99 red hot air balloons - Cappadocia

If you take a nine hour night bus from istanbul, you might end up in Cappodocia.  Cappadocia has to be one of the most amazing places this world has to offer.  Seriously unique and once again seems like something out of this world. Dr. Suess must have been born here because all the rock formations looked like something from out of his books. This place is so good apparently the bible even gives it a shout out according to a tour guide we were eavesdropping in on. 

The land of Cappadocia- known for its fairy chimney-like rock formations and Dr Seuss' hometown (according to us)

When staying in cave land you must stay in a cave hotel.  Which is exactly what it sounds like - a cave they turned into a hotel.  Despite what the name may suggest - the hotel was super accommodating and luxurious! One of the most comfy rooms we've had and most hospitable hotel host ever!! As soon as we checked in they had a homemade breakfast waiting for us - homemade jams, delicious warm bread, all sorts of home made cheeses and beef from their cattle (they were very natural here), eggs (probably straight from chickens and the rooster we heard crowing that morning) and tons of fruits (unfortunately this breakfast would be the downfall of Robby the next day). 

Our cave hotel!

The rooms were for small hobbits. We had to pretty much crawl In!

There was so much to see in this place! We hiked for hours that day. The chimney rocks go on forever and you can see caves that were carved into these rocks that people lived in back in the first century!  People still live in caves in Cappodocia and our hotel owner told us he was born and raised in a cave - not like the ones they turn into luxurious stays for tourists- but legit caves!! These people are cavemen in the finest form!!  

The city has crazy rocks all over the place and legitimate cave houses everywhere

This is someone's house!

Name this animal!

Chimney rocks and caves - doesn't the cave on the left look like a dr Suess house or something??

Sunset - we were actually stranded on our hike after dark - about five miles from town.  Finally someone came by and let us catch a ride back!

So pretty!

Old caves from around the 3rd century - still writings and drawings on the walls

Hiking was awesome and all...but in order to see all of the crazy formations there are in Cappodocia...one must float hundreds of meters into the air in a balloon!! Cappodocia is known as a hot spot for this - they have literally about 100 hot air balloons that take off in this valley every morning before dawn.  We knew we had to do it despite how expensive it was.  And the fact that three tourists died here in a hot air balloon crash just in May.  This freaked me out a little, but not enough to not experience it! We shopped around and bargained all we could and got a decent price to do it!! We had to meet an hour before dawn the next morning to get ready to go and be up in the air for sunrise. Unfortunately for us, the time had literally just been changed for daylight savings so dawn was an hour earlier the next day, haha great timing! But well worth the lack of sleep.  4am was a great time to be alive and awake that day. This is why:

Sun creepin up

Before take off! Yep, Robby color coordinated his beanie with our balloon 

Up in the air!

Soo amaZing to look out and see that many balloons around us!

Our pilot took us through the valleys and we were almost able to touch the rocks! (just like this balloon but our balloon had way cooler colors!)

We got a pic of this hot air balloon landing in this tiny cart attached to a truck...and then our hot air balloon did the same thing!! Our pilot landed us directly in the cart and we drove like that for a bit haha!

Our trusty pilot...wearing a wig

Hurray! This was seriously one of the coolest things we've ever done!

After coming down from the amazing high (both literally and figuratively) we went back to the cave for breakfast. All this adventure and it was barely 8:30am!  Well unlike the previous morning, breakfast that morning was a terrible choice.  It was all the same stuff that tasted delicious, but apparently Robby ate something...infected? Sounds nasty but he totally got e-coli from either the meat or a cheese we think! A few hours after breakfast he started feeling really weird, stomach cramping, nausea, fever, all that good stuff.  poor guy could hardly move!  All he was capable of for the next few days was sleeping and walking very very slow.  We literally slept away almost 2 days in the cave which luckily was dark and cool for him to sleep off his fever.  But we still had to make it to the next city, Pamukkale, which was an 8 hour night bus away! After some tlc and good rest we were able to make the trip. Robby was still sick for almost 10 days after this but each day slowly regained strength and we would still go out but just slower paced. Good thing we did the best stuff before hand and didn't miss too much in Cappodocia!!  He is completely back to 100% and alive and well as I write this.  He has all limbs in tact too, no amputations needed so worries!

Bananas in Istanbul

Have you ever carried a banana with you in your hand all day long? I have. And you wouldn't believe how much it apparently makes you stand out. At first I was just bringing it with me to the roof of our hostel in istanbul to eat it for breakfast.  Walking up our hostel host made a comment about me bringing an exotic fruit to breakfast and started laughing.  I never thought of a banana as exotic but maybe it is and I learned quickly that they don't eat fruit for breakfast in turkey! the traditional breakfast in turkey is bread, cucumbers, tomatoes and yogurt and jam.  I've never had veggies for breakfast but turns out it's a great way to start your day. I ended up getting full on the free food and didn't eat the banana.  So later on as we were walking out of the hostel to start our day of sight seeing I was still holding my banana (thinking id eat it on the road) and the hostel host passed us and said "geez how many bananas do you have?!" Haha I was surprised he noticed I still had it!

As we were walking the street there were a couple people that passed and made comments about the banana and someone who said "it's banana girl!"  I thought it was hilarious the banana drew so much attention.  Later on in the Grand Bazaar we passed an old guy who looked At Robby and said "my favorite boy" in a really weird voice hahah apparently he liked what he saw! And then a while later we passed him again in the bazaar and he said something like "my boy again and his banana girl!" Hahaha although Robby was a little creeped out, (but also flattered?) and although he got more attention than the banana...the banana was still noticed.  I mean let's be honest you could be holding anything else in your hand around the same size as a banana and no one would look twice.  But the banana cries for attention.  I decided after a couple hours I couldn't eat the banana now, it would feel like eating my own young.  From then on we decided it had to be in all our pictures that day... It saw all the great sites with us! So now you can play a game called spot the banana. It's not a difficult game.

The Bascillica Cistern.  This place was so cool. It is underground and has over three hundred Thick columns supporting it. One of the old sultans had it built to keep a reservoir of water in it so that during any war he would always have easy access to a water supply.  Maybe that's what we need to be doing when the church says to have food and water supply? Somebody please dig a cistern!

Such a cool eerie feeling.  Everything was candlelit

Underground!

Medusas head! Two of the columns have her head on the bottom - they have no idea why the sultan had them built like that but do you really need a reason?

Hagia Sofia. A giant old Christian church turned Mosque.  This is one of the landmarks of Istanbul that is quite incredible to look at and walk through.

Us with a spaceship behind us (hagia Sofia) 

In case you missed the banana the first time. This is a shot of the Hagia Sofia while standing at the front doors of the Blue Mosque.

the inside - cool chandeliers!

Cool kids

Right across the way doing a face off with the Hagia Sofia is The Blue Mosque.  Another giant and famous Mosque that one of the sultans had built.  It was cool to go inside and watch Muslims at prayer but In order to go in you have to be covered including your hair. Dont have a hijab? Thats fine, they provide one for you in the form of a large pillow case.  The decor inside is super intricate with lots of BLUE.

We were amazed when we saw these mosques...Never seen anything like it!

Sometimes business calls can't wait

We went to this mosque two days, one time after the demise of the banana.  He's not in this one

Cool doors

The inside was so pretty!

The Grand Bazaar.  I think I mentioned this already but it's Huuuuuge shopping area with store after store and people using different tactics and spitting hilarious lines to get you to come to THEIR shop although it looks identical to ones you saw just seconds before.  "How can I get you to buy something you don't need?" They would say while smiling.  Or "yes, hello how can I help you spend your money today?"  They laugh and joke with you though and never put too much pressure on.  We are used to much more of that from morocco so anything seems less intense now.  

Can you spot the banana??

Lots of really good clothing options in the bazaar! Is Aladdin wearing a diaper??

Craziness in the bazaar!

I think we ended up at the Grand Bazaar three different times, it was pretty entertaining.

That was the end of our sightseeing with the banana.  After seeing lots of cool sights together...I ate it.  We had a good run though. 

Istanbul...Narnia?

Oh wow - ill be posting every day now to catch up.  We are already in Thailand but I'm still writing about turkey! Yikes!

We found where Narnia is!! Somehow we got lost in a closet and came out the other side...and ended up in Isranbul which I'm pretty sure is the real life version of Narnia.  Istanbul is such a unique place!! Such a blend of so many different things.  This place has obvious influences from the Middle East - Muslim being the biggest religion out there - and middle eastern foods, music and decor as well as a strong European and Asian influence as well! Istanbul actually reaches across two continents - there's a European side and an Asian side connected by a bridge.  How cool is that?? You can literally walk to Asia from Europe in Istanbul.  Istanbul is a crazy place in terms of how much is going on and how many people live in this city - about 14 MILLION! To put it in perspective there are 4 million people in the city of Los Angeles.  

Another way to describe it: colorful. So many colors everywhere! Lots of red little old fashioned carts selling some of the coolest food specimens I've seen including homemade candy sticks of all colors and flavors, bright yellow corn, deep red fresh squeezed pomegranate juice that they juice right in front of you, fresh baked breads, giant smoked chestnuts and so much more. Then you have the bright blue ocean nearby with some amazing looking buildings all around.  Many of them are mosques that are huge and extremely colorful - some with gold domes and spirals.  Then you have the busy markets called "bazaars" with shop after shop selling anything from fruit and nuts to Jewlery to Turkish lamps (which are amazingly colorful themselves), to clothes and scarves!  Oh and you cant forget Turkish carpets.  Those salesmen were the best - they all had the most authentic and handmade carpets and had an amazing discounted price - just for you!! Why? Where are you from? Oh from California! I have family there so I make you special price!! They all tried to talk us into how essential buying a massive carpet was and how easily it could roll up and fit into a backpack! Haha I don't even know why they bothered- does it look like Robby and I would be in the market for a giant 15 foot rug?? Who buys those carpets on vacation?!

Just one of the amazing looking mosques - Hagia Sofia

A seafood restaurant right on the water - the boats literally grilled the fish they just caught then handed them over!

Their homemade candies They sell from carts

Corn and chestnut stands were everywhere!

Fresh squeezed pomegranate juice...theeee best!

Lots of outdoor markets selling everything

Lamps galore!!

Magic carpets?

Oh and their ice cream was so weird! Stringy kind of like melted toffee...A far cry from gelato but not too bad

Turkish people have been some of the nicest we've encountered.  Always trying to help even when there is nothing in it for them.  One time When we were obviously lost looking for our hostel we had two people come up to us asking where we needed to go and even used their cell phones to call the hostel reception to get specific directions.  And they never expected anything in return just said we were welcome and smiled and went on their way.  So many people come up to you just to talk and say hello. So cool! I think about America and how many times there are probably lost tourists around and we just walk by in a hurry, I doubt very many people would offer their cell phone to a stranger to make calls on it. 

Isranbul is one of the most unique places we have seen!  From the people, to the crazy looking buildings, the charm, the food, the colors, the ocean, and the traditional/reserved mixed with modern cultures make it so unique.  We agreed that it totally reminds us of what Narnia would be like! And they even eat Turkish Delights in the movie! I've always wondered what those were and I finally solved the mystery.  Man we should've been more on the look out for centaurs! 

We spent a lot of time in istanbul, started our turkey trip there and ended it there as well so there are gonna be a few posts on this one so to be continued!