Vagabonding Field Report: Istanbul to Cappadocia, Turkey

Cost/day: $50

What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen lately?
All of Cappadocia! The Fairy Chimneys, the cave hotels, and underground cities made it seem like I was on another planet. It was weirdly beautiful and peaceful.

Describe a typical day:
We spent a lot of time wondering around, trying local food, browsing the open air markets, visiting temples, looking at maps, taking photos, and smoking the hookah at dinner. One day we rented a car and drove 9 hours from Istanbul to Cappadocia, which was an interesting roadtrip. There weren’t that many people on the road once you left the highway, and we saw some beautiful lakes and sunflowers along the road. My favorite part of Cappadocia was watching the sunset from the Fairy Chimneys with no one else around.

Describe an interesting conversation you had with a local:
One local tried to sell me a baby duck. I was overcome with cuteness and almost succumbed to a new pet traveling duck, but I managed to leave duckless.

What do you like about where you are? Dislike?

I really liked Turkey, it was colorful and beautiful. The food is amazing and people were mainly friendly. It felt very exotic, and Cappadocia is one of the most beautiful and interesting places I’ve seen. I liked the warm weather. My dislike would be the crowds in parts of Istanbul, which came with traffic and smog.

Describe a challenge you faced:

Navigating the roads for 9 hours in a different country and finding our way to a remote town was a bit challenging. The drivers weren’t as aggressive as I had worried and we were able to find our way sans GPS, but it was a taxing day nonetheless.

What new lesson did you learn?
I learned that there is something magical and unexpected about Turkey, and I really need to go back and spend more time there.

Where next?

I am heading to Peru in March of 2014! More travels here!