The heart of Cappadocia.

Its changed a bit since 1978!

We have coordinates for Peter & Margaret's camp.

A few minutes later we were there.

As the locals know, it faces the wrong way.

Rose and red valleys cross our horizon.

They are formed when soft volcanic ash is eroded around the harder cap.

First the fans to partly inflate the balloons.

Then the hot air burners.

Several balloons competing for our attention.

Occasionally a pilot trying to send morse code with the burner.

About 45.

Some of them finding ways into the valleys.

Some following the valleys for a while.

Then escaping to higher altitudes and a different direction for the breezes.

They land after about an hour. Chased by ground crews.

And the outdoor museum.

No photographs inside this one.

We examined the outer skin and thought perhaps a bit of over-enthusiastic renovation had occurred.

A fence round it all, an entry fee, a ticket that needs an employee to place it in the automated turnstile (as at all Turkish museums and interesting sites), a proliferation of padlocks, and a limited viewing.

Part of the price of world heritage listing and popularity.

They are Christian churches  in a predominantly Moslem country and the frescoes haven't been looked after.

This is the dark church for which an additional entry was required.

Something about the principles involved in being asked to pay twice and still no photographs. 

They had been damaged to above head height.

We'll have to search elsewhere for what the pictures are about.

We wondered about the burial rites as the holes didn't seem long enough for a full length body. 

We found ourselves walking through tunnels.

This is a wall mounted water trough.

If the guide we overheard could be believed the holes are for tethering horses.

Short for us.

The many lofts date from the 18th century when the pigeon droppings were collected for manure.

We later wondered what the pigeons ate. And whether they were eaten.

Perhaps it wasn't a sustainable practice as the lofts aren't occupied now.

But mostly just hand and foot holds.

Carefully carved. Not the rougher hewn walls of dwellings and pigeon lofts.

There are some pigeons after all.

But this is the only place we saw them.

The track emerges from the valley.

We'll find Rose valley to walk back to the trucks.

We had a little difficulty reconciling the various tourist maps, printed and on signs, but eventually worked out that the way down into the valley was near where we had camped.

1950m

Probably one of the three volcanoes that formed Cappadocia.

Layers of ash (the soft coloured stuff) and basalt (the hard stuff that forms the caps).

But they are dry at present.

Tall enough to walk through.

And drive back to our campsite.