2-Day Tour of Cappadocia

 These really

cool rocky structures are

called

 fairy chimneys.  

We call them fairy chimneys today because historically, people used to think fairies made them. At least, that’s what my tourist guide told me.  

In fact, this is the only thing I learned from my guided tour. 

Disappointed was I to discover that wikipedia explains things differently. Consequently, I diligently reserve judgment on this important issue until the day we can travel backward in time and ask our erosion-ignorant ancestors just what stupid opinion they really had.  

***The views and opinions expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of the author, who retains the right to mock, offend, criticize and even lie if such provides the possibility to amuse, confuse or hamburgers*** 

And now...

A Conversation with my Tour-guide:

Her: We have only 25 five minutes here, and as you can see, that fairy chimney looks like an animal, doesn't it? It sure does! It looks like a camel. Can you see? And that one looks like a sleeping dog and blah blah blah.  Blah blah blah.Blah blah blah, blah blah?  Blah blah blah (etc. )

BM:  (wandering away, aiming his camera: ‘snap’, ‘snap’, ‘snap’, ‘snap’)

Her: blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah (etc.)

BM: (out of earshot now, but presumably: ‘snap’, ‘snap’, ‘snap’, ‘snap’, ‘snap’, etc. )

(25 minutes later)

Her: Excuse me, but do you know what that one looks like?

BM: Uh, I guess it sort of looks like a sleeping dog or something.

Her:  No. No.  You do not know, because you did not LISTEN.  (storms off).

So, I'm not a fan of guided tours.

Aside from the fairy chimneys, there are also other things called pigeon houses, which are basically just rocks with holes carved into them (picture above). I thought the name  would have a similar weird story behind it involving cosmic pigeons pecking holes to protest burnt offerings to angry Jehova or whoever but I was wrong. They're just structures to house pigeons because pigeon crap is a great fertilizer.  Who knew?  Clever farmers did.

A lot of the other structures were for people. Centuries old churches and, more commonly, houses were carved directly into the rocks.

Back in Istanbul, the next day:

Another traveler: How long you guys been in Turkey?

BM: A little longer than a week.  You?

Traveler: Me too. I'm way into the history of warfare so accordingly, I've been spending time at the Istanbul military museum, surveying artifacts of the Ottoman blah blah blah blah. 

Me: Hm.  We went to Cappadocia.  It was really...cool. 

Traveler: Oh. That place with all the holes in the rocks. 

Me: Yeah. 

Traveler: Hm.