Overnight buses are so horribly uncomfortable and driver was chain-smoking the entire time. Never again. We arrived in Cappadocia on the morning of the 14th and we had to immediately go on a guided tour, we couldn’t even check into our hotel room and shower beforehand. Oh well. Saw a lot of Cappadocia: visited the Derinkuyu underground city and hiked through Ihlara Valley and had lunch in Belisirma Village. A few more stops on the guided tour and then back to check into the Star Cave Hotel in Göreme to take a hot shower. Cappadocia is so empty during the winter, since it is pretty cold and very far away from civilization, it’s almost like a ghost town. Except there are scattered tourists and locals who cater to the tourists here and there. On the second day, we were supposed to go on another guided tour but we didn’t really feel like it (feels like you’re in this long high school field trip that you can’t leave) – so we canceled the tour and chilled in town of Göreme. Shane wanted to take portraits of locals so he hired our tour guide from the 14th to take him on a private tour. I was just sort of wandering around town and a local Kapadokyan that works at an ATV/motor bike/car rental shop started to talk to me, wanted me to have some tea. After he showed me where I could use the restroom, I returned to his shop for some tea. Next thing I know, I am riding on the back of an ATV and cruising through Kapadokya’s Love and Rose Valleys.

The town of Göreme

One of the Volcanoes that made Cappadocia look the way it does

Derinkuyu underground city

Sign posted on one of the public restrooms

Walls of a cave church in the the Ihlara Valley

ATV adventure to Love Valley

S’more of Göreme