Cave Carem

We got an early start from Antioch this morning, and spent most of the day traveling. Theme for the day: Caves and Cars.

In the bus, we drove north past Iskenderun, a port town that supports inland Antioch. We crossed the Taurus mountains through the Gulek straight, an ear-and-eye-popping, snow-topped experience. After a few hours, we stopped at a monastery. In a cave.

The monastery, Eski Gümüşler, was built way way back when it wasn't cool to be Christian. They dug into the soft volcanic rock a large monastery that would be unknown to the world, but for a small opening in the rock in the front. A large courtyard was open to the sky, and burial pits and worshipping rooms were still intact. Again, all carved out of the rock, not built.

Inside were beautiful paintings and frescos of traditional Christian scenes, along with winding passageways and random holes in the ground, either from over zealous digging or age-related wear and tear.

Back in the bus for a while, we drove to our next stop, Kaymakli, a massive underground network of caves that stretches for miles, across a vast area, 18 levels deep. We only explored four of the levels, as they are the only ones open to the public (most of the 18 are as of yet uncovered). It was in underground networks like Kaymakli that settlers would store their food and animals, as well as themselves, when Arab raiders passed through the area. This was apparently a frequent occurrence, and the raids would last for a few hundred years. We wandered to and fro, crouching low and hitting our heads on the low hanging ceilings (well, so was the case for myself and a few of the other tall people).

After Kaymakli, we were back on the road in the bus, arriving at our hotel in the heart of Cappadocia after sunset. A delicious dinner had us ready for bed, though we spent a while all downstairs drinking in the bar. I'm rooming with David for the next two nights.

Oh, did I mention our hotel, Hotel Alfina, is a cave? The entire hotel is carved into the side of a mountain. Our room is a cave. The bar is a cave. Everything is a cave. And we have a jacuzzi bathtub. In the cave bathroom.

Early-ish bedtime, as we have a long day ahead of us.