Finished Gallipoli entry ...
.... "Land is very dear here."....
If you would like to go back and have a read.




Early start today... 7.30am
About 600km to Cappadocia with a few stops.

First stop will be the Caravanserai Sultanhan on the Silk Road.
We are crossing the Anatolian Plain, the bread basket of Turkey.

In the 12th Century, the Silk Road was busy with caravans bringing silk and pottery to Europe and returning with gold and silver.
The Silk Road was 6000km long.
These Caravanserais were built by the Sultans to encourage trade by giving a safe place to stay at night.
They are built like forts and closed at night for security.
They are like 'Medieval Inns.'
They are also built a day's travel apart.

I was fascinated by the way you could walk deep into this building and just see archway after archway after archway.
Almost looked like a biblical stable.

Emily climbed to the roof of the small mosque in the centre of the courtyard, up very steep steps that just hugged the side of the building.
I took her photo once she was at the top.
She waved... and grinned, a lot.

Back on the bus for more travel.
Still loving this back seat.

Then we visited the Kaymakli Underground City.
This was amazing.
8 storeys deep.
Every room in the house you can imagine and then some.
All houses were interconnected and stores of food and water were kept in underground storerooms as well.
So if an attack was imminent, they just all fled underground and rolled those gigantic stone wheels across the entrances.
And they were safe for months!

You cannot imagine how big these underground labyrinths are.
Just unbelievable
Emily and another younger one, Jenny kept lagging behind the our group, exploring every little nock and cranny.
We could hear them laughing from floors way below.
I figured they would find a way out eventually.

We had to go through only two very low tunnels, bit tight but not too long....only to have them open out into enormous rooms.
Amazing how this was done.
And so very cool!

Then, as we had been travelling since earlier this morning, time to find the Gamirasu Cave Hotel.

And that is a whole other entry!