Merhaba,
Randal is in high gear doing boat work so we’ll be ready to head on off across the Mediterranean to England by early June. I have been working to finish writing about our Cappadocia trip before we leave on our 8 day ”Gwen” tour of the Ankara region. This email is the final episode; long episode. It includes our two last days of travel. A good deal of that time we were on the bus, but that couldn’t be helped. It’s a long way from Cappadocia to Marmaris. But the bus was comfortable and we had plenty of comfort stops. Now it’s time to pack for Ankara!
Ru
Cappadocia Trip: Drive to Antalya and then home
We left Avanos fairly early because it was a long, LONG drive back to the coastal city of Antalya, our final overnight stop. Randal and I had missed staying in Antalya in 2011 as we’d taken a wrong turn and going back was not in the cards. (We spent the night in Kemer which we both pretty much didn’t love at all. Too much like Marmaris without the charm. ) So now we have been to Antalya and we can say we’ve been there but it’s not my favorite place in Turkey. It is however the favorite of many, MANY people……..
“Antalya, the gateway to the Turkish Riviera, has trumped Istanbul as the country’s most popular destination. According to the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Antalya tied with Singapore City, welcoming 9.2 million international visitors in 2010. So what’s the draw? For one thing, Antalya offers tourists a break from the hustle and bustle of a metropolis: Traditional Turkish culture thrives here, not urbanization. And this Mediterranean city’s perch on the Gulf of Antalya also appeals to sun-seekers, as it has for centuries. History-buffs visit Antalya to revel in the Ancient Roman ruins, many of which were constructed for sun-worship.” http://travel.usnews.com Paris was 1st, London 2nd and NYC 3rd.
Between Cappadocia and Antalya we made 4 stops; all lots of fun.
“In the middle of the flat, flat plain between Konya and Aksaray, at a lonely point on the ancient Silk Road, Seljuk Turkish Sultan Alaettin Keykubad I built a caravanserai, or caravan way-station between 1229 and 1236. It was named, appropriately, the Sultan Han (han meaning caravanserai). This truck-stop-for-camels was no doubt impressive, but it was in 1278 after a fire had damaged the original building that the great caravanserai took its present shape. It is the largest Seljuk caravanserai in Turkey, and well worth a stop to see if you are traveling between Aksaray (or Cappadocia) and Konya.”http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com
In Famagusta, North Cyprus we’d visited the Bὕyὕk Han several times so I skipped the Sultan Han with its entrance fee in favor of a visit to the WC, a cup of coffee, and then a walk down the street. I came across this carpet repair shop and was peeking in the door when the man inside motioned me to come in.
|
Sultanhani, Aksaray http://www.anatoliantappeti.com/
http://www.anatoliantappeti.com/ is their page that shows before, during and after photos of restored carpets.
|
|
The man working at the table seemed to be in charge and he knew a bit of English so between us we could have a few sentences worth of communications.
|
| |
|
Women weave carpets and men repair them…
|
| |
|
No camels but a horse-drawn cart.
|
| |
|
Our next stop after Aksaray was a giant sink hole.
|
|
http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs13146-011-0044-7#
Obruk Han Gölü, doline (sinkhole) behind the old caravansary
30 meters deep
“75 km to the east of Konya a street turns near the village Kizören to the north away from the D 300 towards the village named Obruk. After about 3.5 kilometers one reaches a big 145 meters wide, oval doline with a cross section dimension from 200 – 230 meters. The doline is situated a few meters away from the street hidden behind the big historical Seljukic caravansery Obruk Han from the year 1320, so that one sees the doline first if one stands close the brim.” http://www.geocaching.com/
|
| |
|
The Seljuk caravanwery near just near the sink hole…being reinforced.
|
| |
|
Since it was like forever, or at least an hour or so since our comfort stop, we had a stop for lunch.
|
| |
|
More Ayran, notice the foam in the tub being bubbled up by the flowing Ayran.
|
|
  
The Ayran is topped with scooped up foam…kind of like beer but Not though it does have a slightly fermented sour taste.
|
| |
|
This order of Pide was just for Randal and me! Mary and Rick had their own. Of course there were lots of left-overs which Taṣ collected for stray dogs we met at each stop. Sometimes when we order we just have no clue.
|
| |
|
After lunch we were driving along and passed some blue industrial buildings. Randal and I had passed the same buildings on our motorbike in 2011. It was quite amazing to recognize them in what was seemingly the middle of nowhere. But they are located on the outskirts of Seydisehir which is just 25 kilometers from the Tinaztepe Cave, our planned stop on the way to Antalya.
http://www.mydoramac.com/wordpress/?p=7574 is the story of our stay in Seydisehir which was very restful and where people were very kind. We’d gone there planning to visit the Tinaztepe Cave but were just too tired to drive there, spend hours at the cave and then drive back to Seydisehir.
|
|
Tinaztepe Cave
Going through the cave can take an hour or two so some of us just hiked up to the entrance. It was very cold and blustery with snow covered mountains nearby. This stop really was just for “comfort” and coffee at the small restaurant near the parking lot. It was still a long way to Antalya so only a short “stretch your legs” stop at the cave was possible.
Tınaztepe Cave System
Location: Konya, Seydişehir District
The Tınaztepe Cave System is at the Keçili Village locality which is at 35 km. southwest of Seydişehir. The cave is at 5km west of Mortaş Aluminum bed. The Seydişehir-Manavgat highway passes close to the cave.
Properties: This cave system has developed inside the Creates limestone and is formed by three layers one on other. The upper layer having 100 meters length is completely fossilized. The intermediate layer has 1015 meters of total length and is semi active. Water flows Inside this layer at precipitant seasons and it ends with a siphon. The lower layer is a branch developed on a big fault and is active displaying sinkhole cave characteristics. In precipitant seasons, the surface waters of a wide area flows here. These waters flow inside the Susuz Güvercinlik Cave which is at southeast and come out from the springs near Suğla Lake. The explored length of this active cave until now is 527 meters. But the total length of this cave had not been completely determined. The deep but narrow lakes and siphons inside this cave makes the explorations difficult.
http://turkiyeninilleri.tr.gg/Konya.htm
I looked up lots of sites to check the length of the Tinaztepe Cave. Most give the same numbers but most only use the letter m rather than the word meters or miles. Mi is the abbreviation for miles and M is the abbreviation for meters. And most sites mention other lengths in kilometers so I’m thinking that m stands for meters. However, the info brochure from the cave says Tinaztepe Cave is the 3rd longest in the world as does the following website.
Located in the Konya district of Seydisehir, Tinaztepe Cave is the longest cave in Turkey and the third longest in the world. The cave is 22 km/13.7 miles long. Best time to visit is in Turkey when the water level decreases and the gallery can be explored by foot. http://www.turkeylogue.com/caves
I have no local library so I can’t look up the real answer.
|
|
We arrived just at dark in Antalya where everyone gets lost at least once upon arriving. Randal and I missed the city entirely in 2011 on our motorbike trip.. Rick, Mary and their son Robert along with Dale and Joanne had gotten lost the weekend they’d gone to Antalya. So even with Taṣ using Google maps we got slightly lost trying to find our hotel. Our driver was amazing as he backed up narrow streets and then into the tiny hotel parking lot. We had a late dinner and then an early bedtime.
|
| |
|
The next day we visited Upper Duden Waterfalls and old town Antalya before making the long drive back to Marmaris.
|
| |
|
Our first stop of the day was Upper Duden Waterfalls about 5 miles northeast of Antalya.
|
|
Randal and Taṣ.
The Upper Düden Waterfalls,are located 14 km northeast from the centre of Antalya. The waterfalls, formed by a karstic depression, are 20 metres high. The location of the waterfalls has the appearance of a botanical heaven thanks to the rich variety of plants. In the deep valley formed by the falling and flowing water of the waterfalls there are promenades and trout restaurants " http://www.turkishclass.com/turkey_pictures_gallery_85
Randal and me
|
| |
|
Cave of Wishes: I’m sure mine involved world peace and the Boston Red Sox
To use the flash or not to use the flash…. We used the flash so you can see us but can’t see the water falling in back of us.
“By entering into Dilek Magarasi (Cave of Wishes), located underneath the waterfalls, it is possible to walk behind the rushing cascade or sit and admire the might and splendour of the waterfalls from inside the catacombs.”
|
| |
|
Walking along the trail of the Upper Falls.
|
| |
|
“After 8km the water from the falls forms a small creek, creating a magnificent spectacle as it cascades over the 40 metre high falez rock into the sea, as Lower Düden Waterfalls on the way from Antalya to Lara Beach.”
|
| |
|
From the Falls we drove to Old Town Antalya
|
| |
|
The dog image encourages folks to clean up after their pets… though cats usually clean up after themselves.
|
| |
|
Taṣ pointing out the jams the Antalya region is famous for. We skipped it as we buy our fruit spread from Selahattin ὕnver, our friend at the Sunday Market whose home we visited this past Tuesday.
|
| |
|
Antalya ruins
|
| |
|
Modern moderns.
|
| |
|
http://www.ottomanscent.com/fruits_soaps-ottoman_scent.html explains the history of these lovely soaps shaped as fruit. This gentleman made the soaps for sale in this tourist shop we’d peeked into.
|
| |
|
Spice art similar to sand art.
|
| |
|
A snack to tide us over until lunch: pomegranate cake and coffee.
|
| |
|
We all gathered back at the bus to continue our journey home. These two insane boys were doing stunts on the high way, rearing up on the rear wheel. Not sure if they are still alive or this is the last photos of them ever.
|
| |
|
Half way home we stopped again at the House of Mushrooms for lunch. Instead of soup many of us ordered mushroom caseroles. Some came with meat. Some with chicken. My choice was just mushroom with cheese.
|
| |
|
Sales have dropped in the US so Coca Cola is invading Turkey.
|
| |
|
 My steaming hot sizzling mushroom casserole.
|
|
The End
|
