Hanging out with locals

One special aspect of a Rick Steves tour is the opportunity to meet locals in their homes or work places. We had lunch with Fahria who made us tomato salad, stewed white beans, and rice. She’s lived in the village her whole life and wove the rug we sat on. Another local served us tea in his fairy chimney house. Later we had a long conversation with the imam from a mosque in a small town. He handles the call to prayer five times a day, the Friday service, caring for those in need, and washing the bodies of the dead before they are buried. While we still stroll around as a fanny pack of American tourists, we’ve fostered a few cultural connections. At a small village farmer’s market we bought figs, dates, and salwar baggy pants. The drop-crotch pants, voluminous through the thighs and butt, are traditional garments perfect for agricultural work. We saw farmers wearing them in the market and women gardening in them. Fun fact: Apparently around 1850 Amelia Bloomer adopted the Turkish style as a political statement against corsets. Bloomers bloomed. We can all thank the Turks!

Aye to aye

What a Turkish delight to arrive at the Mediterranean coastal town of Antalya. We walked from our hotel through Hadrian’s Gate (circa 130 AD), dedicated to the Roman Emperor Hadrian, where horse carriage ruts are worn into the marble. The gate was later incorporated into the walls of the city and is still used as the gate to the historic old town. The lively harbor was a natural safe haven for Greek and Romans, as well as pirates, and the modern pirates (cruise operators) try to outdo each other with pirate-themed designs. We were treated to a private boat that took us for a cruise along the limestone cliffs and walked the plank for a swim in the turquoise Mediterranean Sea (78 degree water). Fun fact: the word turquoise comes from an old French word meaning “Turkish stone.” Though not mined in Turkey, the stone came to Europe via Turkish trade routes so was associated with Turkey.

Sticky situation

Turkish ice cream, made with goat milk and salep (wild orchid root flour), has a thick, stretchy, almost chewy texture that makes it resistant to melting and, it turns out, perfect for performance art. In the early days, turning a cone upside down over a customer’s head was a dramatic way to prove it was authentic. Now they churn up a crowd by teasing us with cone-fusing tactics when we most need an ice cream cone. The con(e)-men hand you a scoop in a cone that is nested in another cone. When you go to grab it you are left with an empty cone. Or they will flip a cone upside down out of your reach. It all feels like a whack-a-cone experience.

Carpet diem

As a bridge between Europe and Asia on the Silk Road, Turkey’s textiles earned fame for global trading and the tradition continues. We stopped in at a multi-family, multi-generational carpet weaving museum/sales room where thousands of rugs were rolled, piled, and hung in a labyrinth of showrooms. After dosing us with Raki (fire water ouzo) and Turkish coffee, they showed that they had mastered not only the art of the loom but the art of the deal. A bevy of twirling dervish salesmen unfurled rug after rug, one on top of another. Carpet bombed! The silk rugs truly seemed like magic carpets — a light blue design transformed into a dark blue when shaken. Many of our group left with beautiful purchases and threadbare wallets. We didn’t surrender but were floored by the experience.

Rock stars of Cappadocia

After floating above the rock formations we climbed down into underground cave cities that required us to squat through tiny tunnels down level after level of stables, wine cellars, chapels, and kitchens, and past giant round stone doors that rolled shut like a scene from Indiana Jones. Thousands lived underground for safety from invaders. It felt like a human-sized ant farm. Above ground we climbed into towering cones of volcanic rock that rise from the valleys like a crowd of very tall, very pointy wizard hats. Many of them were carved into homes, churches, and pigeon houses. Some are still used today. A family served us tea in one but we copped out of visiting the stone-faced police station tower.

Basket case

We departed before dawn for our lofty hot air balloon ride above Cappadocia. As the sun rose, so did we. It felt like levitating — so smooth and quiet with very little sense of movement. Over 100 other balloons joined us which made the experience even more scenic and uplifting. We floated among and above the rock formations and our YouTube trained pilot (kidding!) skillfully landed right on the trailer. Even inflated tourist prices didn’t pop our Cloud Nine bubble.

Feeling boulder

The Cappadocia region of Turkey may beat out Catstanbul cats for going viral on social media. Between the fairy chimney rock formations, underground cities, and cave hotels, we felt we had stepped into a Flintstones playground. Our rocky explorations began when we arrived at the “Bedrock Hilton” and all had to check out each other’s cave rooms.