This edition tells about our time in Cappadocia, Turkey.

Anyone who knows me is well aware of the fact that my favorite place in the world to go to is Turkey and Cappadocia is an area that is an absolute must see on anyone’s bucket list.

Cappadocia is famous for its spectacular rock formations and landscapes and for the unique cave hotels. Cave hotels have been built out of ancient homes dotting the hills of the villages in Cappadocia, all renovated with care and attention to every detail the modern traveler requires – while maintaining the history and tradition of the area. You can stay in a normal hotel room anywhere in the world – but while you’re in Cappadocia sleeping in a one-of-a-kind cave room is part of the enchantment of Cappadocia.

We chose this time to stay at the Kelebek Cave Hotel which is located in the charming village of Goreme.  It has 36 rooms ranging in price from 40Euros to suites at 180Euros for 2 people including an incredible breakfast buffet with an even more incredible view.

Kelebek Cave Hotel

Kelebek Cave Hotel

Kelebek Cave Hotel

Trying to describe the landscape of Cappadocia to someone who has not been there is difficult, I usually start by saying if I were to go to the moon I would suspect it would be something like Cappadocia.

There are few places in the world where the strangeness of nature is more striking. Volcanic eruptions millions of years ago covered Cappadocia with a soft form of lava known as tufa.  Over the ages, wind, rain and rivers eroded the tufa in amazing ways, creating a series of deep valleys bordered by steep, gently rolling cliffs.  Most unusual of all, they created what are called the fairy chimneys, tall cones of tufa and volcanic ash that are topped by protective slabs of hard basalt and are phallic looking in shape as you can see by the pictures.

This scenic beauty would in itself be enough to make Cappadocia an important destination for travelers but the fact that it was also a cradle of Christianity gives it a human dimension as well. Most of the caves that early monks carved into the soft Cappadocian rock were private cells. As the Christian community became stronger, however, its leaders began to cut bigger caves for churches and a great number of them can be found at the Goreme Open Air Museum which is good place to start your tour of Cappadocia. 

Goreme Open Air Museum

Our two days of touring in Cappadocia were very busy and would not have been half as enjoyable or informative without our charming and very knowledgeable guide Murat.

The whole region of Cappadocia, Turkey, has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and over forty underground cities have been discovered there, dating back about 4000 years. These troglodyte cave-cities were expanded over the centuries as various marauding armies traversed Central Anatolia to persecute the local Christians.  Carved out of the volcanic rock, these complexes range in size from village to city. Used as places of refuge over and over again, they contain bedchambers, wine cellars, horse stables, and cemeteries. We included a visit to the underground city of\Kaymakli and marvelled at the fact that hundreds of people lived underground for months at a time. 

We went hiking in the Zelve Valley which was a cave dwelling village inhabited until the 1950’s.  The local population had to be moved to the new settlement of Yeni Zelve because of the danger caused by collapsing .  We hiked with Murat in the “Red Valley” and explored caves on our own and enjoyed the ever changing rock formations and their colors. We went to Uchisar to view the Panorama over the town and the Valley of the Pigeon Houses.  We went to Ortahisar which means “the fortress in the middle” and is a picturesque town built around a huge tufa rock with numerous openings.  Because of erosion, external walls have collapsed showing the carved rooms inside.

Ortahisar

At some point in all our questions to Murat about life in Turkey it was revealed that men could get a straight razor shave for about $5.00 and once our son and nephew heard that they were on board.  So there we were at this tiny barber shop in Goreme on a Saturday morning taking over the 2 chair shop as only loud enthusiastic Canadians could do.  I pitied the men who had come to enjoy some peace and quiet because they did not get it while we were there.  Our daughters were busy taking pictures and getting in the way but the boys enjoyed the pampering which included a mud mask and massage with the straight razor.  They liked it so much they went again in Istanbul.

Saturday morning shave

We had a wonderful evening dining at the Top Deck Cafe with Mustafa and his family being the consummate hosts.  We told his youngest daughter who served us the wine that this would never be allowed in Canada as she was only about 11 years old.  We started with the Meze (pronounced MEH-zeh) plates and could not decide what we enjoyed the most though for me there is no question it is the börek which is a general Turkish term for filled pastries.  Imagine a feast featuring dozens of delicious and varied crudités, salads, pureés, pickles, vinaigrette’s, cheeses, fruits, fritters,  böreks, vegetables and meats. That is Turkish meze!

Dinner at Top Deck Cafe

The two most memorable excursions were without a doubt our early morning balloon ride and the Whirling Dervishes ceremony. 
 
Known to the west as Whirling Dervishes, the Mevlevi Order was founded by Mevlana Rumi in the 13^th century.  The order wrote of tolerance, forgiveness and enlightenment.  They survive today as a cultural brotherhood.  They are not theatrical spectacles but sacred rituals.  The ritual of the Mevlevi sect, known as the sema, is a serious religious ritual preformed by Muslim priests in a prayer trance to Allah.

Whirling Dervishes

In Cappadocia the Whirling Dervishes perform in the Sarihan Caravanserai.   Trade across Turkey in medieval times was dependent on camel trains, which stopped by night in inns known as kervansaray (caravanserai), literally ‘caravan palaces’. These buildings provided accommodation and other amenities for the merchants and stabling for their animals. 

The caravanserais were built like forts. They were a safe place for caravans. They were designed for protection and to keep out marauding raiders at night. Once within the weary travellers could look forward to warm food, a bath and a safe shelter for the night for both man and beast. They provided food and lodging reportedly at no charge for 3 nights and free repair to footwear. They were conveniently spaced a day’s camel ride apart. Built to promote trade, they brought prosperity to the communities hosting them. The caravanserais were widely used and were not limited to trade caravans only – nobility and their entourages used them too as did the military. The ceremony itself is very peaceful, spiritual and relaxing and I really feel it is a definite must for any visit to Cappadocia.

The highlight of our time in Cappadocia and perhaps for the whole trip was the balloon ride in Cappadocia.  I believe I read somewhere that it is one of the top three places in the world to go for a hot air balloon ride.

The lift-off and ascent of the hot-air balloon was surprisingly gentle. Once we were up in the air, other than the clicking of cameras and the occasional bursts of fire up the balloon to propel it higher, it was very quiet as most of us gazed with wonder at the beautiful sights of Cappadocia’s spectacular lunar landscape.  The perfect weather conditions allowed the balloon to gently drift over and between fairy chimneys, pigeon houses hewn into the unique rock formations, orchards and vineyards – through impressive valleys, each with distinctive rock formations, colors and features – and then float up over rippled ravines for breathtaking views over the region. The view was made even more remarkable as over 90 other hot-air balloons joined us in the air dotting the Cappadocia skyline.

The last part of the flight was just as fascinating as the pilot tried to identify a suitable landing site and maintained constant communication with his ground crew who were chasing the balloons in a convoy of trailer and passenger vans. Our pre-paid hour ride actually morphed into almost 90 minutes because the wind carried us beyond a place where they could land.  None of us were complaining as we were enjoying every moment and did not want it to end.

Almost immediately after landing, the pilot led the crew and guests in the post-flight celebration with the popping of a champagne bottle. The tradition of celebrating the balloon flight began in the early 1700’s where upon landing; the first balloons were feared as evil spirits, and attacked by the local villagers and farmers. A later balloonist presented a letter from the King and a bottle of champagne as evidence of their Earthly origins, and so continues today, the tradition of champagne as a gesture of friendliness and good times. There were no angry farmers to attack us this time round – nonetheless the champagne and fruit juice offered to each guest as part of the celebration was a fun way to end this wonderful experience. Just before our transfer by van back to our hotels, we were also each presented with a commemorative certificate to prove that we had taken this hot-air balloon flight.

We left Cappadocia hoping to return some day but content that we were able to experience this incredible part of the world.

Check back for the final days of the Silver Family Trip which includes Istanbul and 2 nights aboard a gorgeous yacht!

For the previous posts, please visit:

• Petra
• Tel Aviv & Jersalem

This edition tells about our time in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

After we left Jordan we went back to Eliat to catch a return flight to Tel Aviv.  We had booked a four bedroom apartment in Tel Aviv and arranged for a private vehicle and guide to take us on day trips to Jerusalem and the Dead Sea and Masada.

Our first day was a free day to roam around Tel Aviv and we started out by going to the Carmel Market and doing a little shopping.  The Carmel market is the city’s biggest marketplace and is a fascinating and enjoyable place to visit. It is basically one crowded narrow alley with long line of colorful stalls standing on either side. You can find almost anything imaginable for the lowest prices in the city, from different kinds of bread and pastry to delicious olives, dried fruits and exotic spices.  It is also the best place to buy the freshest produce, whether it is fruits and vegetables, fish and poultry, cheeses or flowers. The first part of the market, coming from Allenby St, is mostly clothing and footwear stands, where great bargains can be found. The easiest way to enter the market is from where Allenby St meets King George and Shenkin Streets.

From there we wandered around Neve Tzedek.  Neve Tzedek was the first neighborhood built in the “new” city of Tel Aviv, back in 1887.  At the beginning of the 20th century Neve Tzedek was the home of many artists and writers.  But in the following years the area suffered from neglect, the old houses and streets crumbling away. Only in the 1980′s, the place recaptured its former prestige, and has since become a stylish yuppie residence with plenty of restaurants, galleries and designer shops.

Art In Neve Tzedek

The architecture of Neve Tzedek is definitely one of the highlights in the area.  Beautiful old houses restored to grandeur by modern architects and designers.  By this time we were all hungry and as you can imagine trying to find a restaurant to please 7 people is not easy.  I had done a fair amount of research on restaurants in Tel Aviv so when we found the Montefiore 7, I knew that everyone was going to be happy.  The restaurant was very rustic with an open kitchen and an eclectic decor.  The concept of “market fresh” was evident in the food and we all enjoyed immensely.

Montefiore 7

Marketfresh at Montefiore 7

After lunch we were all very full so we walked to Old Jaffa on a bike/walking path beside the sea. Around 4,000 years ago, the port city of Jaffa served Egyptian and Phoenician sailors. According to Christian legend the city was named after Noah’s son Japhet, who build this city after the flood. Razed and rebuilt dozens of times, with Napoleon being one of many invaders, Jaffa’s history has always been marked by turbulence.

Old Jaffa

I would recommend at least three hours for walking around Jaffa, with recommended sights including the Clock Tower in the central square, the Jaffa Museum (first constructed during the Crusades and exhibiting artefacts from digs in the area), Kikar Kedumin (formerly Tel Aviv’s red light district, but now an arty place with restaurants and gift shops), and the port marina with its abundance of houseboats and restaurants.

We also checked out The Wishing Bridge with its ancient legend that anyone on the bridge who holds their zodiac sign (signs are on the left railing) and looks at the sea will have their wish come true.

Wishing Bridge

Wishing Bridge

That evening was my sister’s birthday so we went to a very special restaurant by the ocean called Manta Ray.  Their specialty is seafood and we all argued over who had the best meal.

Seafood Pot at Manta Ray

Over the next two days we visited Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the modern Capital of Israel and is one of the most extraordinary cities in the world, presenting a unique combination of ancient history, spiritual sanctity and colorful cultures.

King David established Jerusalem 3000 years ago. It is a city where old and new, holy and secular, pure nature and beautiful architecture mix into magical harmony of smells.  Jerusalem is the Holy city to the world’s three main religions Jewish, Christian and Muslim and is also the Capital of Israel, home to the Israeli parliament (Knesset), the President’s Residence and the government offices.  The first day we went on our own and took the train which was very enjoyable and took just over an hour. 

When we arrived we took a taxi to Mamilla Alrov Mall which is situated opposite the Jaffa Gate and is part of the exclusive area that overlooks the Old City of Jerusalem.  The Mall is an open-air mall built as a boulevard that preserves the area’s architectural heritage, while integrating it into a modern day shopping experience. 

We wandered around the old city of Jerusalem, visited the Western Wall, The Dome Of the Rock, The Church of the Holy Sepulchure, the Via Dolorosa (Stations of the Cross), the Hall of the Last Supper and thru the Christian, Armenian and Jewish Quarters markets.  Nothing compares to your first sight of the Southern Wall of the Temple of the Mount, with crowds of swaying believers praying before its ancient stones. This temple wall, dating back to Herod, remains one of the most sacred sites in all Jerusalem. Above, the gleaming gold Dome of the Rock reflects the sun, and around this spiritual and geographic center the narrow lanes of Jerusalem’s Old City look as though they’d been lifted out of a Bible storybook.

Western Wall

Western Wall – Men Only on the left side and woman only on the right.  Golden Dome of the Rock or Temple Mount,  the most sacred Islamic sights in the world can be seen at the top left.  The covered walk way to the dome is on the far right and is only open to the public for a few hours on select days with very long line ups.  As our girls were wearing shorts which is not considered modest wear they were required to wear these wrap around skirts while at the western wall.

Proper Dress for the Western Wall

Most Israeli citizens are required to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for a period of between two and three years. Israel is unique in that military service is compulsory for both males and females. It is the only country in the world that maintains obligatory military service for women. But the IDF grants general exemptions from compulsory service to various segments of the population, including Israeli Arabs, students engaged in religious studies in an accredited Jewish Law institution , women who are married, are pregnant or who have children, and women who declare that they lead a religiously observant life and who choose to pursue ‘national service’ – community work.

Military in Israel

The second day we were picked up early by our guide Tal and saw more of Jerusalem, both old and new. In the mid-1800s, Jerusalem was still a walled medieval city. After the mid-19th century, Christian pilgrims and Zionist settlers began to create neighborhoods outside the city walls. From 1948 to 1967, Jerusalem was further divided when modern West Jerusalem remained under Israeli jurisdiction while the Old City and downtown East Jerusalem became part of the Kingdom of Jordan.   Although the city has been united under Israeli control since 1967, Jerusalem is still three different cities in one: the Old City, the newer Israeli city of West Jerusalem, and the newer Arab city of East Jerusalem.

Panoramic View of Jerusalem

Due east of the Old City, the Kidron Valley lies between ancient Jerusalem and the long ridge known as the Mount of Olives. On the slopes of the mount, facing the Old City, is the Garden of Gethsemane. Farther down the valley, south of the Old City walls, is the Arabic town of Silwan, where the earliest settlement of Jerusalem developed more than 5,000 years ago. This is where the Jerusalem of King David and King Solomon was located in ancient times; today it is a densely inhabited East Jerusalem neighborhood.

Mount of Olives

We visited the Yad VaShem Memorial and Holocaust Museum which was very powerful and heartbreaking.  This new museum is designed to help give a personal dimension to the overwhelming six million human beings who fell victim to the Nazis. Moving video testimonies by survivors dot the long, meandering line of exhibits that detail the suffering of Jewish communities throughout Europe, from the beginning of the Nazi persecution to its horrific end. There are diary excerpts, personal photographs, letters, and, at times, the only remaining mementos of loved ones that have been bravely donated to Yad VaShem by elderly Holocaust survivors.

The Last March - Bronze Sculpture

Very important to the work of Yad VaShem is the Hall of Names, which contains more than three million pages of testimony, as well as the names, photographs, and personal details of as many of those who perished in the Holocaust as Yad VaShem has been able to gather.

Hall of Names

Other elements of Yad VaShem include the Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations, lined with trees planted in tribute to each individual gentile who helped save Jewish lives during the Nazi era. Many of these heroes sacrificed their own lives and the lives of their families. Here you’ll find trees honoring those who tried to save Anne Frank and her family in Amsterdam, and a tree in honor of Princess Alice of Greece (mother-in-law of Britain’s queen Elizabeth II), who hid a Greek Jewish family for over a year in Athens.

You need several hours to properly visit the Memorial and the Museum so plan on the better part of a day to do it justice.  This was one of the kids highlights of the trip.

Once back in Tel Aviv we went for dinner to the Giraffe Noodle Bar on Even Gvirol St., a Pan Asian Israeli restaurant chain that I had read about.  We were able to dine alfresco and our waiter was very attentive, knowledgeable about the menu and was therefore able to ensure we all enjoyed our meals.

Dinner at Giraffe Noodle Bar

In the next post, I will tell you about our trip to the Dead Sea and Masada!

 -Jocelyn

 To read more on the Silver Family Trip, please see:
Silver Family Trip: Petra
Sneak Peek: Turkey

We have just returned from a wonderful family trip to Israel, Jordan and Turkey where we were joined by my sister and her two kids.    Every night at dinner we would go over the highlights of the day and so I would like to take this opportunity to share some of them with you.

This edition tells about our trip to Petra, Jordan.

Daryl and I had been to Petra in December of 2010 but to see it with our kids whose point of reference was totally different than ours; from Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (1989) to Transformers Revenge of the Fallen (2009) was interesting in that the magnificence of Petra transcends all generations. 

We flew from Canada to Eilat in southern Israel and spent one night before making our way to the Israel/Jordan border.  The process is easy to follow, if you read the signs, and we were soon met by our Jordanian guide Nadine on the Jordan side. 

We stayed at the new Petra Moon Hotel which is located very conveniently within walking distance of the Eastern Gate to Petra.  The hotel was very good value, the rooms were not large but the beds were very comfortable and the bathrooms though small were modern and nicely decorated.  The nightly rate included breakfast which was more than satisfactory and we have no problem recommending the hotel.  The hotel staff was proficient in English and very helpful.

Petra Moon Hotel

Our early morning departure with our guide Nadine started at the wide valley known as the Bab as-Siq which narrowed into a long narrow gorge known as the Siq that leads to the city of Petra.  This part of the walk is 2kms long and emerges in front of the Treasury, a very dramatic start to the city of Petra.

Kids in front of The Treasury

Petra (“rock” in Greek) was a bustling caravan hub situated between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea. The Nabataeans thrived here for about a thousand years, and their metropolis peaked in the centuries just before and after A.D. 1, when caravan routes from the Levant (Syria-Phoenicia), Arabia, and Egypt found their way to Petra’s gates.

Historical information on the Nabataeans themselves is sparse, but these Arab peoples excelled at trading. It was by commercial acumen, not force of arms that they became a wealthy and formidable regional power. The Nabataeans controlled lands stretching from today’s Israel and Jordan into the northern Arabian Peninsula; later they became a part of the Roman Empire.

Royal Tombs of Petra

Petra’s past wealth is lavishly displayed in its arts and architecture, nowhere more dramatically than in elaborate buildings, such as the Treasury, which were carved directly into the soft sandstone cliffs.

The Nabataean capital was also a remarkable feat of urban planning. Some 30,000 people once lived in this dry desert location, quenching their thirsts by a channel-and-cistern system that harvested and stored winter rains for future use. The scheme worked well enough to accommodate many gardens.

Graham, Alexe and Reagan exploring Petra

Petra’s decline began when trade routes shifted and moved seaward, and it accelerated after a devastating A.D. 363 earthquake. The city survived into the seventh century A.D.—even constructing a fifth-century Christian basilica—then lapsed into obscurity and remained largely unknown to the world at large until the 19th century. Today Petra is Jordan’s top tourist attraction, one of 2007’s New Seven Wonders of the World, and a must-see standout even among its World Heritage List peers.

Great Temple of Petra

Continental Travel Tip: Petra is a sprawling site, and involves a lot of walking so comfortable walking shoes and a hat are a must.  The kids were the only ones with the energy to tackle the 800 steps up to the Al dier Monastery (the largest monument in Petra) where Transformers was actually filmed.  Our guide told them it could not be done in less than 30 -40 minutes but they made it to the top in a record 26 minutes. 

Petra was a highlight of the whole trip and as we say in Manitoba, “It’s worth the trip!”

“We had this eight cabin yacht all to ourselves for 2 nights sailing from Marmaris, Turkey.  It was heavenly!  We called it our ‘vacation’ from our ‘vacation’,” says Jocelyn.  “Our son took this photo with his iPhone from a fishing boat we had gone on to Caunos, an ancient city dating back 5000 years.  This is one of about 50 highlights of the whole trip.  I am hoping to convince the rest of our family that this would make a perfect Family Reunion so that we can go back for longer!”

The rest of the Continental gang thinks this is not too shabby at all!  Maybe we should plan our next Christmas Party on board.

And if you can’t help but drool, here are a few more photos of the yacht.  Enjoy!

Watch for their full trip summary coming soon!

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