Saturday, September 27 –

Another busy day, but at a pace that kept it fun.

Had the best night’s sleep since landing in Turkiye, so I woke up just before sunrise, ready for a run. It was crisp (48 degrees), but I warmed up quickly on the hills. Best of all, when I got to the town viewpoint, I could see today’s balloons–almost as pretty from the ground as being in the basket.

After breakfast, we were off! First stop, the local farmer’s market, which was way more than produce. Beautiful fruits and vegetables (and the biggest cabbages I have ever seen) but also cheeses, household goods, clothes, fish, seeds, quite the selection.

Next up was a lesson on carpet weaving. We learned about how they weave by hand, spin yarn from silkworms, and dye them vibrant colors. Then we were served some snacks and drinks and were shown lots and lots of carpets for our perusal and purchase.

This is unusual for a Rick Steves tour, but we were told when we signed up that the company felt these rugs represent such unique and quality products that this stop is included in the Turkiye tour–however, there is no kickback to the tour company.

Dan and I honestly weren’t sure if we wanted to invest in one, despite their beauty and quality and the fact that the new house will need one. We liked a couple, but felt the prices were a little too rich for our blood, even as they reduced them 3 times. We did the smart thing and walked away.

After a bathroom break, Dan suggested we give them our best offer and see what happened. He went off to try, and we got our price (even after they tried to counter). I was surprised and a but impressed that Dan pulled it off. It certainly wasn’t cheap (and I’m confident they still made some profit), but it will look great in the new place . Oh, and guess what. Neither of us took a photo of it–you’ll all just have to visit to see it.

After our major purchase, we moved onto the underground city of Kaymakli. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is hewn into the rocks. Up to 5,000 people would hide from invaders underground. It included a kitchen, chambers for families, and even a winery. The complex has 8 floors underground, 5 open to the public, but the last three require crunching down to essentially duck walk through the tunnels. Definitely not ideal for big guys who recently had knee surgery or people who suffer from claustrophobia.

Thus, Dan and a number of others (including our guide) waited outside for the rest of us. I felt kind of bad as Dan would have enjoyed it, but when I went through, I realized he made the right call.

When we got back to the hotel, we had some downtime, so Dan and I took a little walk around town. At 5:00, Taylan had arranged for a little happy hour on one of the hotel terraces. Earlier in the day, at the market, he told us each to purchase a small gift (no more than $5) for our tour “buddy”, and hevput limits on what it could be (no food or drink, no “evil eyes” and, for some reason, no socks()). We exchanged these at the happy hour. The variety and explanations for the purchases were a lot of fun. I told Taylan it blew away any other ‘icebreakers’ we have experienced on other tours.

The warm feelings continued as we strolled down the street to a local restaurant for a group dinner. The food was great, the ambiance (a 13th century building) and the company made for a convivial evening. So much so tgat I completely neglected to take ant pictures–ooops.

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, I get a little nervous every time we start a group tour, wondering whether the personalities will work. Thankfully, thus far, this one is working in spades.

Tomorrow, transition day!

20,882 steps

10.9 miles