"Daddy is Cappdokia faraway...?"
We opened the maps early in the morning after having the classic Turkish breakfast. We haven’t decided neither which route we will follow nor where we will stay overnight. We wanted to stay in Mustafapasa where we stayed in our previous trip but we have been informed that the lodge (Old Greek House) was fully booked. Despite the fact that we checked some alternatives the previous day that morning we didn’t have access to internet in order to book them. We are not used to booking in advance and because we knew that in Capadocia we will have many options we decided not to waste time on searching.
Before departing we asked from the Japaneze ladies to take a picture altogether. We had in mind to picture them next to our bikes but we didn’t want to suggest that because of their age…. But they asked it and we were quite happy about it. Then we all headed towards our bicycles. These ladies were crazy! They wanted to ride our motorbikes. They told as that although they live quite close to Honda’s factory the hadn’t ride a bike.. And of course they chose the Japanese motorbikes to pose and have fun. Before departing they thanked us for supporting their national economy by buying these motorbikes!
We left Karadut and followed the signs to Adiyaman. The map showed a north route which ends close to Malatya. From that place we could head west to Kayseri Nevsehir. The landscape was the same with sparse vegetation and stip rocks and plateus and altitude of not less than 1200m. The road network was in fairly good condition which made our trip smooth. We passed the ancient Roman bridge which is close to Eskikale. This is a 120 meter span and 7 meter width single arch bridge which crosses the homonymous river. The bridge has been constructed from 92 stones each one of which weights 10 tonnes. Most of these stones were moved from a graveyard in Karakus.
We stopped in Adiyamman for fuel and to check the route on the map. We haden’t seen any sing for the road we wanted to follow. For that reason we decided to follow the main road which made the route longer. Moreover the other road was designated as secondary and we didn’t want to ride on an unpaved dirty road. We asked for wi-fi in the fuel station in order to book a hotel. They didn’t have wi-fi but they let us use their personal computer. In 2 minutes we booked the hotel which we have checked the previous day.
We followed the road signs to Malatya, that route crosses Golbasi (65km). The route up to Kayseri passes through beautiful plateaus and the clouds made the landscape more beautiful. In Ziyarettepesi pass we reached 1900m altitude and we had the opportunity to enjoy the endless plateau vista.
The special point of that route is where it crosses the Darende village. This are has denser vegetation comparing with the previous areas we drove through while next to it is the impetuous river Tohma. Many of the building in the village have a special architecture and give us the impression that they are made of mud. There are signs along the road which promote local attractions with Tohma canyon being on top. Unfortunately we don’t have enough time… Maybe at some point in the future... We moved fast and with comfort. The only stops that we made were for fuel, sretching and food every 200-250 km.
While entering Kayseri we moved faster than the speed limit, Stelios who was leading noticed a white vehicle stopped counter to the entrance of a fuel station. It was a police block! The road had three lanes and two lorries were in the right lanes. He thought that if he overpasses form the left he will avoid the police block. That was not the case. The police officer stopped us. The police started taking notes of our license details, the motorcycle traffic numbers , mark and year of production . After noting down all these details they let us leave. Was it just a check or a fine? We will find out...
We cross Kayseri by following the signs to Nevsehir which is the biggest city in Kayseri but without interest. We drove the city’s ring road and continue to Goreme where rock formations start appearing. This small village is in the centre of Cappadocia and it is a modern touristic attraction. Our lodge was the Goreme Valley Cave House located near the central road in the village centre.
A young man welcomed us and offered a cap of tea while noting down our details. It is not a cave hotel as it is promoted… It is a stone building with curved rood rooms, they look like cellars. They are decorated with traditional textiles in order to support the traditional style. However there are a few irrelevant furnitures which doesn’t suit with the style of the rooms. But the lodge is clean and inexpensive for the standards of the area. The photos in booking.com are a bit misleading though.
The receptionist suggested a package with the air ballon which is the main attraction in Cappadocia. The initial price was quite expensive and I started negotiating. We decided to leave it on hold in case we find a better offer. We headed towards the centre where tourism services are. The air balloons were fully booked for next day as they hadn't flownduring that day due to weather conditions. The only available package costed 180 euro per person and we finally booked it. We decided to continue searching. The receptionist in the lodge found an offer for 130 euros per person not for the next day but the day after and we decide to take that.
We took a shower and then went for a walk in the village where was not so crowded. In order to take the air balloon you have to wake up at 4 in the morning. That explained why the village was not so crowded at night. There are a lot of restaurants but none of them seemed good. We were also a bit superstitious because the reviews in trip advisor are mixed and contradict each other.
Finally we chose a restaurant called Comlek which was proven to be good but expensive. Although we were in a touristic area where prices grow fast. How did we manage to go to a restaurant that doesn't serve alcohol is another story.
