Episode 23

With the mornings gradually getting chillier we now find that sometimes there is frost about, and it certainly was about as we headed towards Malatya, the apricot capital of the world. It's a fairly mountainous area so there is no great area of vast orchards, just pockets in valleys and on mountain sides where there is enough soil to sustain them. Quite a lot of grapes are grown around here too and they are usually just left to spread over the ground, not grown on trellises as is most often the case. The apricot trees nearly all have trickle irrigation.

The city of Malatya seems a very prosperous one with lots of smart new buildings so apricots must pay well. Sadly it’s the wrong time of year for the fresh ones, one of L’s favourite fruit, so she just had to settle of some dried ones that are very tasty but not as good. They were also much more expensive than buying Turkish dried apricots in Europe or Australia.

Outside of the city there is a very interesting archaeological dig into a large mound known as Aslantepe. Seven separate layers of civilization have been found, one under the other. The oldest date back almost 6000 years to around 4000-3900 BC: Although the untrained eye can’t really make much of all the mud walls and exposed diggings there were plenty of signs that explained everything.

It is an extremely interesting site for archaeologists as it has brought to light a time when humans were just beginning to develop a social order, where one family was better off than another and that progressed to the next stage where someone was distributing food, so must have been collecting and controlling what happened to it. This was all before writing was invented but a large number of seals have been found and even used and broken ones stored as if part of an accounting system. This was around 3500 BC. Also dating from around that time are some wall paintings and some spear heads and swords. The swords predate similar ones by almost 1000 years. L really enjoyed this visit and would love to be here when a dig was in progress.

Nearby in the town of Battalgazi we visited a 13th century mosque that has some old mosaics though they are in a poor condition. There are quite a few ruins around here too but nothing compared to Aslantepe.

At Darende we saw the narrow Tohma canyon but the walk through it was all locked up, so we were quite disappointed because it looked really pretty. The Gurpinar waterfall outside of town is really quite small and at present doesn’t have much water spilling over it. Perhaps in the time of the spring thaw it’s a more impressive sight.

We made our way to Cappadocia, a region in central Anatolia that is famous for its striking array of pinnacles that nature has sculptured and that humans have hollowed out to create cave churches and sanctuaries in early Christian times. The scenery is striking and its one of Turkey’s premier tourist attractions. Both my lot have been here previously, together back in 2006 and L back in 1970. When L was first here she was with a group of about 8 heading for India. As well as L’s group there was another vehicle with 3 or 4 people also heading for India and camping at the same camp site. At the time they were probably the only tourists in the area, about 12 of them, now there is that many per square metre just about. There was certainly no tourist infrastructure and L remembers a guide leading them down into an area with lots of pinnacles and showing them inside several, one of which she is sure was a church with frescos. One night most of her group camped out in a cave somewhere in the valley, it was freezing cold in mid October and they could hear the wolves howling in the distance. When they were here in 2006 someone said that the wolves were returning, however, now the whole place is either a housing estate or hotels so there is really no place for the wolves.

Small areas between the pinnacles are planted with apricot trees or grape vines both struggle to grow in such a dry climate but now there are also a couple of boutique wineries.

The area is thick volcanic ash (tuff), with a layer of lava on top. The tuff is quite soft and erodes very easily but the lava is harder that is what is balancing on top of many of the pinnacles and protecting the tuff underneath. However, because it is so soft it erodes even more quickly where it has been weakened by the excavating of cave dwellings and churches etc.

The Goreme open air museum has quite a few churches in its complex and a convent though most of that is closed along with many other things. Most things seem to date from the 11th or 12th century though around the several valleys that make up the area there are much older places dating from very early Christian times and even before that. The 'dark’ church has the best preserved painting, they are not really frescos, but we weren’t allowed to take photos in there. The colours are still very vivid. Zelve is another open air museum but there isn’t really much to see here, on the plus side there wasn’t any tour coach loads either.

L’s favourite sight is the ‘fairy chimneys’. They almost look like fairy tale castles, though some of them also resemble tall toadstools.

Also in this area are a lot of underground cities that provided safe sanctuaries during troubled times. The largest one of these could accommodate up to 10,000 people for several months along with some animals. These were Christian people seeking sanctuary at times of invasion by Muslims from various regions.

We visited three: Ozkonak is by far the smallest though there is a place for some animals, a wine press, a church, and ventilation shafts and wells. Seems to be mainly on two levels, at least that is all we saw, but Kaymakli has about 5 levels and could accommodate around 3,000 people while Derinkuyu, the largest has 7 or 8 levels and could accommodate 10,000 according to some sign we saw somewhere. After visiting all three my lot have decided that the smell of all those people down there, along with animals would not have been the particularly pleasant:

We have seen the cave cities in Georgia and Armenia, and cave dwellings in lots of different places but nothing like this great underground city. The amount of work involved to hollow out such vast spaces and dispose of all the waste material is mind boggling. All done with the simplest of tools: In the biggest one there were even graves on the lower levels and some large caverns with barrel shaped roofs that was a school. Sections could be closed off by great round stone doors that were simply rolled into position when needed. In the area where the animals were kept little loops have been hollowed out of the wall so that ropes can be tied and animals tethered.

Hot air ballooning is a popular activity in this region and each morning we saw a great number of balloon pass overhead. Maybe as many as 100 were visible at one time. The weather conditions were just perfect for them. My lot had done this last time they were here so I dipped out on this experience. Now there is a proper landing field that the balloonist use, when my lot went years ago they landed in someone’s apricot orchard pruning the trees where they crashed landed.

Leaving Cappadocia we headed south west aiming to reach the Mediteranean coast around Anamur. We hadn’t got very far when we saw a sign for a Roman aquaduct so we went in search of that and eventually found it and the tumbled ruins of the small Roman town of Tyana.

For a long way we travelled along fairly flat countryside on divided roads of 4 or 6 lanes and light traffic. We passed an area of orchards, apples and pears mostly my lot decided, then large areas of winter wheat of barley. Sugar beet are being harvested along with massive cabbages, the latter being offered for sale at roadside stalls. There are still big flocks of sheep and goats that seem to choose to cross the road just as we come along.

When we filled up with fuel at one place D decided to wash the car seeing as cost only 1TL (50cents AU) so now it sparkles and we can actually see out the back window and the number plate can be read, not so sure that’s an advantage:

Heading for the Med coast at Anamura we again crossed dry, craggy mountains over a number of passes between 1000m and 1700m. The most inland of these had only some low oak and juniper scrub, but as we got nearer to the coast the scrub gave way to small trees, mostly pine, and gradually they got taller and there was far more of them until the last slopes facing the coast had quite good pine forest. Below we could see the blue of the Med and on the narrow coastal plain thousands of plastic green houses.

Anamur is where most of Turkeys bananas are grown, and they are all grown under plastic. Also in this area are a vast number of strawberry fields, with the plants growing up through plastic. We dread to think just how much of that plastic must end up in the Med each year. There is tons of it lying around on the ground everywhere just waiting to be washed or blown into the sea.

Mamure Castle is undergoing much restoration so it will really be a 21st century castle all ready and waiting for the next invasion. Its origins go back to Roman times though very little is left of that period, until this restoration work started it was mostly 13th century. Two Germans turned up at the same time we did so the fellow in charge took all four humans and me on a tour of the not yet restored bits. When we got to the citadel when we could overlook the beach he told us something about Cleopatra coming here and taking some sand back to Egypt from here, Goodness knows why.

Anyway, the other important thing about this beach is that it is one of just a few along this Turkish coast where the Mediterranean Loggerhead turtles nest and our guide takes an interest in the turtles as he lives right next to the beach. One interesting fact he told us is that they put a metal basket of some sort over the eggs to stop dogs from digging them up. It seems that the turtles here do not dig nests as deep as ours on the Woongarra coast. It is the loggerhead turtles at Burnett Heads that L does volunteer work with when she is home in the summer.

Another sight here is the ancient Roman city of Anemurium that is about 12k’s west along the coast from the castle. It must have been quite a large place because the ruins are extensive. There is quite a bit still standing especially in the area of the necropolis. Considering that it was hit by an earthquake in 580AD that very badly damaged it then add the ravages of another 1400 years it hasn’t fared too badly.

One of the bathhouses still has some mosaics on the floor though it’s hard to see them under sand and gravel tramped in by tourists. No one bothers to sweep the sand off let along protect them in any way. We (not me) had to sweep it away with our feet to find them. One of the theatres is in remarkable good shape too. I got even more grubby posing here and there for photos.

As we travelled westward along the coast we came to a couple of small coves where the hillsides were terraced and covered in bananas, also the flat land at the bottom was packed solid with banana bushes, except for a few plastic green houses and lo and behold some gum trees growing beside the road. For those of you who aren’t Aussie, a gum tree is a eucalypt:

The greenhouses continued but what was growing in them changed to mostly veggies, tomatoes, cucumber and chilly D identified, others he didn’t. Strawberry fields flourish between the greenhouses. Finally, both the greenhouses and strawberries gave way to hotels and resorts as we neared the resort town of Alanya. A wide esplanade fronted a nice sandy beach and quite a few tourists were enjoying the warm sunshine but not a soul was in the water.

We parked in the town and D went looking for an internet place. A travel agent offered him the use of the shop internet so we went in there and while L was doing whatever it is she does on the internet D perused some brochures and saw some for paragliding. As both my lot are found of this activity they decided to go for a flight here.

It was decided that I might get lost midair if I was taken so instead I was left in the car that was very hot and stuffy, so I really wasn’t all that happy, but then again I really didn’t want to be dropped, accidently or otherwise from a paraglider, but I really did want to go.

They were taken high up into the mountains that overlook Alanya to a launch site. D and his pilot were the first to take off and L got a bit of video of him, she will try and load it for you when she gets a good enough internet connection. L had a wonderful exhilarating flight that gave her a great view of the area and they all landed safely on the sandy beach with several onlookers. L says she wants to be re-incarnated as a paragliding pilot.

Our spell of good weather came to an end with lots of lightning and thunder, torrential rain with tiny bits of hail. We awoke one morning to very black clouds and imminent rain. It started within a few minutes of us setting out and continued off and on all day with such drenching downpours that left the roads and streets awash and the fields just right for rice planting but probably wouldn’t do the strawberries and other veggies much good if it lingers. There are still vast amounts of plastic and glass greenhouses but the banana plantations have given out in favour of citrus. The tall pine trees have also given out except in sheltered spots and low growing scrub dominates on the otherwise bare stony hillsides.

All along this coast there are many ruins of ancient Greek and Roman cities. In the past my lot have visited some and did plan to look at a couple more but it was just too wet. Xanthos is said to have some good mosaics still it situ though most of the other important features are just copies of originals that have been carted off to museums. Letoon was dedicated to Leto, mistress of Zeus, mother of Artemis and Apollo and has three temples one dedicated to each of them, however very little remains and what does was ankle deep in water with more about to be added so both only got a very brief visit.

The days were fairly hot and sunny and the nights pleasantly warm along this route. Now and again we would come to a lovely pocket of pine forest or a big new housing estate of Mediterranean style villas tumbling down a hillside that had previously been an orchard or a cabbage patch.

There were a great many more Greek and Roman ruins that we could have visited they seem to be on almost every small cove or hill top. My lot have seen so many of them over the years that they have become a bit jaded with them so gave them a miss, they all seem very much alike after a while, bit like the churches and monasteries in Georgia and Armenia.

Turning north along the coast still, towards Ҫanakkale the citrus quickly gave way to olives. Olives all around and over the hills and far away, nothing but olive trees; The harvest is in full swing too, but they don’t’ seem to have the tree shaker that my lot have seen used in Spain and Portugal. Here, it seems to be mostly done by hand.

We passed along the sea front at Izmir where a 4 lane divided highway with strips of parkland either side separates the beach front from the 8 storey high apartment blocks and hotels that crowd together on the other side facing the beach. For the huge city it is this part at least is quite attractive.

Eventually we came to Ҫanakkale and caught the ferry across to Eceabat on the Gallipoli peninsula where I was taken and shown Anzac Cove and Lone Pine, all part of my education apparently. We are officially back in Europe, At Lone Pine there were people tending the grave site, cleaning headstones and doing the gardens and at Anzac cove there is quite a large expanse of green lawn, very green and well cared for at this time of year. This is where L expects the dawn service will be held next April 25th to mark the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings. Sadly there has been some damage done here by persons unknown just a couple of weeks ago. Some signs or something like that have been removed.

Now as the rain begins again and the temperature dropping we are heading for the border with Greece:

© Lynette Regan 17th November 2014