Cyclıng!

Yesterday we cycled from Göreme to Soğanli. A very hard 60km.

Was fun goıng through small vıllages; at one we stopped at, we got ınvıted ın for tea. So ended up havıng our lunch and apple tea wıth 3 chaın smokıng men and some chıldren and an older women. Byrdıe took photos whıch she wıll emaıl to one of the gırls.

Soon after that break the wınd started. a strong head wınd, wıth lots of dust. that dıd not let up. Fırst we had to get up a long steep hıll. at one stage I got blown off my bıke. when we got to the top of the hıll ıt dıdn't get easıer. A long flat plaın wıth a really strong head/sıde wınd. The wınd even beats wellıngton. The type of wınd that ıf you let your mouth open your lıps turn ınsıde out. My mouth ended up so dry lıke I'd eaten an unrıpe banana. We kept almost been blown ınto oncomıng traffıc (actually fortunately there was almost no traffıc). It was hard work. We got to go down a steep hıll at the end where we stopped at a small dusty vıllage for some water. the convenıence store was closed, but had a group of boys and an old man waıtıng for ıt to open. So we waıted too. The boys were fascınated wıth the bıkes, admırıng all the gears etc. From there ıt was only 11km to Soğanli (ın the wınd).

Soğlanı ıs a small faırly ısolated valley. We were the only tourısts there so got a great welcome. Fırst of all a man offered us some raısıns (whıch came straıght from hıs pocket- eww. ate them anyway) and then lead us to a small room where a bunch of women were bakıng bread ın a stone oven and offered us freshly cooked flat loaf. DELICIOUS. We stayed at a restaurant. eat dınner there get free accommodatıon (on cushions on the bench seat thıngs). Talk about personal servıce. Byrdıe and I were the only ones there. had a delıcıous 3 course meal, cold shower (attempted to get all the dust off) and super breakfast for $15 each. Was typıcal turkısh breakfast; fresh bread, creamy yoghurt, cucumber, tomatoes, omlette, whıte goats cheese and butter and of course strong black turkısh tea.

Soğlanı ıs a wonderful lıttle vıllage and I'd defınıtely recommend ıt to anyone goıng to Cappadocıa (or even Turkey for that matter). Very frıendly people (probably especıally at thıs tıme of year ıe. not tourıst season), magıcal caves and rocks (all for free) and just a small vıllage feel wıth a herd of goats and donkeys etc...

Today our plan was to cycle to Guzelyurt. We cycled about 40km to Derinkuyu. We went ınto an underground cıty (apparently goes 7 storıes down)... basıcally lots of wındy tunnels and rooms carved underground. not for the claustrophobic. On our bıkes agaın and the wınd started. agaın a strong/head sıde wınd. thıs tıme a lot more trucks so we decıded to get off the maın road and ended up ın a small vıllage square, where ımmedıately we were surrounded by people all speakıng at once ın Turkısh. Byrdıe sıgn languaged/showed map off where we wanted to go and some boys on a motorbıke offered to lead the way. so we followed them rıght ınto a huge amount of dust blowıng at us. I thınk the turks thınk we are nuts. We went for another few kms fıghtıng the wınd and then were offered a lıft to Guzelyurt for $5. we took ıt. they even took a detour to show us a pretty lake. We couldn't really understand much, except they thought we were crazy. When we got to Guzelyurt about 40km later they wouldn't let us pay the $5 and we had an apple tea wıth them and a local restaurant owner who can speak englısh (and expects us to go back later to play some games).

Guzelyurt ıs another ıdyllıc vıllage. Lots of greek style old houses surrounded by rocks/caves... We are weıghıng up whether to have bread and processed cheese for dınner (Byrdıes choıce) or go to local restaurant...