Somewhere I read that Urgup was more laid back than touristy Goreme so we booked a place... A cave hotel in Cappadocia. Now I have to say the hotel is great but it is located down a narrow dark alley and up a lot of stairs. Our first hint that perhaps this wasn't a fancy place was when the bus got stuck in the alley. Eventually, rear view mirrors intact, they managed to find the place and left us in the dark to find our way down yet another (shorter) alley. Ready to turn around we were surprised and pleased to find the room was great. It was indeed a cave and very uniquely decorated (if you like purple). Friendly staff and a great breakfast.....and a good night's sleep at last.
First thing the next day we headed out to explore this amazing part of or earth. Known as the land of Fairy Chimneys, this world heritage site offers canyons of red, pink, yellow and stark white all sculpted in to the strangest shapes. Many of the cliffs and cone like shapes have been carved out and used as dwellings over the years.....which is why cave hotels are so popular here.  
Hiking through these canyons was thrilling and extremely hot. Inside the caves the opposite is true. This is not a place you would hike without water, sunscreen and a good hat!  
 It's not easy to find a cold beer in a Muslim country but you can be sure we found one after that hike.
The next morning (another early wake up call) we headed out to watch the sun rise over 
Cappadocia from a hot air balloon. At first I thought this was a pretty expensive indulgence but I now believe it should not be missed if possible. We couldn't have had better weather or a better pilot. He went through the canyons, over vineyards and orchards then took us soaring high over the landscape. A balloon ride gives you the opportunity to view the entire area as well as being able to get a look at how the local farmers work their land in the narrow opportunities afforded them.
After breakfast and a rest we hopped the bus to Pigeon Valley, or at least the turn off. Took a while to walk towards the village of Uchisar past tour buses and photo opportunities. Uchisar has a rock formation that looks much like a fortress. Since we had such a good view this morning we decided not to climb the rock, especially in the heat. So we walked through town and down a path that took us through the remaining 4 kilometres of Pigeon Valley. Another unique landscape that brought us out to the Village of Goreme. Good food at an outdoor restaurant then back on the local bus. Had an interesting discussion with a retired carpet salesman (by the end of our trip we had visited with him three times). He shared his opinion of the government and how there are fewer tourists all over the country.  
When we got back to our hotel the manager said our room number had changed but the room was the same. Huh? Apparently people don't understand room numbers 100 - 110 so now they are 101 - 111.... Not sure if it helped anything but it kept the staff busy repainting numbers and confused one poor man from India that kept saying "my underwater is already in the drawers"!
The local food here is delicious. From vegetable omelettes to stew baked forever in a clay pot, to rice vegetable mixtures ...all with the ever present eggplant....there is nothing to complain about!
Day three saw us off on another tour...this time to see the underground city of Derdinkuyu but not before a stop off at a crater lake. The lake was just a round lake but the underground city was amazing. Yet another example of how the Christians found ways to stay safe. These cities are connected underground and could hold up to 2000 people if they had to. People and cows and chickens and food and of course wine, they were Christians after all. With a system for ventilation, fresh water, food storage, sleeping and worship they had it all covered. Apparently the only thing you could grow in the area was grapes so they weren't rich and the Muslims didn't drink wine so most of the time they were left alone.
Next stop was the Ihlara Valley. This valley again had churches and homes carved out of the rock. The difference was the area has a lovely stream running through it which makes it lush and cool.
As with any good tour you just have to stop at a rug factory. All the rugs were hand made. The one Iliked was $33,000....we don't have a new rug!!
On our last day in Cappadocia we wandered around main street Urgup, took in the local museum thenhopped a local bus and headed for the Goreme outdoor museum.  
In the museum were flints and hammers from 7000 BC. We couldn't help but think of Golbelki Tepe and how advanced their civilization was at 12,000 BC!
Goreme outdoor museum was really an opportunity to climb around inside the cave homes and churches. The highlight there was Karanlik (dark) Church. Inside the church are well preserved frescoes from the11th Century. There is little natural light in the church which has preserved the colourful scenes from the life of Jesus.  
This was a lazy day...only about 5 kilometres of walking. Delicious ice cream and a big lunch to sustain us for tonight we take the bus to Pamukkale.