After I found myself in the Baris bar cafe, nestled in the old part of Kars, a colourfully converted Building built during the Russian occupation. The building itself harks back to the design of St Petersburg. As I walked through the door the sound of a vibrant live Turkish band filled the air, the lead singer and guitarist skilfully played the baglma as the tuneful vocals of himself and the female backing singer added to the sounds of the drummer an classical guitar player, all coming together to create a perfect last evening in Kars. The cafe itself had the obligatory no smoking sign hanging high on the wall, as I entered the room was thick with shisha and cigarette smoke, if you spend more than a few days in Turkey you soon realise the non smoking ban indoors is more a guideline than an actual rule :)
After enjoying a last quiet drink in cafe Baris, which sits next to the river under the watchful eye of The imposing Kars castle up on the rocky hill, I left around midnight and took one last snap of the castle lit up in the crisp winter night sky by the spotlights dotted around its walls.
As I walked through the empty morning streets of Kars I left with happy memories and a slight sadness to be leaving the east behind, but excitement and desire to explore a unique place in Turkey, Cappadocia!
The station in Kars lies just outside the city and the snow lay all around as the morning sun shone down the empty streets giving a much needed bit of warmth as a navigated my way over the icy streets, trying to keep my balance with my backpack and rucksack strapped to my front and back.
One thing the Turkish know what to do is keep themselves warm inside and as I stepped on the waiting train I was thankful for the warm blast of air that hit me as I embarked and found my seat. I suddenly realised I had left my Turkish honey and distinctive Kars cheese back in the fridge at the hotel :o
Kars cheese is sold all around the town, shops displayed huge wheels of said delights and honey pots line the windows and after explaining to the shop owner (who spoke great German but sadly no English) using sign language I wanted just a smallish slither, he produced a huge knife and skilfully acquiesced to my request. And I left the shop laden with cheese, honey and bread for my impending long haul journey the next day.
As you can imagine I didn t want to leave it behind, I had arrived at the station early so with half an hour to spare I decided to leave my bags on the train and run back in the cold but sunny morning air and retrieve my purchases. The pavements being covered in ice I had to run down the road. Outdoor exercise in winter does not seem to be all the rage in Turkey, so the sight of me running at full pelt to and from the hotel produced some strange looks from the few people out on the streets. I made it back to the train with five minutes to spare and sat down in a empty carriage food in tow.
The journey to Kayseri is ok the Dogu expresi train which runs daily to Ankara. Don t be fooled by the name, express it is not! It's chugs along at a painfully slow pace a steam train would be ashamed of, it does however give tourists like myself time to take in the ever present stunning winter mountain views along the way. The weather was perfect and we meandered through mountain ranges at times hugging the same route as the road but more often following the main river tht runs across Turkey. The river half frozen, huge blocks of ice unable to stop the strong torrent of water from flowing as it cut its way through Anatolia. Everywhere you looked snow covered mountains towered up from the train occasionally breaking to reveal spectacular valleys and steppes, it's a ride worth taking just for the view.
As the train continued the heating which was overly efficient had began to make me regret wearing my layers of clothing and long johns! I removed my trusty Icelandic lopa peysa and went to the toilets to remove my long johns. The toilet was a basic affair with not so clean squat hole in the ground and dirty water covering the floor. I decided against using it as a impromptu changing room and made my way back to my seat. With the heating causing my body temperature to rise to uncomfortable levels, it called for drastic action! With a near empty carriage I made a snap decision to change in my seat :) with my warm winter coat wrapped around my legs I skilfully managed to remove my trousers and long johns and change back into trousers with no one catching me out. Success! I could sit back enjoy the rest of the journey!
As the train pulls near to Erzurum the its suddenly appears to the right in the snow covered steppe, the the train line hugs the mountain side. The mountains on the other side of the city rise up to the blue sky creating an image akin to that of the one from stop Kars castle mount.
Erzurum is one of the more conservative Turkish town and men and women boarded the train adorned in traditional Muslim dress, the women in all manner of colourful headscarfs. As the journey continued it was not uncommon to see Turkish men finding a empty double seat
Facing east and going about their daily prayers as the more liberal Turks continued on with their loud conversation and chatter. After Erzurum the train lasses through many tunnels and slowly descends and picks up speed as it defends from the mountains passing through a huge plateaux, undulating hills all around and the standard snow capped rugged mountain off in the distance. As I watched the sun set we passed huge flocks of sheep crazing on the frozen muddy plains being herded by shepherds looking like they could do with some of the heat we were being subjected to on the train! The darkness soon came and I sat back to endure the last 8 or so hours before Kayseri.
Disaster struck as my iPhone battery went. With no phone I had no alarm clock and Kayseri was not the last stop, I had no desire to find myself walking up in Ankara! so I asked the young chap sat next to me for the time. He spoke Turkish but looked unlike any other Turk I had seen before, he asked me in hating English where I was from, and when I returned the question he replied;
"Afghanistan!"
It's not everyday you sit next to someone from there and for the next few minutes I was happy to have a basic conversation
About what I was doing in turkey. Sadly he disembarked at Sivas an for the next few hours until 1:30am I had to struggle to keep myself awake so I didn t miss my stop. I friendly Turkish gent struck up a conversation with me as I waited for the toilet, he was of course smoking by the train door under a sign clearing explaining such a pastime was now banned :) he spoke good English and I enquired what he did. He replied he worked for DSI which from my travels in te kackars I knew was the company who were responsible for the huge dam holding projects and the impending flooding of many towns and villages! When I mentioned this he chuckled held up his arms and said;
"That's right, you can blame me, what can I say!"
I somehow stayed awake and we pulled into Kayseri at 2am. I thought better of staying the night there, Kayseri is a boom town in turkey, full of smart new buildkng and business parks, but with little to see for traveller I made my way straight to the bus station willing to sleep the night there and wait for the morning hour long busto goreme and cappadocia. On arrival I found out there was a bus at 3:30am so only had one hour to wait! Note to self never trust the lonely planet travel guides, they are always wrong!
I jumped on the bus to Goreme and found myself fighting a losing battle not to fall asleep :( after being awake since 6am the previous morning. I miraculously awoke as the bus pulled into a dark bus top, looked outside and saw a sign saying 'Goreme'! I quickly got off and after a friendly taxi driver told me it wasn t worth me taking a taxi as the hostel was only 400m away I stumbled into shoestring cave hostel at 5am. Goreme is a town at the heart of the scenic sights if Cappadocia so English is widely spoken. On explaining my epic journey the night watchman ushered me to my dorm room and told me to get some sleep and sort everything out when I woke. The hostel is built into the amazing rock formations with cave like interiors, a welcoming sight.
I awoke at 10am and not wanting to miss out of the sights I made my way to the roof top area, the view was breathtaking, the hustle sits on a hill over looking the town, rose valley in the distance. Everywhere you look dreamlike landscapes enthral as you try to take in the uniqueness of the place.
For the first time since Istanbul the first backpackers were sighted and I soon struck up a conversation with a friendly Aussie called Charlie and a Italian couple Simon and Martina. They had arrived the previous day and were still keen to explore the area so I soon found I had some company for the next day or two. Enjoying my own company is not something I have found that hard, but when you come across random travellers with similar laid back plans its good to have company for a day or two! The Aussie guy Charlie and I had no problem exchanging traveling tales, laughing and reminiscing on good times had in turkey so far. We soon found ourselves setting out on foot to explore the area.
A visit to Goreme open air museum is a must! Ignoring the crowds you get a real sense of the history in the maze of houses, churches and buildings hewn into the incredible scenery. Villages built into the Columns and undulating wavy rocky hillsides! The intact frescos inside the churches are quite something. After an hour in the museum we wanted to get out into the untouched countryside and walked up to the top of the hill above the museum and turned off into rose valley. So called due to the striking colour of the columns and rock formations around. The pathway plunged down into the valley through improbably small gorges one had to scramble down and squeeze through gaps using the makeshift ladders and relying on blind faith your feet would not slip down the smooth steep rock, all the way through the valley, Byzantine dwellings remain cut out high up in the cone shaped formations that adorn the area. On our way we came across a low Korean tourist who struck up a conversation and tagged along. On asking his name (which I forget) he told us, but then exclaimed;
"Just call me Hugh"! :D
Wanting to get a view of the whole valley Charlie (whilst being a great laugh has that hilarious habit of when talking english to turkish people has the habit of speaking broken english in a weird fake turkish accent! :D ) decided we should scramble up what looked like a sheer smooth face of with a few footholds and scrub to hold onto. We scrambled up and scaled the basalt column, and boy was it worth it, over the other side as far as the eye could see the valley spread out, cone shaped rock formations laying far below like a huge bed of soundproofing foam.
All kinds of colours made more extreme by the setting sun. we took the opportunity to sit, drink in the view and eat our lunch of Turkish bread and cheese. the sun set and we made our way back to the hostel.
The evening was spent chatting with our fellow Italian backpackers, a friendly pair, speaking remarkable English for Italians ;) the evening, drinking and travel tales continued and finished as Simon treated all in the hostel to a impromptu acoustic concert, playing well known reggae song after another, the Turkish residents looking on with approval, recording his every song on their smartphones and clapping saying, "yes yes, instagram!" With a resounding rendition of "jammin" by Bon Marley round the outside fire which had the whole hostel joining in the first night in Goreme drew to a close and the Italian couple made their way onto Nemrut.
We awoke early today on New Year's Eve a amazing breakfast in the roof top garden was enjoyed as we looked out over the valley below, the hot air balloons dotting the skyline creating an idyllic scene. After filling ourselves on the free breakfast and downing a cup of tea/cay, we set off on a 10km walk through two valleys.
We started off down pigeon valley, the pathway snakes through the bottom with huge smooth white and various shades of cream coloured cliffs rising up, formations that continued to amaze. As if designed by some modern artist. The pathway occasionally going through tunnels naturally carved through the rock. The pathway cuts off to the right after a km or so and you climb steeply up, looking back to have a postcard view of pigeon valley below and rose valley in the background. The weather was perfect with the blue sky created a perfect backdrop for pictures. A stray dog, not rabid, cheeky Anatolian dog of some description would then accompany us vainly in the search of food for the next 3-4km, he became quite the rambling companion.
The top of the climb you arrive at uchisar, a town looking like something akin to that like the town of Rohan in lord of the rings. Rising up fortress like on a rocky outcrop, the highest point in the surrounding area. The highlight of Uchisar is the byzantine castle which sits at the highest point, surveying the area below. The gruelling climb up in the hot midday sun is 100% worth it and you are greeted with 360 degree views of the whole area below. We took the time to drink in the view enjoying a cup of tea from the friendly small kiosk owner tucked away in a small snug of rock at the summit.
He spoke amazing English and on chatting to him I found out he used to live only a few streets away from me in London, holloway! And when asking where I was from he exclaimed;
"No way my cousin has just opened a new kebab shop in Warwick called castle kebab"
"I know it well!" I exclaimed, I had just enjoying a tasty take away from there before coming to turkey! It's a small world!
After refreshing ourselves we set off down the steep hill out of town and into love valley! Happy to report no romance occurred between myself and the laid back Charlie :D the rock formations and pathways continued much as described before, each valley however, with a new unique artistically designed smooth basalt undulating landscape, at times jagged as the cone like peaks sear into the sky.
At one point we entered a natural tunnel, just off the main pathway, it became narrower and narrower as we could not see the end in sight! We ended up on our stomachs crawling through a tunnel which had been reduced to a mere 50cm or so high pushing our backpacks and hoping for a exit, we spied light ahead and made it out crawling to the sunshine again, this truly is a amazing area. 3/4 of the way the valley opens up to a huge expanse, and this is here you see why it retains the name "love valley" :D how better can I descibes it than, penises penises penises!!
A huge expanse of huge phallic like rock formations shooting up into the sky, you can try to describe them another way, but you would be avoiding the obvious. Nature truly has a eye for a accurate design :D the view is nonetheless spectacular and as the sun set in New Year's Eve we enjoyed our lunch looking out over the valley of rudeness as the hit air balloons expertly descended a mere 10m above the ground in the valley and shit out the other side rising high into the sky creating a perfect panaromic picture for those such as ourselves on the ground below.
We made the walk back into town, tired but reminiscing on the feast of scenic delights along the way. We tried vainly to hitch a ride the 2km back to town, but with the sun setting over rise valley to the right, the reds and honey colours from the rocks made the walk quite something.
We rolled into the hostel ready to enjoy the last few hours of 2013. Bottle of raki and a roof top view of the surrounding valley below to start the celebrations!
So with that I sign off till next time. Plans have changed drastically, and tomorrow we are bound for Mount Nemrut, and a tour of the south town close to the Syrian border, Mardin, Urfa and Gaziantep!!
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