Where's Grayleen?

One thing that has been really amazing on this trip is seeing landscapes that are completely different from anything we are familiar with, landscapes that feel other-worldly. The salt flats of Bolivia, the moonscape-like desert on the Tongariro Circuit (New Zealand), the moss forest on the Routeburn trail (New Zeland), and the huge glaciers in Patagonia: all of these were jaw-droppingly fantastical. Turkey has delivered one more: the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia.

Fairy chimneys in Cappadocia have been carved by both the elements and people

Fairy chimneys are these huge rock towers that were formed when the surrounding rock eroded. Chunks of harder rock cap the towers, protecting them from the elements. They are gorgeous and strange. The huge rock structures are sometimes golden, sometimes rose colored, and they positively glow when hit by evening or morning light. Persecuted early Christians (Byzantines) carved homes and churches into these structures, and the resulting labyrinths of interconnected rooms is mind-boggling. They also carved pigeon holes into walls so they could collect the droppings, which apparently make for excellent fertilizer. Who knew?

It is a wonderful area to just set off in a random direction and wander. There are a number of marked paths through the various valleys, but they are surprisingly difficult to follow since enterprising Turks are quick to supplement the trail markings with signs pointing you to their fine establishments. No matter, as all of it was beautiful and interesting, and scrambling into and through the twisting passageways of these ancient dwellings was tremendous fun.

Old cave dwellings in Çavuşin, Cappadocia

But what we loved most of all about Cappadocia was something we loved about all of Turkey: the relaxed pace epitomized by lounging on Turkish-rug-covered cushions around a low table playing backgammon. We spent a good number of hours doing just that.

More photos from Cappadocia here.