Adventures and Challenges

Photos: Valley of Love, Police station (for real), End of day

Oct. 23, 2023 Omission: Yesterday I wrote of my irritation that, as the religion evolved, monastic Christians “forgot” the horror of their persecution. I failed to extend that “convenient amnesia” to all religions who have oppressd others in the name of their belief system. That probably applies to most if not all religions We sat with Rudy at breakfast and had an extended discussion about religion and philosophy. He’s a theist and lapsed Muslim. He was somewhat knowledgeable about Judaism having led Isaraelis on tour. By the time we’d finished, I thought he was ready to convert. Our day was filled with one adventure after another in a good way. We had an in-depth tutorial on carpet making. The weavers are paid by the knot with raises based on difficulty of fiber density. Wool is easiest and silk hardest with blends in between. Women who work in the shop get health and retirement benefits, breaks every 15 to 20 minutes, and freedom to make their own hours. Women working at home have no benefits. We proved that buyers are liars. We have rugs from previous travel and swore we didn’t need another. Buuuut, we do have a large blank wall in the dining room. Yes, we own another rug. What is a day in this area without seeing more pinnacles and natural formations. Amazing what a little tectonic pressure, wind, and water can do. Named to attract tourists, the Fairy Castles are basically vacant apartments. We met Ishmael who was born and lived in one of those formations for 23 years. That’s when the government evicted all dwellers and turned the area into a tourist destination. Ishmael now has a rental agreement with the government to lead tours and sell trinkets. He walked us through the extensive rooms, garden, verandas, and pigeon roosts of his former home. Pigeon guano was collected and used for fertilizer. Most crops in the area are grown without water. Only potatoes, beets, and alfalfa require irrigation. Guano alone does the trick in mineral rich volcanic soil for grapes, fruit trees, etc. Those of you who have been on email journeys with us may be wondering about hippo-quest. Our granddaughter, Rylee, has a hippo collection. On each trip we’ve enlisted the help of fellow travelers and guides to find a hippo to bring to her. Bingo! Jerri, who found us bananas, spotted a hippo in Ishmael’s shop. Unfortunately, it was chipped. Rudy called a friend at our next stop and asked about a hippo. He had a larger version and it was cheaper. He held it for us and was so delighted to get rid of it he gave it to us at half price. Lunch introduced us to a new dessert. We enjoyed shredded wheat with pistachio paste. Very sweet. A good end to a meal of beef kabob. The underground city from the Hittite era was a challenge on full stomachs. Steps led down to rooms carved into rock and linked by narrow tunnels. We had to stoop or squat to maneuver through those tubes. We were warned not to go down if we had asthma, bad back or knees, claustrophobia, or dust allergies. Everyone tried at least one level. There were chances to exit and many took that route. David made it halfway down. A few of us got to the end. The day wasn’t over yet. The Valley of Love called. The hike to the valley was uphill. Why not? When we got there, we all realized that the name was a euphemism for valley of circumcised penises. Judge for yourselves. On to the Valley of Imagination where we were supposed to see animal shapes in the rock formations. Unimpressive. When we look at our pictures at home we’ll only see lots of rocks. The touring part of the day was over and I couldn’t resist a selfie of its effect on us. We have been reunited with our passports and money. We can leave tomorrow with clear minds for an all day drive to Antalya with stops along the way. Toby