Just after pitching my tent, a German couple, Uber and Nelly, show up in their 4×4. It’s on its first test run before a bigger trip planned when they retire. It’s an impressive build and I am slightly jealous. Although I do love my bike (just not the seat), I always admire other people’s methods of slow travel. They offer me a beer whilst I cook and eat dinner, tomatoes, beans, tuna, chilli and bread – an eclectic mix. We chat into the evening and the different vehicles he has used to travel around the World. We also talk about his wild camping in Africa, with the lions joining him! The temperature drops but before retiring to bed we notice the sunset behind Uchisar castle and the stars coming out!
Balloons, balloons, balloons everywhere.
With the alarm set for just before sunrise (about 6 am these days) I awaken to the sounds of roars. Thinking I am late and about to miss them, I dress quickly and dive out only to find the roaring carries across the valley. I still had to wait about 45 minutes before they were airborne. They start to get airborne and head toward me; I’m in the perfect spot. The skill of the pilots is something to admire. They drop into the valley travelling just metres from the ground and valley edge. Rising just in time to avoid a collision at the end. I later find out it can cost €200 for a ride in one, €400 if the day before was cancelled. I’m just glad I am scared of heights and will never go up in one!
Saying goodbye to Uber and Nelly I head down the valley towards Göreme and my accommodation for the next few days. I take the rest of the day to write another blog and reflect on my trip. I’ve decided to take a break for x-mas and continue when it is possible to cycle through central Asia. I’ll return home over Christmas and New Year’s and complete a hike through Scotland. I’ve always wanted to spend more time in Scotland. If possible find a job for a couple of months to repair a larger-than-expected hole in my finances. I spent too much time in Europe or I enjoyed my time in Europe too much!
Cappadocia hiking
The next day I set off for a hike through the Love valley, one of the many here in Cappadocia. My route selection might not have been the best. Rain and the sandstone structure here became a little dangerous and I had a steep decline to traverse. Luckily I found a route down and continue towards one end. The valley has some rather odd structures (see pictures), which gives the valley its name.
I also caught up with TJ and start planning our journey toward Georgia. It’s going to be hilly and TJ seems intent on involving more hills! It seems all the nice places to see are at the top! The next day I go for a hike with Sam, another cyclist heading towards Georgia. We hiked towards the Red and Rose valleys in a circle and back along the road taking a stop at the Eglise church built into the rocks. Due to the wind (or the lack of it) situation, a few of the residents at the hostel didn’t get to see the hot air balloons. So a few of us got up early the next day and went to watch from the ‘commercial spot.’ It was worth it again.
Tough decisions
The next day Sam and I set off toward the town of Ürgüp to meet up with TJ and continue our journey toward Georgia. The climb out of the valley is Brutal, a reminder of what Turkey has in store for us. It’s nice again to ride with others but they are evidently younger and fitter than me and I fall behind, especially on the climbs. We have lunch at the top of the climb and then start the descent. We stopped for photos next to a grape farm. The owner comes out and hands us a few bunches of grapes. Turkish hospitality is always present.
Heading towards Kayseri but getting late we look for a place to camp. In the end, we found part of a field that didn’t look cultivated. It wasn’t perfect with a lot of rocks but it will do. Whilst putting up my tent, one of the connectors broke and TJ and I did a temporary fix which held overnight.
Just as we were finishing dinner and discussing the fact TJ never cleans his pan, someone stops on the road and starts flashing lights at us. We respond by flashing our head torches and they come towards us. We meet them halfway, not sure what to expect. It turns out that the land owner was not concerned with us being on his land but that we were warm enough, had food and wanted to know if we wanted çay. He also offered that we can use the house next to the field if we chose.
The next morning I woke with dread at having to cycle, this was the worst I had felt on the trip and I knew it was time to stop riding. If I continue I might start to hate cycle touring and I didn’t want that to happen. It was an agonising decision and I was still pondering it over breakfast. I still hadn’t worked out how to tell TJ and Sam I wanted to stop. We pack up, TJ being the slowest by a long way, and set off towards Kayseri which will take us about 2 hours. I’m still pondering on my decision and I suggest we grab a coffee or tea when we reach Kayseri.
We find a cafe and I tell them my decision to stop. It was not easy and I felt rather emotional but happy I made the decision. I was going to pause cycle touring in Kayseri and continue back-packing for a couple of months around Turkey and Georgia.