Hos geldiniz Göreme

• Friday, May 13, 2011

• Silkroad

After 7 days in the saddle, today I have a rest day. The journey to Cappadocia was marked by many experiences. The first two days we went right through the mountains. Who believes the Swiss passes are steep should come to Turkey. On the third day it finally got flatter. On the way to Konya I was pretty exhausted after 130 km. At a gas station I tried my luck. Mehmet Akgül and Izzettin Kaya did not want to let me sleep in the tent. They served me a supper and let me sleep in a real bed.

The weather in Turkey is quite changeable. Mostly the sun shines in the morning, around noon a strong wind sets in and in the evening it rains. After traveling with Tom for nearly a month, it's not easy to travel alone again.

The people here help a lot there. The Turks are a very helpful, friendly and proud people. Most of the time you always ask the 3 same questions: "Where are you from?", "Do you like Turkey?" And "Where are you going?". In Aksahray I met Jsmail Öksüz. He lived in Bremen for 35 years and is now the proud owner of a petrol station including Kirschbaum plantation.

The sleeping places have become very different. Once it is a bivouac and then another tent. Depending on the weather.

Before Acigöl I came into a thunderstorm. Suddenly a man ran across the street towards me. He worked in France for 3 years and spoke to me in French. Mustafa invited me to his home for a delicious lunch with Cay.

Well nourished we went on to Goreme in the heart of Cappadocia. The Hittites conquered Cappadocia between 1800 and 1200 BC. It was followed by the Persians and next the Romans, who founded the capital Caesarea (now Kayseri). During the Roman and Byzantine periods, Cappadocia first became a haven for early Christians until Christianity flourished between the 4th and 11th centuries.
The inhabitants certainly knew exactly what they were doing when they settled in Cappadocia. Deep in the heart of the country, they made a lunar landscape their home, chiseled houses and churches in the rugged cliffs and dug different cities. In doing so, they gave a valid example of how people can live in harmony with nature rather than mastering it. Cappadocia is hard to describe. Pictures sometimes say more than a thousand words. That's why I let the photos speak at this point.

Now it's on to Southeast Anatolia. Contact: wasserclown@gmx.ch.