Neile's Turkish Holiday

July 5th

as transcribed from my journal

Stopped and had Calippo (orange popsicles) and bugs rained upon us from the trees. Slightly unpleasant. Then we entered the underground city, which is only a block away from the main street, so the underground city obviously winds under the contemporary one. No one knows how old these are, but Xenophon (a Greek writer) mentioned some as being ancient when he was writing. There are stables at the top with bins that were clearly for water and grain. Carefully marked paths for ingress (red arrows) and egress (blue arrows) so people don't get too lost, which I think could happen easily here. Rooms and passages everywhere--drop holes to next levels, ventilation shafts and sooty chimneys. Confusing. They've lit them well. Wandering through I was surprised at how it didn't bother me--the only sense of claustrophobia was in a few of the narrow passageways between spaces where we had to duck our heads and walk hunched over.

 

 

	Jim and Matt underground. [Christina's caption: "Underground cities (Kaymakli, I think.) Kaytamk means clotted cream. I am not making that up. "Li" is like "ton" or "burg". "Cream-town."]
	Christina underground.
	Neile underground.

 

Came out and had sour cherry juice, but the bugs drove us away again. Looked at the shops set up outside, and Christina bought some Meersham sculptures.

Had lunch at a small cafe in Kaymakli. Very good, and surprising how even in a small cafe like this one the food was so good--it was the kind of place that would be horrific in the U.S.

Then to the bus to Derynkuyu ("deep well"). This is a huge underground city--passages everywhere all through it--ways in not so well marked--several ways here and there. Huge ventilation shaft with hand-/footholds all the way up. Later a very deep well--couldn't see to the bottom. Several narrow stairs to hunch over in. Rattled down them and then slowly back up. Loads of Japanese tourists to avoid. Stopped by one of the round stones that were there to roll to block the passages against attack--hoping to take a picture, but Christina's camera battery was acting up. The Japanese tourists passed and we went out.

Looked at some kilims (carpets without nap) just outside the exit--some very beautiful, Noah's Ark themes, etc. Then walked to the bus stop, waited a while, got the bus to Nevshehir. There Matt and Jim went to a carpet shop, while Christina and I went thinking we'd look at tapestry cloth but bought thread to mend a dress of mine that had lost a couple of buttons, socks for Jim, a belt, a funny hat (part of a circumcision outfit--when small boys are circumcised in Islamic countries they dress them up in these elaborate bright outfits with capes and hats) and a cake (tomorrow is Jim's birthday). Getting the hat was amusing--the shop attendent couldn't believe we really wanted it, and then couldn't believe that we didn't want the whole outfit. Weird North American tourists.

Joined Jim and Matt at the carpet shop for a while, where we, of course, admired a variety of carpets.

Got the dolmus back to Goremë, and Christina and I waited at a restaurant having a couple of appetizers while Jim and Matt walked up to the hotel (one of the perks of my ankle problems). After dinner, we went to a huge carpet shop where Christina and Matt had been before several times. Rooms and rooms piled high with carpets of all kinds. Talked to some young assistants, then Süleyman, their friend, the owner came. He showed us many huge Cappadocian carpets, then some lovely carpets he himself had designed. Then we moved into a courtyard space where he brought out Turkmen carpets--lots of them. Gradually Christina and Matt eliminated the ones they weren't so interested in, standing sometimes up on the stairway landing above on the way to the roof.

Examining carpets in Süleyman's courtyard.

 

Süleyman brought out wine for everyone, and since I can't drink wine, raki for me--lovely licorice flavour, and great with the watermelon and cheese that arrived shortly after. Christina and Matt ended up by buying three carpets, gorgeous borders, one quite old and very good.

Home and crashed.