Land of Beautiful Horses

 

Cappadocia is a large region in central Turkey and is famous for its natural wonders, bizarre rock formations such as fairy chimneys, and its unique cultural and historical heritage. People made their homes here as early as 6th Century BC and it was probably one of my favorite places in Turkey to visit. We spent some time in the small town of Gorëme and I really enjoyed hiking around the slot canyons and snow covered valleys that surround the town. There were several high plateaus that offered incredible views of the surrounding landscape.

Cappadocia has a rich history and has been home to many kingdoms and empires over the centuries. Each of these civilizations left their unique marks on the landscape. The soft rocks and cliffs of the area made ideal caves and those caves still exist today, scattered all over and tucked around every corner. Early Christians used the area to hide from persecution and lived in elaborate underground cities.

 

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Çamlıça Hill

 

When I get to a new place I always like to find a way to the highest point I can find. This gives me a bird’s eye view of the new city or area that I’m in and helps me figure out where I am and helps me get situated. Usually this is as simple as finding a tower or tall building and often just as easy as walking uphill until I find a good view.

While reading about Istanbul I read about a hill in Kadıköy called Çamlıça hill. So, while I was in Kadıköy one day I decided to try and find it. I had read that it was about an hour away so I studied a map and headed out one afternoon.

Finding the hill was actually really easy. It’s the tallest hill around so the top is covered with several radio and cell-phone towers which can be see from most of Istanbul. And yes, in order to find it I just kept walking up-hill!

On my way up the hill I passed by lots of fancy and gated communities who had great views of all of Istanbul from their windows. There was a really nice public park on top of the hill but there weren’t many people enjoying it because the weather was so cold!

The hike up the hill took a little while but I was rewarded with a wonderful view of the entire city. The sky was a little overcast and it was pretty cold and windy but I was still able to see a pretty good view.

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Kandy Temple Loop

 

There's a popular loop that takes you around three Buddhist temples around the outskirts of Kandy dating from the 14th century. You can either hire a tuk-tuk for the day to drive you to the temples or set out on an adventure on several of Kandy’s crazy buses and hiking through Kandy’s picturesque rice paddies and mountain villages and towns. Of course I opted for the second option!

I don’t know how, but I was somehow able to visit all three of the temples in one day without knowing how to get to any of them or without a map. I was only able to do this because of the helpful bus drivers, ticket men, and locals who didn’t seem to mind helping a confused and mostly lost foreigner. To start the day I had the number of the bus I wanted and that was it! The people that I met were very happy to tell me when to get of the bus and to point out which jungle road I should start hiking down.

The three temples that I visited were Embekka, Lankatilake, and Gadalaneniya and I was able to make it to the second one just as it started raining and did not stop for a few days.

 

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