I've been to Cappadocia. I recommend the Turkish pizza. Don't over tip the baggage boys. Hot air balloon trip over the town is highly recommended, but know this, they typically run in two shifts: dawn patrol and reasonable people patrol. If you are in the latter group, you load up in pickup trucks and chase the first group to wherever they land. Then, you load up from there and take your turn. It's not dawn lighting, but it's still amazingly beautiful.
There is a valley full of what would be hoodoos in the southwest, except here they look more like phalluses - a real "Penis Landscape"... the locals call it "Love Valley" (certainly only for the tourists), and will drop everything to tell you the name and sell you souvenirs.
Funny story: On our jaunt, our balloon captain was a woman, the first or next to first woman balloonist in the country (or so she told us...). She had several henchmen who helped with the lines. The passengers, besides Shannon and myself, were a young women's choir from Japan and their chaperone. We loaded up into a giant wicker egg crate and after some basic safety instructions (don't jump, don't swing), we took off...along with about 50 other ballons I've never been in a balloon before, and it's pretty amazing once you get over the fear of heights - dead silent, except for the occasional blast of flame into the ballon. We got up to a pretty decent height and for some reason, our other passengers were possessed or inspired in the moment and one by one started to sing a long singular tone until there was this mass of voices ringing this one tone in the sky surrounded by silence. It was a really memorable experience.
--tg
Also recommended is the ancient ruins of Priene on the river Meander (yes, Meander, like a river...). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priene
You probably need a guide to get you there. It's not as "restored" as nearby Ephesus, but it's also less crowded. When we were there, there was 1 or 2 other small groups. In Ephesus, there were hundreds, brought in by buses from the cruise ships that come into Ismir. Also, across the street from Ephesus is one of the ancient Christian churches (the church of Mary?) so there's quite a crowd that does both...
The highlight of Priene is the temple of Athena. I got kinda excited when I figured out her name was engraved on one of the stones...
![[Image: aeb2377eb7aec71398127fc621f7a609.jpg]](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ae/b2/37/aeb2377eb7aec71398127fc621f7a609.jpg)
Funny story: we were a little pooped after wandering around Ephesus and sat in the restoration-in-progress, largest Roman theater outside of Italy to have a snack in the afternoon sun. We felt like Judaen Peoples Front or maybe the Peoples Front of Judea...anyway, down near the stage a small tour group was milling about and a woman stepped into center stage and yelled to the non-existent audience: "I LOVE JESUS!!" Not missing a beat Shannon yelled back "RELEASE THE LIONS!"
--tg
There is a valley full of what would be hoodoos in the southwest, except here they look more like phalluses - a real "Penis Landscape"... the locals call it "Love Valley" (certainly only for the tourists), and will drop everything to tell you the name and sell you souvenirs.
Funny story: On our jaunt, our balloon captain was a woman, the first or next to first woman balloonist in the country (or so she told us...). She had several henchmen who helped with the lines. The passengers, besides Shannon and myself, were a young women's choir from Japan and their chaperone. We loaded up into a giant wicker egg crate and after some basic safety instructions (don't jump, don't swing), we took off...along with about 50 other ballons I've never been in a balloon before, and it's pretty amazing once you get over the fear of heights - dead silent, except for the occasional blast of flame into the ballon. We got up to a pretty decent height and for some reason, our other passengers were possessed or inspired in the moment and one by one started to sing a long singular tone until there was this mass of voices ringing this one tone in the sky surrounded by silence. It was a really memorable experience.
--tg
Also recommended is the ancient ruins of Priene on the river Meander (yes, Meander, like a river...). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priene
You probably need a guide to get you there. It's not as "restored" as nearby Ephesus, but it's also less crowded. When we were there, there was 1 or 2 other small groups. In Ephesus, there were hundreds, brought in by buses from the cruise ships that come into Ismir. Also, across the street from Ephesus is one of the ancient Christian churches (the church of Mary?) so there's quite a crowd that does both...
The highlight of Priene is the temple of Athena. I got kinda excited when I figured out her name was engraved on one of the stones...
Funny story: we were a little pooped after wandering around Ephesus and sat in the restoration-in-progress, largest Roman theater outside of Italy to have a snack in the afternoon sun. We felt like Judaen Peoples Front or maybe the Peoples Front of Judea...anyway, down near the stage a small tour group was milling about and a woman stepped into center stage and yelled to the non-existent audience: "I LOVE JESUS!!" Not missing a beat Shannon yelled back "RELEASE THE LIONS!"
--tg