Cappadocia and the Mediterranean

Hello!

We hope this post finds you happy and well wherever it is you are. We are in Olympos at the moment, on the Mediterranean Sea in the south of Turkey. It has been a whirlwind week since we wrote last. We've had a wonderful time sun and dramatic landscapes in Central Anatolia and the Mediterranean coast. By far the highlights of our travels have been two very special places: Cappadocia and Patara.

Cappadocia's scenery is surreal. Timeless erosion has left behind thousands of cone- and phallus-shaped pinnacles that, for the past 1500 years, the locals have hollowed into homes, graves, churches and monasteries. The result is unlike anything we have ever seen. Yellow, red and pink stone valleys are pock-marked with caves. Villages are built into mountains like Swiss cheese. Frescoes lie undisturbed in the carved church vaults - some only slightly damaged by the ravages of the iconoclasts some hundreds of years ago. Although clearly etched onto the tourist circuit, Cappadocia still remains relatively undisturbed (at least in May). Goreme, our hub for the region, was our first introduction to Turkish village life which moves at a pace of its own. A world where everyone knows everyone else. Every shop is run by a different family member. There is never no time for a glass of tea. People remember what it was their great-great-grandparents did, said and owned. It is a wonderful place.

Patara, however, is a jewel. Only an hour by bus from the tourist-trap circuit of the southern Mediterranean, Patara remains amazingly undisturbed. Not only is there an 18km white sand beach that can bring tears to your eyes, but there are also just a couple hundred meters away Roman ruins 2500 years old that lie under the careful watch of the local goat and cows that wander them. And we're not talking a little Greek arch. There is an amphitheater that could be used for performances here and now, a Parliament building that has yet to tell all its stories and innumerable Greek columns and cornices. As if all this weren't enough to make you pack your bags, our hotel, the Flower Pansiyon, has the best food in Turkey. Enough said.

One final word. Something not often mentioned about Turkey is that it is full of cats. Beautiful, household variety (and quality) cats. Cats are everywhere. It is not uncommon to be surrounded by six cats at dinner or five cats while sitting in a park bench. Anytime you feel like petting a lovely little ball of fluff, just look around and make your best "come-hear-kitty" sounds and gestures. Locals love them and treat them nicely. So far on our travels, Turkey takes the prize for the best place for cat lovers. Cat haters, beware.

We will write more soon. In the meantime, where are you?

PS: Click here for just a couple of pictures.
PPS: Everyone here seems to think David looks Turkish.