To Ankara

I hope you are still with me.

The awesome cave hotel was an experience of a life time and after a good night's rest, we were ready for the next few final laps of our Anatolian drive.

Come to think of it, we really were on a marathon for the last 9-10 days and more often than not missing our Malaysian culinary. Yes, we do miss nasi lemak, char koay teow and just name them.
So, we left beautiful Cappadocia in Winter and her good memories. Even as I remember the place as I write, it surely was not easy to repeat the feat and much stamina is required. The winter walk was a challenging one as it took a toll on our limbs and the cold was a poor reminder.

En route to Ankara, we stopped by Salt Lake where again we were exposed to all products associated with salt from creams, to perfume and soap. Apparently, if you apply some of the beauty products, you are on the road to an improved look.
None of us bought anything as we eagerly looked towards Ankara in the 5 hour drive.

Ankara, the capital city of 7 million people is the administrative center for Turkey where many state quarters and the civil service administers better control over the country. But Nur said that the present civil upheavals and also external threats are adding pressure to the tourism industry and she is afraid the money churning sector will be badly challenged.

Old Ankara taken from a hill view as we parked ourselves for the noon lunch.

We travelled together with 5 other families and though this was the first for all of us, we indeed concur that it is a meet of a life time. Some may be your friends all your life and yet you do not get to travel together, let alone with family members.

Dad and I took the decision to tour with the younger 2 girls as they are still free and easy with no family commitments.

We also realise that the children we brought up are not to be assumed as our own at sometime or another as they have now ideals and values that differ from ours through time.

We may spend time with them and much often than not, to iron out differences and they in their present moments may actually chide the older folks for not being in sync  with the latest updates about life.

They also sometimes fail to understand that some preferences and values stay eternal. Yes, that is why we are not in sync.

That's me with dad, Esther and Sara.

These are the Tings of Sibu. The 3 daughters and only son are on their study breaks and they took this holiday season to be together before they split after the trip. Life is such, The parents do all they can for their off springs but more often than not; it does not happen the other way round. Not that I know everything but I have learnt enough from mistakes in life. Aha, this will again cause my children to say I am not in sync.

This Malay family also took the opportunity to travel together on this break. It is a closely-knit family and very good company. As you can see, the children are in their teens and still listen to instructions.

That is lawyer Ng on the right with his dear wife from China. Next is engineer Andy with sporting wife from Sarawak. They converse in Bahasa Malaysia just like when my parents converse with Esther. The beauty of ethnicity. 

All over Ankara, mosques dotted the city as it has 80% Muslims especially after the Ottoman Empire took over from the Byzantine Empire.

To close the day's tour before Istanbul the next day, we were given a little history of the city by the Ataturk museum visit.

We were fortunate as we had a chance to see the guards exchange their duty times.

 I saw this in Korea, Taipei and Praque. 

Where there is a state museum, we will see them.

The square was the place of the national Museum and the Mausoleum.

It was raining but under control.

The temperature though was low.

All that you want to learn about Modern Turkey is best known through the writings found there. Nur spoke with much pride about the Republican Ataturk and his social reforms. 

We were told under him, Muslim men can only have 1 wife and every home is to have a family name. Ataturk created alphabets and the Turkish language and allow coed schools. Girls are to go to school and can sit in state assemblies. 

Turkish is the first language in schools and English is the second language. 

Nur emphasised that Ataturk did not use religion in his political agenda and it accounted for his success. She truly spoke about him with much pride.

As I browsed through some writings, I could not help but jot down this quote:

"Unless a society walks towards the common purpose together with all its men and women, there's no technical possibility and scientific probability of its becoming civilised or advanced."

Think about it.

He truly was a wise man.

It's always the case. When you are on the top, you see things differently.

Oh that all leaders be wise. we pray. 

With the visits, we ended our day at Ankara.

The Folk Dances

No one leaves Cappadocia without witnessing the local folk dances.

Almost all tourists will congregate at the same dining place for a night of entertainment and fun before leaving beautiful Cappadocia.

Turkey truly taps on tourism as a main source of income.

The evening was accompanied by local hard drinks. Of course you can opt for soft drinks. We tried the local alcohol and we were not used to it. So, coca cola was the better choice.

In all honesty, the evening was graced by other fun except the food.

We were served cold food and it was not palatable. 

Maggie mee would have been a better alternative at that juncture; it must be because we were beginning to miss the Malaysian cuisine.

Sufi whirling dance was the first dance.

3 gentlemen whirled up and down and as there was no explanation to the dance, we really did not know what it connoted. 

The men were not very youthful and I suspect they must have been in the trade for a long, long while.

 Pretty local lasses took the stage with folk steps and they were very flexible.

Belly dancing was part and parcel of the show and this was only the initial part as we were introduced to veteran belly dancers later in the evening. I imagined that these young girls were climbing on the career ladder and someone among them will one day take the centre stage and bring the audience up their feet. Everyone truly tried hard at the performance. They must have been trained from very young and entertaining tourists is in their blood.

I looked at compassion at this veteran dancer. She really did not look youthful bu the swirls she did was no easy feat. She danced a good 10 - 15 minutes tirelessly and her head motions would have sent an ordinary person to the ground.

But such is her fate.

She finds pleasure in her performance.

Do you not think this is no easy feat?

But the epitome of entertainment was this vivacious belly dancer.

She is a perfect host and her apt dancing caused her audience to be mesmerized. No one could take their eyes away from her movements. She was a perfect score.

She not only was the star of the night but she engaged her audience with the highest degree of professionalism. She had us in stitches when she coaxed some of the audience to join her in belly steps and no one went away without being entertained. She was really exotic.

Belly dancing is an art and only the best can do it.

The whole team got together for the final toast to Cappadocia.

Aren't we privileged to make a trip there?

Goodbye Cappadocia as we embark for Ankara, our next destination.

Local Pride

Cappadocia is never short of surprises.

It's either the natural or the man-made.

We asked and considered about the group's decision to visit Anatolia in winter. Why did we not come in Spring or Summer? We concluded that we cannot find snow-capped tuff except in winter.
So, it is best to visit in Winter.

Do you not agree that we can see and touch snow only in winter? 

Winter does create an ethos that no other season can. 

We are so used to the heat in tropical lands that it is really the snow that makes the difference. 

So, we had no regrets. 

Winter-land is surely beautiful.
That was the Uchisar situated at the highest point of Cappadocia.

I wonder it is appropriate that I term these animals as the species from the yak family. Long-haired and long-horned ; it may just be it. We strolled through the tuff-filled Pasabag Valley.

The Anatolian flag flying high over a sign that read- church. Yes, Nur told us that it used to house the St Simeon Chapel built into the fairy chimneys with the 3 heads.

They say the chapel is inside that cave. It was too challenging for us to comb around it. So we looked from afar; already so satisfied.

Cappadocia has much to show with its natural features.

Next, we were given a first hand knowledge of some of the artistry here. We went to the banks of Kizillirmak to the Avanos Pottery Village where the finest products are created.

In this valley, you are only deem a man if you know the pottery trade; to make and sell. Pottery of all shapes and sizes are created both for local use and export.

It is often a trade that runs in the family with the father passing down his skill to his sons.

The trade is as old as the country and the best quality ones are handled with skill and splendour. Yes, the ones shown here are allowed photography so they are still not the best. Later, we were ushered into inner quarters where no camera is allowed. So the best is not exposed.

Over here, they are more expensive than some of those sold outside. But believe me, there is a difference in quality. So, the English saying 'penny wise pound foolish' is very true. When you want to acquire for long term display, purchase the original ones. They look better and last longer.

Next, we were told we cannot leave the land without first have a taste of local carpets. It's like having 'longin tea ' in Hangchow and wearing south sea pearls when in Sabah. So, the carpet story.

We were entertained at an education centre for carpets.

There are apparently 3566 ( I don't know how the figure came about) weavers in this cottage industry. The government is fully supporting it by subsidising electricity and shipping charges. 

Even on a small piece of carpet, there are 144 knots and it needs 10 months to weave it. Carpets here have double knots not found anywhere else in the world. I asked about those sold over in Malaysia to which the man quickly replied " Turkey doesn't send her carpets to anywhere in the world except by order". Real turkish carpets can only be bought in Turkey itself. Believable?

So the carpet weaving industry is mostly dominated by the womenfolk and the expert earnestly explaining the authenticity of a local Turkish product.

This piece will take 10  months to complete and it changes its hue as one turns it around. The most expensive one is silk followed by cotton or a mixture.

Silk farms are cultivated to rear silk cocoons. A cocoon is a mile of silk ! It is known that the spider web is the strongest of all material followed by silk. They are inflammable and silk is 6 times stronger than steel...

Cappadocia is a local term which connotes beautiful horses. People from the south and south eastern parts often bring their beautiful horses for trade and competition. So it is not surprising that images of horses are carved on them to signify the role of the animal in this kingdom. The Hittite tribe is especially versatile in the horse connected carpets.

Everyone has an Achilles' heel. The best salesman will look for it in his clients so dad was no exception. Dad is not into buying things. But when he sees the worth in a choice, he gets it. 

Do you see anything in this carpet?

Ask him why he bought it.

Let's not remember the price attached to it.

In the hills of Cappadocia, a group of ladies diligently knitted this runner in front of me and I also fell prey to it. But I think it is beautifully hand -woven, so it's running across the coffee table in the house now.

Yes, much is found in the land of the arty people.

Much to buy.

Fly, fly, fly

 The balloon ride was optional.

You have to be on site before the sun rises and you are under the mercies of the weather in situ. If there are strong winds, there will be no show. You also cannot hitch a ride if it rains. Esther said that her friends had to wait for several days before permission was granted.

We were indeed fortunate that we were not denied access to the privilege.

The morning weather was perfect; no rain, no strong winds but a gentle one to push the balloon precisely.

So, with great expectations we rode on a truck to the middle of no where for us to ascend.

The physical landscape in Cappadocia permits this type of fun where you get to see the world 'open-air' style .

The ride though is expensive. We have been told of the figure before the trip and after the million-dollar statement by Sara, we decided to go up.

What was the statement?

"Pa, put it this way. If you are contemplating so hard as to why we should ride on the balloon, consider that it is money not given to us as inheritance." So, that's it.

Well said.

It was US220 per pax.

Hundreds of balloons under different enterprises scour the clear skies and the riders look down to witness tuff features sticking out across the plateau.

The parachute is made of silk and accounts for the cost of the ride.

 Before the ride, we were told of precautionary steps on how to ascend and descend to prevent untoward accidents.

 Only 12 adults were allowed each time in  a basket. 

Up, up and away. Just like Mary Poppins. Yes, in our full 6 decades of age, we still behaved like children going to the zoo for the first time. Who wouldn't?

Never a dull moment. Try counting the balloons; seen and unseen. The landscape below is monotonous with castles popping here and there. Apparently, some churches even once existed in the caves among the tuff.

It was cold; -5C. But we had sufficient layers under us,

The pilot was a fine young man who also worked as a skiing coach. So, his skills are learnt and specialised. He had tricks up his sleeves for each time the parachute went close to a tuff he would put on the titanic song and frightened us with news of a crash. He was fun and we also acted along...

 At certain spots, we also the dotted landscape of houses and observed the world from above.

So, the final gimmick was when we landed successfully. We took the champagne ; congratulated one another and later to be given a certificate each.

The certificates are in the closet now.

The hot air balloon ride.

Cappadocia

Richmond of Pamukkale gave us a good rest.

It gave us a good spread for our meals and we left by 7.45am for the longest haul of the trip - an eleven hour trip to the much coveted city of Cappadocia where fun awaits us.

Both Esther and Sara accompanied by Nur dipped into the hotel thermal pool. 

It is different from our motherland though for both men and women enjoy the facility together.

Now you can feel for us, can't you?

So how did Nur entertain us?

She smartly put on another movie; this time the fall of Constantinople of the Byzantine Empire into the hands of Sultan Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire. Later we realised that the war scenes had much connection with the mosques that we were to visit at Istanbul.

Nur related that the Anatolian land became a republic in 1923 when Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) and his colleagues took control and turn it into modern Turkey. She spoke with love in her eyes and heart for the former leader and praised him for his efforts in his social reforms. I will try to recall further when we visit the museum in Istanbul.

All of us complained very little, After so many days in the coach, we sort of got used to the routine as we ponder over private thoughts, read books and nursed hurt muscles! But actually at the recesses of our mind, we were looking forward to the adventures at Cappadocia.

It was early in the evening when we caught sight of Cappadocia. Nur wasted no time and carted us straight to the hidden caves of the town. Apparently, below humble home and villages, many dug underground to flee from enemies. Both Muslims and Christian were mercilessly persecuted under the Arabs and so homes were built away from the sight of the persecutors. There were about 36 cities with secret tunnels connecting one another.

This a typical village in Cappadocia; remote and peasantry. When they saw us, the villagers hastily put up temporary stalls to sell local products ranging from Turkish dolls to cutlery, pottery and bracelets. There were so many things we could gather but how do you bring them back? The lira is about the same value as the ringgit but still no one will take the ringgit. When at Istanbul, the money exchange  said they need to see the physical ringgit before they allow any exchange. When you mention the Singapore dollar, they nodded instantly. 

Fed up.

Many of the cave habitats have been sealed up.

But Nur still took pains to actually gain entry into a typical Cappadocian cave.

Nur said the stone is a security feature which can be turned away for escape and air.

Esther, so casual in not so many layers when compared to the mama.

 Yes, this is for keeps.

We have been to Cappadocian cave homes and feel for people then. Nur said secret tunnels were constructed to allow occupants to go above for sun light and Vitamin D. The weather is so cool underneath that it provides natural refrigeration for meat, vegetables and water. Horses are tied to the main entrance for use as transport and food. People really did live through challenging times.

Yes. It was cold and the snow is real. Do you see the number of caves? The tuff features are volcanic deposits as the palce is in the volcanic region.

Sometimes when I watch sword fighting dramas, I do come across taverns but of course the Mongolian type which seemed to be places of rest and food. The above is an example of an R & R along the silk route of the past and Cappadocia is aligned along it. Apparently, many of these are dotted along the route and we visited one of it.

This must have been a refurbished version and notice the solid and formidable marble or is it granite slabs? Traders could have converged here and did barter trade exchanging, animal skins, silk, olive, spices and so forth.

 Of course, today they are hangouts for tourists and business. The souvenirs again include pottery, porcelains, silk, nuts and spices.

But perhaps the 11 hour journey is bet compensated with this picturesque venue for a night's stay. We were ushered into a cave hotel. It was surely an experience of its kind and it reminded us of the islands along the Greek coast. In the night, the lights really added value to the stay.

 You bend slightly to enter the door but when in the room, it was impressive. You are spoilt for the evening and wish it was home. The well-heated room was welcoming and gave us the best comfort.

 The stool for the vanity table is installed with taste.

Dad will surely copy it someday.

Dinner was sumptuous and a delight.

The family was grateful for the meal and thank God for it.

The next day was a casual day at Cappadocia but for those who wished to fly in the sky, we had to take the gamble and wake up at 6am for the dive.

God Bless Us.