Cappadocia: Straight off a Whimsical Fantasy

I marvel at the cavernous interiors of the room, chiseled from the soft tuff rock, formed millions of years ago by the eruption of the volcanoes that once dominated the landscape of Cappadocia.  The lava flows formed tuff rock, which the wind and the rain sculpted into winding valleys of craggy cliffs and conical fairy chimneys dotted with pockmarked caves and towering ravines.

The earliest settlers in this part of Central Anatolia curved their humble homes in these caves – a tradition followed to date. And many of the Cappadocian homes, like that of my host Okhtai, have been converted into boutique cave hotels.

For my 3-day sojourn in Cappadocia, I am staying at such a cavern hotel in the small town of Goreme, which has a history that is as fascinating as its landscape.

Byzantine Frescoes

The most illustrious phase of Goreme began in the Middle Ages when Byzantine Christians fled from the marauding Arabian armies and took refuge in the cliffside chambers tucked deep in the folds of this surreal moonscape.  The religious Christians not only built their rock-hewn living quarters but also a collection of rock-cut chapels and cavern churches, which are housed in a vast monastic complex – Goreme Open Air Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Despite centuries of weathering and vandalism, many of the beautiful frescoes of the cave churches are breathtaking with their freshness of colors. Built around 10^th to 12^th centuries, they mostly depict scenes from the Bible and the life of Christ, lending a Biblical solemnity to the barren splendor around.

The Valleys of Imagination

Next morning, we drive first to Devrent Valley. The lunar landscape looks like a sculptural amphitheater. The clustered collections of volcanic cones and pinnacles strangely resemble camels, crocodiles, and serpents. The next pit stop is Pasabag, also known as Monks Valley. Here, bizarre, mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys rear up from the surrounding vineyards. Monks Valley is uninhabited now, but hermits and monks once made their shelters amid these surreal formations.

Our next destination is Uchisar Castle, a royal rectangular crag, and the highest point in the whole of Cappadocia. The stunning panorama from the upper floors, reached by a winding outer stone staircase, leaves me spellbound; but the town disappoints a little. The large and trendy hotels, incongruously constructed across the undulating valley, look like eyesores amid the outlandish landscape and we hurriedly move on to Avanos.

The Red River quietly flows by the small town and as we stroll through the labyrinthine alleys, lined with grand, crumbling Greek houses of a bygone era. We cross the small river a few times before stopping at a pottery shop. Typically painted in turquoise or earthy browns and bright yellows, the beautiful pieces are traditionally shaped by men and painted by women. We collect a couple of pieces as souvenirs and settle for a late lunch at a riverside restaurant.

Cappadocia Flight of Fancy

Breakfast, the next morning, starts at the ungodly hour of 4 a.m. We gulp down some piping hot coffee to ward off the last vestiges of sleep and watch the 30-meter-tall balloon in the field inflate with the aid of power fans. At the pilot’s beckoning, we hop in the open balloon basket. The first shot of power flames from the propane burner inject into the balloon envelope.

Off we soar, the subtle motion of flight exhilarating our senses. The mild breeze carries us over the town of Goreme and the valleys. A thin layer of early morning mist drapes over the tall volcanic spires. The staggering panoramic view beneath leaves us speechless. We span up a hillside and dozens of balloons explode into view, a colorful mélange hovering above the valleys. After about 40 minutes of riding, our pilot deftly maneuvers the balloon through a narrow cleft of a valley and we hop off the basket, a little breathless from the intense experience, after a smooth landing.

Walking to the Red & Rose Sunset

A 2-hour afternoon drive takes us to the small town of Cavusin, dominated by a cliff where a cluster of abandoned houses tumbles down the slope in delightful disarray. We find a handful of souvenir shops in slumber mode, now that the last of the day-tour buses have rolled out of town. Taking the dusty, winding path that meanders out of town into the valley, we travel across the most picturesque part of Cappadocia – the Red and Rose Valley.

Hiking deep into the valley, we walk through a land that seems to be twisted out of proportion by an eccentric creator. Dusk tints the honeycombed hills and towering boulders in an otherworldly glow of rust-red. Our guide points to a small hill and says, “The best views are from up there.” We clamber to the top and a stunning vista rolls out below. Row after row of jagged cliffs, their crimson contours blushing in the evening sun, fill the horizon. As the sun finally sets, the last rays filter into the nooks and corners of the craggy ridges, exposing bizarre shapes and designs on furrowed rock faces. We retrace our steps in the twilight as the hills around us slowly turn from their ochre red to a soft creamy palette.

If You Go

The boutique cave hotels in the small towns of Goreme, Cavusin and Avanos offer comfortable, if not luxurious staying options. Anatolian delicacies, especially pitcher kebab, and Cappadocia dry wine can be a bonus for the culinarily curious traveler.

 

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