Cappadocia

March 25th, 2015

Up at 3 am for our flight to Kersari - nothing like a cup of Turkish coffee to clear a bad case of bleary eyes!  Our hotel is partially dug into the hills that are everywhere here.  Hotel Alfina rooms are huge and are dug into the hillside.  Wonderful cavern feeling with really weak wi-fi signal!  Visited Goreme (UNESCO World Heritage Site) where churches and dwellings were dug into the tufa.  No photographs inside in order to preserve the paintings inside.  Went into the Dark Church which contains amazing paintings that look like they were just completed.  There are no windows in the church, hence the name.

Had lunch at Han Ciragan, where they cook a traditional meat stew in pottery.  When the stew is done, they break the neck of the pot and pour the stew into a serving dish.  Fabulous flavors!

Next stop was at the Fairy Chimneys.  Think of the hoo-doos of the southwest, these are very similar.
Such whimsical shapes of Mother Nature.

March 26th, 2015

One of the highlights of today was visiting a school for girls in Ilijk.  The school started in 1964.  It offers free boarding and meals to girls of low income families.  There are 4 different areas of studies; children's education, computing, graphic arts and elder care.  This is a vocational school in which the girls receive a certificate and are ready to enter the job market.  We visited the children's education, elder care and computing classes.  The girls were all charming!

After the school visit, we had lunch with a village farming family.  What great hosts!  We ate like kings and queens! It was a bit challenging trying to communicate but we managed.  After our feast, we all gathered on the porch where our guide, Ridvan, played the saz and the farmer sang a couple of folk songs.  On our return trip, we stopped at the village community hall and talked with the elected head of the village.  Interesting that this small village has the same concerns that we have!

Just a great day to experience life in a village!