Delightful Turkey Trip 12th - 21st April 2008 Part 4

16th April 2008 (Wednesday) - My Birthday!!!

Good things tend to happen on one's birthday! Guess what? For me, this is the 'weirdest' birthday I've ever had.

The moment the alarm rang and I got out of bed, a sleepy XL told me "Happy Birthday! I am helping Yuan & YS convey the message to you", after which I replied "Hmmm".... and she immediately quipped "Of cos including me!" and then she went back to sleep again...

Oh well!! Talk about sincerity....

The journey today is considered arduous and long.... we are travelling from Pamukkale to Konya and finally to Cappadoia. Heard that the full day's journey was 8 hours!!! (or more!!!)

We stopped by this place where we could take some pictures of the Cotton Castle from another angle. We could see people hiking up the Cotton Castle from the side!! WAH!! I would love to do that too!!!



The first 'toilet break' stop was at this Dinar Restaurant where we had the luxury of trying this honey yoghurt with poppy seeds! Yummy! The yoghurt is made of ox-milk, that's why it tasted a bit different from the rest of the yoghurt we've been eating for the past few days. The combination of honey & poppy seeds made the yoghurt taste extremly sweet and yummy! Slurp!!! This simple dish cost $4 Turkish Lira! XL was thinking of buying the poppy seeds back!! But then again! Poppy seeds are the bi-products of OPIUM --- which means we can't bring it back as its considered an illegal drug!!

Honey Yoghurt with Poppy Seeds


After that, we travelled for another 1.5 hours before reaching Konya. By the time we reached the lunch venue, it was already 2pm+! Everyone was famished!! And it was at this ancient caravanserai (a 'hotel' for ancient traders and travellers) that I met my first Turkish suitor - Selim - who worked as the head waiter of the restaurant.



Caravanserai in Konya

At first I thought his small chats were gestures of hospitality and friendliness... after which the questions became weirder... "Would you like to stay here everyday?".... ermmm...Why would I want to stay here everyday? I want to go home!



"Can you write me?"- Initially I was quite reluctant to write him, but my tour members who sat with me on the same dining table told me no harm knowing another friend. So, I told him "OK". He really passed me a piece of paper with his name, email address and mobile number on it. At the end of it, he even wrote "You are very beautiful girl. Thank you very much" eeeeeeeeeeeee... my hair stood!!!

After which he still came back to me and kept talking to me, not leaving me in peace to eat my lunch! He asked if I have a mobile phone so that he can write me a message everyday. I told him I don't have it and it's ok, he doesn't have to write me a message everyday. He told me its tough for him to write emails as he needs to work everyday.



Towards the end, he gave me an orange as a gift. XL asked him if he had 5 camels, he replied saying "I don't have 5, but I have 10!" Well.... my good friend of 17 years tried to sell me away for 10 miserable camels!! How ironical!!!

He told me to go back to Turkey next year and that he would wait for me! XL said he can always come to Singapore to look for me! hahah... adding more salt into my wounds... This is totally impossible 'cos I think its tough for him to get out of Turkey in the first place :P



After lunch, we went to visit the Mevlana Museum. We had to put on these plastic bags around our shoes so that we don't dirty the interior!! So strange wearing plastic bags around your shoes... what if someone slipped and fell and crashed into the exhibits and then there's the domino effect?? Ok.... imagination running too wild!



Mevlana Museun

There were many exhibits but we were not allowed to take pictures.... Oh well....would just try to find some information and pictures off the internet then.

On the way to Cappadocia, we were suddenly "hit" by a sandstorm!!! WOW!! IT was pretty scary!! The whole place just became a blur!! So dangerous!! And we were driving along the highway some more!!! What if some other buses travelling the opposite direction crashed into our bus??? Also, tomorrow would be the day for the Hot Air Balloon ride!!! If this bad weather persists, I won't be able to experience my hot air balloon ride!!!

The sudden 'standstorm'




When we reached the hotel, all of us were FAMISHED!!! We didn't even wait to unload our luggage! We just dashed straight to the restaurant for Dinner!



The hotel we were staying for the night was "Dinler Hotels Nevsehir"... Brrr... don't know why the air suddenly got colder..... We stayed in Room 414... the hotel room door was pretty nasty and difficult to open! We had to ask our neighbour for help! haha....



The hot air balloon will take off tomorrow!!! We had to wake up super early for the hot air balloon ride! The alarm shall ring at 4:30am!