The mosque at Avanos.

Last week was Kurban Bayram, which in Arabic is called the Eid-al-Adha or Eid-el-Kebir.  This is a religious holiday that celebrates Abraham’s obedience to God.  He was told to sacrifice his son, which he was willing to do.  At the last moment, after he had proved [... Chasing Culture in Cappadocia]]]> *Warning- This post is not for Vegetarians.

The mosque at Avanos.

Last week was Kurban Bayram, which in Arabic is called the Eid-al-Adha or Eid-el-Kebir.  This is a religious holiday that celebrates Abraham’s obedience to God.  He was told to sacrifice his son, which he was willing to do.  At the last moment, after he had proved his faithfulness, the son was spared and instead a ram was sacrificed.  Therefore this holiday celebrates a Muslim’s faith.

Today, each head of household is responsible for making a sacrifice.  Usually it is a sheep, but it is also often a cow.  The meat is shared with the family and neighbors as well as a portion given to the poor.  Everyone prepares large meaty meals and it is a time when family and friends spend time together. 

We chose not to remain in Ankara during this Kurban Bayram, because it happened to coincide with our Thanksgiving, which for Jim and I means a chance to get out of the city and do some sight-seeing.  This time my sister was able to come visit, and we all went to Cappadocia.

One of the reasons we wanted to be out of the city is that there is a law which prohibits the sacrifice within the city limits.  Last year, we didn’t even really realize what was going on at all.  If you live in Ankara, and don’t travel to the country to be with family, then there are some areas where everyone goes to buy their sheep and have it sacrificed right there, then the family member brings the meat home.  This is perhaps more aesthetic, but from what I understand, it doesn’t really have the same feeling attached to it.

At any rate, we wanted to be in a more rural area to see if our experience would be different.  For some reason, I expected the sacrifices to be very early in the morning, and since we couldn’t eat breakfast at our pension until 8:00, we didn’t leave the hotel until almost 9:30.  As I was standing there talking to Jim and waiting for the others, we were discussing how we still didn’t see any sacrifices.  Seconds later I looked down to see a river of blood run right by my feet.  The house next to the hotel had just done the deed.

Dog enjoying bayram.

After that we saw many families gathered to butcher the cows or sheep and start parceling out the meat for delivery.  Everyone was very friendly and happy.  You could tell everyone was working together to get the work done, start cooking, and enjoying being with each other. 

Even the dogs enjoyed the day.  We saw many enjoying their share.  We even saw this one cute small dog that was proudly carrying his cow hoof to a safe location.

The Dibek resaraunt is conveniently located right in the center of Goreme, which of course is where you find the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cappadocia.  After a tiring slog up, down, around and through rock chapels galore, an evening at Dibek will [... Dibek…A Restaurant Review]]]>

The spices and homemade wine make this one of the best eats in Goreme.

The Dibek resaraunt is conveniently located right in the center of Goreme, which of course is where you find the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cappadocia.  After a tiring slog up, down, around and through rock chapels galore, an evening at Dibek will put you well on the road to recovery.

The family that owns the restaurant has lived there for five generations.  Mehmet, the son and manager, speaks a bunch of languages, and really helps the evening along with his jovial banter.  The house is over 500 years old, and tables are distributed among the rock rooms, with colorful cushions.

The family makes their own wine, and we cannot seem to pass it up.  We order at least two carafes each time we go.  I had asked Mehmet who does the cooking, because the restaurant boasts “home cooking”, and he said his mom did.  And boy, does she do it right.

Everything on the menu is beyond comparison.  Traditional dishes such as Kurufasulye (Beans with lamb), cacik (yogurt sauce), or sac kebab (lamb stew) are all fantastic.  If you can remember, though, their signature dish is testi kebab (a stew cooked for three hours in a clay flask, which is broken open at the table), and you must order it the day before.  Call Mehmet at 0384-271-2209.

Afiyet Olson!  Good Eating!

What is it about pigeons?  They are everywhere I’ve been, all over the world.  People hate them or they love them.  I, personally, don’t want them hanging out on my balcony, but I do like them.  I like watching people with them as well.  They must have some appeal, people feed [... The Pigeon Man]]]>

The Pigeon Man in Cappadocia.

What is it about pigeons?  They are everywhere I’ve been, all over the world.  People hate them or they love them.  I, personally, don’t want them hanging out on my balcony, but I do like them.  I like watching people with them as well.  They must have some appeal, people feed them, chase them, and as with this guy, raise them. In many parts of the Middle East, pigeons are raised for food.  I’m not sure if this guy was doing that, but I suspect he was. 

In Cappadocia, walking through one of the many, many valleys of rock formations that sport religious icons and frescoes, we heard some extreme flapping.  We pinpointed the source of the noise to discover that there was a bunch of pigeons doing air somersaults.  I never knew that pigeons like to do air flips.  It just never occurred to me. We couldn’t help getting a closer look, and at first the pigeon farmer ignored us…just another couple of tourists.  Then I spoke to him and he became super-friendly.  I asked him what he was doing in my limited Turkish.  With hand gestures and not-a-little perserverance, I found out that yes, he raised the pigeons.  He had lived in this valley for the last eight months to be the guard.  He raised the pigeons for fun and food.  He was more than a little lonely being far from home and having few real visitors, so we chatted for about half an hour.  

This man, these pigeons, they epitomize the reason I travel, to meet real people in real places living real lives;  places that aren’t tourist attractions to them, just home or a job.

I’m not above stopping to gawk at the crazy promotions shop owners have invented to attract customers.  I’ve been to rattlesnake pits in the southwestern U.S., Wall’s Drug in South Dakota, and of course will stop anywhere that promises a free something or other.

Turkish shop owners are no different. They will lure you [... Ceramics or Hair…Your Choice at Chez Galip]]]>

Hair Museum, Avanos

I’m not above stopping to gawk at the crazy promotions shop owners have invented to attract customers.  I’ve been to rattlesnake pits in the southwestern U.S., Wall’s Drug in South Dakota, and of course will stop anywhere that promises a free something or other.

Turkish shop owners are no different. They will lure you into their shops with a charming smile and offer of tea, or in the case of this Avanos ceramics shop in Cappadocia, a glimpse into the hair museum. Apparently female customers and tourists have been contributing to this Chez Galip’s exhibit for years.  It seems to have worked, because I have to admit the only reason we went was to see the hair.  We didn’t buy a thing.

Fresco in Rock Chapel at Goreme Open Air Museum

A tourist’s dream, Cappadocia has much to offer you no matter what your interest is.  To hike, to photograph, to eat good food, what else is there to life?

Cappadocia evokes a romanticism of the Crusades.  In its unique rocks, eroded over millions of [... Fairy Chimneys and Ancient Churches]]]>

Fairy Chimneys in Cappadocia

Fresco in Rock Chapel at Goreme Open Air Museum

A tourist’s dream, Cappadocia has much to offer you no matter what your interest is.  To hike, to photograph, to eat good food, what else is there to life?

Cappadocia evokes a romanticism of the Crusades.  In its unique rocks, eroded over millions of years in a region that is extremely volcanic, people have carved whole cities in which to live and hide for centuries.  Today, most hotels are built into the sides of these rocks to form cave rooms or shops for the millions of visitors that come here each year.

The main attraction is the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Goreme Open Air Museum.  This particular area is host to a concentrated amount of churches in which much of the interior wall paintings have survived. You can come here and be completely satiated with cave paintings, but if you have more time, there are plenty more to explore.  To really get around, it would be best to take one of the tours offered at the guest houses, or even rent a car or bicycle for a day or two.  There are plenty of free maps of the area to show you where to go.

Some things you can do in Cappadocia:
•Ride a hot air balloon over the fairy chimneys
•Rent a four-by-four or go horse-back riding – although these are more for fun than seeing out of the way churches
•Hike in many of the valleys to see out-of-the-way churches and monasteries (two of the most popular are Rose or Pigeon Valleys)
•Stay in a cave hotel
•Shop, shop, shop – Cappadocia is one of the most prolific carpet areas in Turkey

Traveller's Rest Cave Pension Courtyard

Are you traveling to Cappadocia?  This pension is a fantastic place to drop your pack for a few days.  As in many Cappadocia accommodations, all the rooms are in caves.  This is part of the experience; just remember that “cave” by definition means damp [... Cappadocia Accommodation – A Review]]]> Traveller’s Cave Pension – Goreme, Turkey

Traveller's Rest Cave Pension Courtyard

Are you traveling to Cappadocia?  This pension is a fantastic place to drop your pack for a few days.  As in many Cappadocia accommodations, all the rooms are in caves.  This is part of the experience; just remember that “cave” by definition means damp and cool, so bring your warm nighties to snuggle up in.

Traveller’s Pension is surrounded by cave hotels, which are all a little snazzier and a lot pricier.  As you walk through the stone entryway, you are greeted with a yell from above, then Yasar or one of the other helpful folks will welcome you and start making you feel right at home, first with a cup of cay, then a sit-down to help you plan your time in the area.

What I like:
•Price: a good value, which includes breakfast and clean sheets that fit the bed (always a plus).
•Breakfast: I like the standard Turkish breakfast, but it does get monotonous.  Traveller’s has remedied this with offering your choice off their menu.  I recommend the French Toast – different than anything I’ve ever had, and good.
•You can make reservations online (here) and not have to go through a third party.
•They can set up anything for you, activities, tours, and transportation- one-stop shopping.
•They serve beer and are friendly hosts.

Note:  If you go to their website, you’ll notice they have two accommodations, the hotel and the pension.   If you are looking for more comfort, even a fireplace and sitting area in your personal cave, then you will want to reserve the hotel.  I’ve stayed there, too, and it is luxurious.

If you do book with them, please tell them you heard about it from me, then let me know what you think about it, too.