> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://vaughan.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # An Underground City and Goodbye Turkey - URL: https://vaughan.ai/blog/an-underground-city-and-goodbye-turkey/ - Published: 2001-09-19T22:12:16.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-07T23:19:22.000Z - Author: Vaughan Fergusson - Tags: Turkey, #medium-import Hello, Well I have a big one for you today. Sorry that’s just the way it is. I have to get the last of Turkey into this mail or it just wont get done. Here we go, hold on… Our departure from Turkey began with a train ride and let me tell you what a nice way to travel it is. Fabulous! We had only just sat down and already we liked it. we took a sleeper to Izmir where we continued down the west coast to Kusadasi, taking a ferry there to Samos, Greece. Our only comparison as far as sleepers go are the trains in Thailand and these sleepers Kick ass. Spacious and modern. Comfortable and cheap. For less than $20 US you get a comfortable 14 hour ride over night and arrive nice and early at your destination. Just over one week before we were saying good bye to our captain Ekrem and wonderful but silent cook Ismail at the Port of Gochek. We were reunited with Selami and the mini bus and we continued around the Southern coast and after a few games of eye spy we were at Anatalya for a night stop. Here we played a new game called ‘find the hotel’. Selami would lean out the window of the bus grabbing the attention of any passes by for directions. He would stop in the middle of the road hollering out to pedestrians as they crossed almost getting them killed by oncoming traffic until eventually we could see the hotel on the skyline. We drove towards it with everyone in the bus calling out directions. Every time we got near it vanished from the skyline almost like it was an illusion as if we hadn’t really seen it in the first place. Words with a taxi driver and a pedestrian later and we were weaving around streets that seemed to go nowhere until finally we made it to our hotel for the evening. Our stay in Anatalya was short but long enough for Jenny to get herself into trouble by pushing Ann into the ocean during a nice leisurely stroll to the beach. A young man on the beach quickly ran up to offer his towel, Ann has this effect on men. She is all trouble that girl. Jenny I mean, although Ann has a few stories herself and one involving herself, No 9 and a banana boat I wont tell because the imagination is more powerful than the truth. We continued on to Konya the next day. A very Muslim town in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. Selami did much better with directions today and even managed to stop by an internet cafe. No9’s (Carole’s) daughter was due to start the Volvo Ocean Challenge, formally known as the Whitbread Round The Word Yacht Races, that day so we all went to an internet cafe to check the race start end clear our emails. without much luck I might add as it was one of these cafes with 30 computers all sharing the same modem connection, however it was very cheap. Again our stay was very short. It was just enough time to visit a museum, that was all in Turkish so we weren’t exactly sure what we were looking at, and check out who got the best room in the hotel. The next day was a lateish start due to Selami sleeping in. We think he sneaks out at night while we are all being good tourists and going to bed early. Well everyone bar Ann, No 9, and I who like to sit up later enjoying the peace and quiet. We loaded up the van while Selami wiped the sleep from his eyes and were off to our next stop for 3 days. Capadocia. I will summarize capadocia in three words. Stark, Stunning, Star Wars. Imagine yourself on an alien planet, like the sets they used on startrek. Strange rock formations make up the landscape and the bright sun makes it seem that a terrifying lava monster is going to jump out and eat the security officer in the red jumpsuit. Those guys on Star Trek were just monster fodder weren’t they. I’d be shitting myself if I was in Capadocia with Kirk, Spock and bones and I was wearing a red shirt. “Oh no no no I’m not the guy in the red shirt today, Jim you promised, and why do I have to stand by this rock all the way over here. Ohh what’s that noise? It’s… It’s… Jim you prick it’s The Big Red Lava Monster. Arrrggghh!”. You remember how it went. Well that’s Capadocia , and strangely enough it was used as the set for Star Wars, Episode 1\. You know the town they found Darth, sorry, Anakin, as a kid. The towns in Capadocia are carved into the rocks. Our stop Goreme is one of them. Well people aren’t allowed to live in the cave houses, only a few have permission to remain, because of erosion the houses kept falling in on themselves killing people. Also it’s a national heritage site. We spent 3 nights in capadocia and we did a lot. We had an excellent guide, Uzai, for the time we had there, who although seemed to be taking us on a shopping expedition at first, redeemed himself over time with his knowledge of the area. We covered the open museum, the original settlement in the area dug into the mountains by the early Christians hiding from persecution. Here there were old churches carved into the cliffs with amazing frescoes on the ceilings that although had aged a bit over the years Still retained their color as if they were painted yesterday. We visited one of the few inhabitants of the cave houses who treated us to apple tea and showed us some rugs and crochet that her and her family had made. We saw or pottery factory and were taken on a tour and a sales pitch while we were there. The tour was Interesting, we were shown how they made the various pots plates and ornaments, how they were hand painted and given a quick lesson on how to test for quality. Mel even had a go at making a pot on a foot driven wheel although all she seemed to manage was a very phallic shape that was quickly turned into an ashtray. Our tour concluded with the showroom where if it wasn’t for the pushiness of the staff and the feeling that the whole tour was intended to get us to this room with no exits and a sales person for each of us we might have bought something. The topic of Asian/Middle Easten sales practices and touts is something that gets to me like nothing else does. I’m not even going to go there, which ironically is the same effect the touts have on me regarding their stores. Anyway, day two was heralded by an early morning trip into the cloudless sky in a hot air balloon. Early Christmas and birthday presents from Mel’s parents and a wish on both Mel and my lists. Magic! Mel and I joined No 9 and Ann at a fresh 5am, slurping coffee and keeping warm. We were driven out to a small field, still half asleep at this stage, where they unloaded the baskets and balloons and began inflating the balloons with cold air. Then they turned on the oversized gas burners to heat the air in the balloon (thus called hot air ballooning) and up they went. With the balloon raised off the ground hovering above the basket, we were given the signal to jump onboard and we scrambled into the basket before it left, with out us. What can I say about the ride? It was like being weightless. You had no sense of movement other than watching the ground move slowly beneath you. As the balloons are moved by the wind it is perfectly still. The only breeze is when you move from one wind current to another slow moving current, then you car feel the breeze slowing you down. We glided above the canyons, dipped down into the valleys, and brushed the treetops. Our pilot had so much control he had the basket passing between trees. In the apricot season you could pick the fruit from the trees as you glided on by. In the end we came down from our high, so to speak, to Soon. The pilot literally landed the balloon on its trailer attached to the land rover waiting. Saves having to carry it there late I suppose. We use there greeted with Champagne and smiles from the ground crew. When you find yourself in Capaidocia next and have a couple of hours to kill in the morning then grab a hot ail balloon tour. Don’t use the government operated outfit though as we were told that’s where they send their trainee pilots to learn how to fly and last year had 9 accidents alone. All just propaganda I am sure to get you to use the privately owned balloons. But do fly! The area is just magical and the Conditions perfect. Still balloon lagged we were united with the whole troop and continued our tour of the area, by ground. First on the agenda, the Underground City. On the way we were shown a geothermal lake but geothermal lakes to New Zealanders is like showing snow to an Eskimo so we only stopped for a short time and then continued to the Underground City — dooo dooo dooooom. Sounds kinda eerie and ominous doesn’t it? The Underground City!!!! ooooohhh. Well it was. 7 floors deep under the ground it went carved, like the rest of the region it seems, in the soft rock of the Ground. Well this was just one of many cities in the region actually. There are heaps of them, I cant remember how many there are but more than 6 and a half that’s for sure. This one was lit up with lights and arrows so the tourists didn’t get lost which is a good thing because like I said there were seven floors in this city and kilometers and kilometers of tunnels under the ground. The cities were constructed (or is it destructed as you dig em out?) for protection, surprisingly not for lifestyle, although they were comfortable and had all the facilities you would expect. Stables, toilets, prisons, kitchens, ventilation etc. But as a protective city they sure were effective. There were usually many entrances into the cities, all concealed by rocks and trees. So it was tough for the enemy to find the entrances in the first part, and if they did happen upon an entrance they had a few more surprises waiting. A labyrinth of corridors, usually most going nowhere to trap the enemy, low ceilings that you had to crawl through. Big rock doors that could cover the doors, you know real Indiana Jones stuff. Usually the in invading forces didn’t bother (once they learnt their lesson) and just tried to find the ventilation shafts and cover them up. But this was thought of also and there were dozens and dozens of them all hidden. And should they be required there were tunnels that let to the other cities far far away so they could escape. This would have been a bit of a logistical nightmare though as these cities could house upto 4,000 people. Big huh? Well we only explored a fraction. We passed many tunnels that disappeared off into the darkness and if it wasn’t for the tight time frame our guide enforced on us I could have easily spend a couple of hours down there having a good poke around. But we were warned that people have gotten lost down there before so it is not something you should try if you have to be home by tea time, or ever. After the city we visited the mountains used as the backdrop for Star Wars and climbed the mountain. Inside, you guessed it were tunnels and churches and caves. We climbed around trying to find secret tunnels and took some photos before exhaustedly climbing down and visiting a Caravan Sarai (sp). On the Original Silk Road Alexander the Great used (to ride his horse on you know, when conquering other countries). Well a Caravan Sarai is where the caravans used to stop and trade goods and sleep over for the night. This one had been restored and we had a quick explore. Ann asked about the interesting rock formation outside the Sarai but once she learnt it was a pile of camel dung it lost it’s appeal. After sadly having to leave Capadocia (I hope I haven’t left anything out guys) we headed for Ankora, the capital of Turkey. On the way was the vast salt lake in the center of Turkey. This is where you get your table salt from, well not all of it but I am sure that at some point in your life you ate some of this lake. Selami kindly found a point where we, the intrepid tourists, could leap out of the van and run around on the salt. Well it was salty. And big! If you find any cigarette buts in your salt I know who you should call! Lastly, we are signing off from turkey now. I think I have tortured you all enough with this email so I will keep the last 13 pages short. Oh Ankara? A big city, you have seen one before. Not very interesting. We did however have a very interesting dinner on our last night there, a very nice place on top of the hill in the castle recommended by our guide in Capadocia. We were treated to excellent service, great food and a pretty terrific view. This was a nice way to end our Turkey experience. Surrounded by family and friends, watching the somewhat animated drunk man at the table next to us. The musicians played and boy could he not sing (or know the words). This was the last night with the gang for Mel and I. We headed off to Greece and everyone else headed back to Istanbul and then to their various points on the globe. So it was goodbye Selami our driver, you were great even when you were lost. No 9 and Ann, I will miss the late night coffee and I am sure you will miss my thoughtful silences. Tracey and Mike, I am sure you will be looking forward to returning to a normal life surrounded by more normal people. Jenny and Bob, thanks again for everything and your extreme generosity. This was a trip Mel and I will never forget and the greatest way we could have started our European tour. So that’s it for Turkey, well almost. Ha you thought you were getting away didn’t you? What have you got better to do? Work? So before we caught the train Mel and I decided to visit the Mausoleum for Ataturk, the father of modern Turkey. We got there and it was closed for cleaning. Eventually it opened and we walked the long walk up the driveway to the Mausoleum where we were greeted to a military salute. It appears something very important was going on today as we had the Army, the Navy and the Air Force there all marching around with armed body guards wandering around with important looking foreign dignitaries. We felt important. If it wasn’t for our jandels and grubby t-shirts we could have been saluted, instead we were watched by all the guys with guns out the corner of their eyes. This place was amazing and by visiting you immediately understand the respect the Turkish people have for their former head of state. The man who brought Turkey into the Modern world, opened the country to any religion without persecution, beat off countless invading forces, reclaimed turkey after the wars and so on and so on. I highly suggest getting a book on the man. Trust me, you will be amazed. But so as to not make this one too long (too late) I will conclude this email once and for all. Thanks again to everyone I have mentioned already! It has been great! Thanks also to all our guides, the carpet salesmen for all their apple tea, and lastly the Turkish people for their hospitality. You all really really must go visit Turkey. You won’t regret it. But don’t be surprised if you come home with half a dozen rugs. Love to you all. V. PS we are in Greece now so you havn’t heard the last from us. Sorry!