A week in Turkey
Flying into Antalya we spent the next day travelling through the picturesque Taurus mountains arriving in Konya, the long ago capitol city of the Seldjuk Empire and destination of many Turkish pilgrims. The Mevlana monastery was the highlight of the day, which is where the Dervish (meditation) dancing was first established; we were lucky enough to actually witness a presentation later in the week. Next stop Tufa,Cappadocia and its cliff-cones where inhabitants have carved cave-churches and homes. Due to repeated volcanic eruptions the land was originally covered in ash and lava, over the years these layers have loosened and grooves appeared. The landscape became ideal for hiding Christian churches until Christianity was declared legal in the 4th Century.
An amazing hot air balloon ride gave us an aerial view of the gob smacking scenery at sunrise. Goreme National Park (a world heritage site) and the Simeon Valley were very similar, some of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen and a massive step back in time to the 9th Century.
Heading back to Antalya, we drove back through the mountains where it had snowed and looked very much like a fairytale. Stopping on route at the Obrukhan, the famous Seldjuk caravan haven for the Camel trains of yesteryear, its amazing sink hole was enormous.
The next few days bought visits to a silk carpet factory, a stunning jewellers, and designer leather factory. We were also taken to the Karpazkaldiran Waterfalls, and the old town harbour. On our last day I choose to cruise down the river to the water mouth visiting the Victorian Viaduct on the way home.
I love travelling and this trip, thanks to the knowledgeable tour guide and great itinerary, was a great welcome back to Europe.
