Goreme, Turkey

 

 

Trail in Rose Valley

The bus ride from Istanbul to Goreme was a long 11 hours. I sat down in my seat prepared for a long journey. I had just gotten comfortable when we stopped and my seat buddy got on. It was a large turkish woman that was very sweet. She smiled at me and started rattling off turkish. I smiled and did my best to say I did not understand. She patted my hand and smiled at me. I loved her head scarf and Allibaba pants. She was so cute! We left the city and the steward came down the aisle with ice cream. Yes! Ice cream! I think I was going to love the Turkish buses! That was followed with several rounds of tea. I finally drifted off to sleep. A few hours later I awoke hot and sweaty. Is this a hot flash? I realized I was warm because the Turkish woman was cuddled up to me. Her arm was across my chest and one leg was over my left leg. Hmmm! I liked her but not this much! I giggled and wished I could take a photo. I finally decided to roll to my side and face the window. Luckily she woke up and shifted in her seat. I could not get comfortable the rest of the trip. She kept ending up on top of me! I got very little sleep and was tired and uncomfortable by the time the bus arrived in Goreme.

I looked out the window and saw Ethem waiting for me with my name on a sign. We collected my bags and walked over to an ATV for a ride up to the Ocak Guesthouse and Restaurant. I was greeted by Muso (his wife) who showed me to my cave room. It was fantastic! I wanted to lie down and take a nap but Muso had prepared a Turkish breakfast and invited me to join the family. Yummy! Golzeme, eggs, bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese, yogurt, French fries, strawberries, apricots and tea. It was delicious and gave me some energy. I had told Ethem I would like to go up in a hot air balloon and explore the area on ATV. He called a friend that brought over an ATV. I was signed up for a balloon ride the next morning.

 

Ethem said he would take me in a tour of the red road. He would drive his motorcycle and I could follow on the ATV. I was given a quick instruction on how to drive it and what stuck in my head was "use all 3 brakes no problem. Use one brake you die!" Alright! All three brakes! As I left the Ocak Guesthouse, I went slowly. This was very different from my scooter. It was big, heavy and clumsy to drive. Not as smooth to maneuver. I got to town and was jerking along when I realized I forgot to lift my foot off the third brake. Tourists stared at me. I smiled and waved and went on my way.

Once I got the hang of the ATV, it was fun! Ethem took me on shortcuts up and over hills where nobody else followed. The views were magnificent. 

At one point I was coming down the side of a mountain and I was certain I was going to roll the ATV. It was bigger than the trail and I was sitting at a 75 degree angle between rocks. Slowly but surely, I finally reached the bottom of the trail. I let out a huge sigh of relief. I could have used a drink at this point!

Ethem had another trail he wanted to take me up but thought it was best to take me on his motorcycle. I jumped on the back as we headed up to the secret mountain view. The path was small and steep. It was rock covered with sand so, at times the wheels spun and Ethem pushed with his legs. I was screaming and laughing at the same time. We got to the top and I got off the bike. I wanted to bend over and kiss the ground. Whew! Ethem looked at me and said he was scared and did not think we would make it! What?!?  The view was worth it! It overlooked Rose Valley and farmland with grapes and walnut trees.

We started the ride back down the sandy, slippery slope and I kept asking if I should get off and walk. No problem was Ethem's response. When we reached the bottom of the trail, some tourists walked over and said I was really brave. They were more impressed I laughed the whole way down. Really?!?! I thought I was screaming the entire way down! My hands were still shaking. Ethem laughed and later told the story to the neighborhood guys. He admitted he was more scared on the trip down the hill and laughed that I clung to him for life. I did! I was certain I would end up in the hospital. I kept telling myself....you have travel insurance. Everything will be ok! I was glad I survived.

We continued on and did some hiking in the area. I was amazed by the beauty of the natural surroundings. As we hiked into the valley, there were herbs growing wild. As I brushed past them I smelled thyme. Ethem picked some to take back to the guesthouse for herbal tea. Farmers offered me grapes and walnuts. It was a delicious treat as we hiked the area.

 

My day was spent exploring the valleys and villages. We stopped and watched a family make pecmez (syrup made from grapes). They brought me a cup of freshly squeezed grape juice (no added sugar) and warm pecmez to sample. We bought a bottle for the restaurant and headed to Sunset point. The sunset was fantastic over the valley. No words can describe this beauty.

 

It was an amazing first day in Goreme. I was tired and hungry as we returned to the guesthouse. I enjoyed a delicious meal at Ocak. The local cuisine was delicious. Muso was a fantastic cook. All of the foods were cooked in clay pots in a tandoor.

I was tired and went to bed. I knew I would sleep well and be ready for a hot air balloon ride in the morning.