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We bade good-bye
to the E.M.Y.R. participants headed for their first port in Syria
. Leaving the
rally was a decision we made so that we could spend more time in
Turkey. We wanted an unhurried schedule, especially a leisurely
trip to Cappadocia.
Preparing Sea Gem to be
left for three or four days takes planning. After the rally boats
left, we were asked by the dockmaster to relocate to the wall. We
would be positioned between two local boats that have watchmen aboard.
While the rally boats were in Mersin, we had a lot of security guards,
on the docks, and in the parking lots. Our hosts had run temporary
electricity hook-ups to the docks, and water
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was available at the quay.
Each Turkish person seems to feel that they are personal hosts whether
it is a fisherman on the dock or the mayor of the city. The degree
of hospitality is part of the culture and what a pleasant thing
it is for visitors. With no verbal communication at all, we conveyed
to the caretaker of the boat on our port side that he was to "watch"
our boat. He seemed happy to oblige as did the other caretaker on
the boat to our starboard. We were fastened to a mooring at the
bow, and tied to the quay at the stern, as well as secured to the
boats on either side. As an added measure of security we did not
put out our
gangplank but crossed over
the boat on our port to go back and forth to the quay so that access
to Sea Gem was limited. We were plugged in to shore power to keep
the batteries charged and keep the refrigeration on. All systems
were functioning and we moved all loose items below that might be
tempting to drifters walking the quay. We gathered cameras, jackets,
sweaters and a few clothes and departed.
Just getting out of Mersin
in our little rented Fiat was a challenge. Before heading to Cappadocia
we had to make a detour through Adana to pick up a package at DHL.
The trip to Adana was all interstate but trying to find DHL when
we got there was another matter. We went into one of the large new
shopping centers, on par with our finest US shopping centers. We
picked up some needed computer supplies, used the western style
rest room, found someone who spoke English and got directions. We
received good directions, twice, and finally found DHL. Looking
for something in a large city where you don't speak the language
or know the address or layout of the streets is a test.
Heading north on the four
lane toll road was not bad e
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xcept for the rain which
started falling pretty hard. Huge trucks are the heavy users of
Turkish roads but I will say that the regulations in Turkey are
far superior to the US. Trucks must stay in the right lane, only
using the center lane to pass, and never using the left lane, if
there are three lanes. I also noticed that the trucks always leave
room between rigs for a passing car to slip in if you are passing
on a two lane road. After the toll road ended, the rest of the roads
were two lane roads. We climbed upward into dark and rain, puzzling
over road signs until we decided to stop in Nigde for dinner. We
had a good meal, got further directions and stopped and bought a
flashlight. A flashlight is necessary, especially if your vehicle
has no interior light. By eleven we were in Urgup where we had made
arrangements to have a guide. Our guide Mehmet, recommended by our
cruising friends, had made reservations in a new hotel for us. We
stayed there two nights and then transferred to the Ottoman House
which had been recommended by several other friends. The Ottoman
House is in Goreme, another town in the Cappadocia region. The Ottoman
House is a luxury hotel with very reasonable prices expertly run
by Turkish and Canadian management.
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There are advantages to
arriving late, and in the rain. Awakening to daylight the beauty
of Cappadocia began to unfold. The "other worldly" landscape
of strange rock formations is interspersed with formations which
have been altered by human hands. A profusion of pinnacles jut vertically
to soaring heights. Living spaces and churches have been carved
into the natural peaks by generations of people living in this extraordinary
place. The original volcanic eruptions over a million years ago
spread an unusually constituted lava over the entire Cappadocia
region. After the initial cataclysmic explosions eons of wind and
rain sculpted the "fairy chimneys" and other unique formations.
Remains of a Neolithic Age settlement were found that date back
nine to ten thousand years, showing that mankind has been attracted
here since the dawn of
the world.
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Cappadocia was the seat
of the powerful Hittite State and passed through the hands of many
rulers including the Persians, Alexander the Great, the Greeks and
the Romans. During the early Christian period there were between
three and four hundred churches constructed in Cappadocia, most
of them carved into mountains. These chapels were decorated with
icons and frescos, some of which arepreserved, and may be
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seen today. The influence
of active Christianity vanished from the area at the time of the
proclamation of the Republic of Turkey in 1924 when the Christians
left the area for Greece. The early Christians retreated into incredibly
elaborate underground cities to hide from their persecutors. Cities
that descend downward at least eight stories are engineering feats,
even today qualifying them for the title "Eighth Wonder of
the World." Most of the stone houses in the "surface"
cities have a direct connection to the underground city below. We
were amazed at the freshness of the air as you descended deeper
and deeper into the earth. We felt no lack of oxygen here as we
did in Egyptian tombs. These were designed by master planners for
living, not dying. The upper levels were designed for animals. Storage
facilities for grain, areas for wine making, and storage areas for
the rich sweet g rape
concentrate used to sustain strength were positioned so that the
raw materials could be loaded from outside. Shafts descend to a
well, and upward for air. One shaft built larger than the other,
results in constant circulation of air. Provisions were made for
communal kitchens, although cooking was obviously kept to a minimum
due to the smoke vented outside. Too much smoke would give away
the location to enemies who might be watching.
The maze of narrow, low
tunnels forced invaders to enter single file. Once inside the leader
could be killed, which not only stopped the first invader but effectively
blocked passage for the ones following. When the population had
to remain underground for prolonged periods facilities were prepared
for toilets and storage of dead bodies. There were escape tunnels
as long as 10 kilometers from one city to the next so that even
if the enemy was effectively blocking the overhead entrance the
inhabitants could move undetected into another area. These cities
are invisible from the surface. The number of und erground
cities is unknown. So far it has not been determined how many people
it took, and over what period of time, to construct these engineering
marvels. Modern residents used the underground rooms for storage
and for a long time were skeptical that anyone from outside would
be interested in something they found ordinary.
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In some areas people still live in the primitive dwellings, insulated
from the heat of summer and the bitter cold of winter by the rock
walls. The material is rock hard once exposed to air but you only
have to break through the surface to find material that can be chiseled
by hand to sculpt not only rooms but entire cities.
The great stone doors,
positioned at strategic points in the tunnels, were formed from
a harder rock imported from above ground. Each huge stone could
be rolled into place effectively making further penetration by intruders
impossible.
We took our first hot air
balloon ride in Cappadocia. The balloon crew pick s
you up in a van at your hotel about five-thirty in the morning.
This has to be one of the premier spots in the world for ballooning.
To watch the sun rise over the fairy land of Cappadocia is an experience
we will always remember. The balloon crew was efficient and we were
surprised to find that the lovely young woman, Daria, was not the
helper but the pilot of our balloon. We snapped pictures and kidded
with the interpreter,
and other pilot, Suat, who is making his first trip to the US to
attend a balloon rally in New Mexico.
Cappadocia citizens are
expanding their economic foundation from farming, carpet making
and pottery making to a major thrust into tourism. Of course you
 always
have to feed the tourists, sell them carpets and pottery and local
wine. The care and feeding of tourists is a major leg on the economic
stool in Cappadocia. We attended a folk dance and dinner especially
for tourists. They had a belly dancer that was both talented and
beautiful. Sometimes you just have to do the "tourist thing."
We drove to Cappadocia
at night and in the rain but we drove back in brilliant sunshine
marveling
at the magnificent scenery of snow capped volcanic peaks, green
pastures and a myriad of trees dancing in the winds. As we descended
from the mountains back to sea level the temperature rose and the
fairy land of
Cappadocia faded and was replaced by the bustle of the commercial
port of Mersin.
We returned to a safe but
very dirty Sea Gem and found that the water "was finished"
so we ran lots of hose to the nearest connection to wash down the
decks and fill our tank with water. The water throughout Turkey
is safe in the large cities and we have found it to
be quite good. We will probably use mostly citywater throughout
the Mediterranean, when available and good.
The trip to Cappadocia
is a highlight of this fabulous Turkey trek. We are back aboard,
now cruising the co ast,
going from one beautiful anchorage to the next. Next on the agenda
is a layover in Marmaris to do some work on the boat, get some laundry
done, get to an Internet Cafe, post office and trash can. I am afraid
not all boats are as careful as we are with garbage. The Mediterranean
is littered with plastic. What will be done to improve the situation
as more and more of the "disposable lifestyle" is circulated
throughout the world?
Our beautiful seas need
our attention to preserve one of the greatest resources of the world.
 From
Sea Gem in Turkish waters, until later. . . .
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