Believe it or not, I never knew that cappadocia existed in Turkey till I got off the bus and went OMFG. The region was amazing, and I went particularly picture crazy here. Cappodocia is a unique region of volcanic landscapes... the grey stone formations contrasted with the blue sky and greenery was just perfect for picture taking. Other than picture stops around the region, we were also taken to the Goreme open air museum to visit the rock carved churches with ancient frescoes painted on them inside the church. The churches are really small (coz of the persecution times then) so our big group of 39 tourists was always squashed inside the churches.

Rock churches and their frescoes inside...




Pictures of the countryside while driving around...

The horse outline on the hills was created by an Australian artist.

This place is also famous for the rock dwellers, as the population in this area used to dig their houses out of the cliffs and lived there for many years. However, in the 1990s, there was massive erosion/landslide, and the government ordered the population to move out into man-made flats. This has been met with complaints, as the population now find that they have to spend more money living in the new flats due to more heating expenses!! In the cave houses, the nature of the rock walls kept the houses cool in summer and not so cold in winter.
Today, so innovative hotels have set up shop in this rock cliff houses, by reinforcing the houses from the outside, and advertising them as unique accomodation experiences in Turkey. But, these hotels are pretty expensive, so be warned...

The most exciting part for me was when we got to visit Kaymakli underground city which has 9 levels, but we only were allowed to go down to level 4. The tunnels below were rather narrow and the average person has to squat down and waddle their way through the tunnels, so before getting in, our guide warned us that anyone who for any reason felt that they would not be able to take it should not press themselves to do it... there were a few people who made the decision to turn back while we were just getting started (which was just as well..there's a story to this). Anyhow, so I was like jumping all over, scooting fast down the tunnels so I could hide in a corner and take pictures of my parents scrambling through (mark my dedication...)



Visiting the Zelve Valleys and the mushroom rock formations

Antalya... delights of the mediterranean... On our 2nd day in Antalya, our guide chartered a boat which brought us out on to the sea to soak in the sun and take swim. The coastal area is very pretty, unspoiled and very pretty. For christian and religious buffs, the harbour at Antalya is the same Harbour where Paul left to begin his travels on spreading the bible... mom can a little over excited at the mention of this, kept telling me to take pictures of the hotels and big ships near the coast... :P



At Antalya for lunch, and seeing the old city walls that have been there like forever..

Lastly, check out the view of our hotel near Kusakasi: