Turkeys M Hideaways Day 7
Turkeys M Hideaways
Day 7 - 04/13/06 Hike Rock Formations, Visit Hadosan Carpet Coop, Hike Rose Valley
We woke to sunny skies this morning. The alarm did not go off until 7:30 but we were awake and up by 7:15. The wonders of a good night sleep!
Breakfast was simple; scrambled eggs, toast, bread, coffee and juice. We met our fellow travelers at 9:15 to discover our first adventure of the day. Meltem explained the fine art of carpet weaving and we were able to recall some of the antique carpets we saw from this region in the art museum.
We had a brief hike through the Pasabag Valley where we had morning sun to photograph the rock formations as well as an opportunity for me to climb the rocks and get a feel for the softness of the TUFA rock. As we left the hike we saw camels, goats, and sheep.
Our discovery for the morning was the Hadosan Carpet Coop. All over the country there are over 30,000 home looms where women are contracted to weave the traditional designs. The Coop provides the looms, dyes, and the weaving materials and then the finished carpets are brought to the Coop to be tested, cleaned, graded, and then given certification of authenticity. We went into the demonstration rooms where we saw local artisans weaving the famous double knotted carpets. The more expensive dyes and materials and also the number of knots per square inch determine the quality and cost of the carpet.
Our next stop was to watch the process of the silk worm cocoons being woven into threads. They then offered us tea, coffee, wine, rakki, the Turkish liqueur. They then began to unroll many different types of textures, colors, and sizes of their famous carpets. A small square carpet of blues and rose colors caught Gennie's eye, and after 45 minutes of decision making and negotiations she settled on a perfect one to be shipped to Colorado.
Ilkar, our driver, was patiently waiting for us at 12:30 and then drove us to an overlook at the Rose Valley. We hiked into, around, and on top of the tufa about 90 minutes. It was windy, dusty, and warm but a welcome relief after our cold and rainy weather when we first arrived in Turkey.
After our hike we stopped at the small village of Ortahisar where we had a light snack and then went on to Cavusin where we hiked to the Church of St. John high up into the steep tufa rock formation. On the way back to our hotel Meltem gave us our schedule for tomorrow when we travel to Lake Bayasir where we will stay in a small village with a local family.
We arrived back at the hotel at 4:30, took a shower to get the dust off and started packing for tomorrow. At 5:30 we met our friends and had a Happy Hour with local Turkish wine and enjoyed discussing the events of the day. Our housekeeper had knocked on the door and brought Gennie a local traditional women's vest, pantaloons, and head scarf. The housekeeper helped Gennie get into her costume for the evening and we all enjoyed seeing her new look as a Turkish native.
At tonight's dinner we were treated with a typical Turkish barbecue. We have found in our 6 days in Turkey that the food is plentiful and very tasty. After dinner we were entertained by local musicians who played music and songs from the area communities. We even had a chance to learn a native dance.
At 9:30 we were back in the room to finish the journal of our busy day and finish packing for tomorrow's departure.
Accommodations: Ahbab Konagi - - - Meals: B, L, D
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