library of Celsus standing in all its glory was fabulous to see. It used to house 12 000 scrolls and now is home to Celsus who is buried in a sarcophagus there.
If you have time, the House of the Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis are well worth a visit. Both are a short drive away from Ephesus.
The House of Virgin Mary has a steady flow of pilgrims. The shrine is not large, more a modest chapel. Outside the is the wishing wall where pilgrims leave behind their personal intentions on paper or fabric and tie them to the wall.
The Temple of Artemis, one of the ancient wonders of the world, has just a few marble pillars standing lonely in a field on the outskirts of Ephesus. With a bit of imagination you can picture what it must have looked like. Parts of the temple are on display in the British Museum. The site was excavated in the 1860s and the temple transported to England.
Finally Gallipoli, directly translated means beautiful city. I accidentally spent a day touring here in winter. The seaside city was the venue to the Battle of Gallipoli in World War I that lasted eight months. The battle is regarded as a defining moment in Turkey’s history.
Memorials and burial grounds that are immaculately maintained. You find yourself looking up to a massive Anzac (The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) memorial and then further along, standing in actual trenches. About 100 000 lives were lost on this peninsula.
In the strait below there are supposedly 216 French, British and Italian vessels that were sunk and now are fabulous to explore, even for inexperienced divers.
If you find yourself in these parts, be sure to make a detour. It is an affordable trip.
How to get there and where to sleep…
Tickets were organised with Emirates by Lindi Drummond at LTJ Travel. The flight costs about R6 200 return to Istanbul.
How to get to Göreme/Ankara/Ephesus: I flew with Pegasus airlines to Ephesus and Ankara – you can pick up really cheap flights if you book in advance.
The bus to Göreme from Ankara was about 35 Turkish lira (R155).
You can get a flight from Istanbul to Göreme. Booking in advance reduces the cost significantly – you can get flights for about e20 (R268) one way.
The trip to Gallipoli cost about R1 200, including bus and tour. You can fly with a no frills airline, Anadolu Jet, or go by coach.
where to stay:
l Göreme: The Travellers Cave Hotel, e50 per night – booking direct online saves you 10 percent.
l Ephesus: Ayasoluk Hotel is about 2.5km away from the ruins, or the Saint John Hotel about 2.9km away.
Both clean and friendly. They cost about e90 per night.
l Gallipoli: The Oya Hotel or the Hamzakoy Blue Park Boutique Hotel are good options and close to the water.
Sunday Tribune