Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Cave Hotel and Open Air Museum

After waking at 4 am, an hour drive to the airport, an hour flight to Istanbul (at the airport we saw there was a direct flight to Keyseri on another airline, ugh!), an hour layover, and hour flight to Keyseri, an hour bus ride through what looked just like Utah, we arrived at the Hidden Cave Hotel.  

The kids were thrilled with their cave room.



Lissy was so excited to sit on our bed, she just kept posing for pictures.


She was really nervous about this crib they brought in for her.  It is on rockers but it leans more to one side than the other.  I was afraid she would tip the whole thing over and fall out on the tile so I put tennis shoes under the rockers.  Carl swears they took this from someones home to bring in for us, they had to do that in Ephasus.  


Outside our hotel Room.


The view from our balcony.


From all the travel that morning and starting so early we were wiped out.  We wanted a quick lunch so we stopped off for Turkish pizza.  The kids eat a large variety of foods from different places but this pizza threw them for a loop.  I think it had to do with being so tired but they could not get over the fact that there was no sauce.  Lil' Carl liked his, he said it was like cheesy bread.  


Lissy had a breakdown after lunch when we tried to put her in the pack.  We wanted to see at least the open air museum that day but she was so distraught we thought we would have to call it quits.  Then we saw ice cream.  She got a scoop of vanilla and was so happy to have it in hand.  She was so tired though that she didn't even eat it.  She fell asleep with it in her hand after most of it had melted down Carl's back and arms.  


It was hot and crowded and difficult to get around with everyone being so tired.  We were inspired by our desire to see what was in the caves.


This open air museum was a monastery so they used the caves as chapels and covered the walls in Fresco paintings.  It was awesome!!  The kids and I had a great conversation about how they could tell what time period the paintings were from and they each came up with a way the paintings did that.  I was so proud of how much they have learned and retained about art and history and how this trip solidifies many of those things.


A view of more cave dwellings.


Entrance to one of the chapels.  Many of the entrances were really low so Carl had to bend down.  He kept forgetting and bumped his head a lot.


Resting in a shaded arch.


Lissy was a trooper on this trip.  We dragged  her all over, she was exhausted.  
When Carl would go through a low ceiling area she started patting his head when she would see these coming to let him now he needed to bend over.  


Her turn to rest in some shade.


Overlooking the mountains beyond with more cave dwellings.


One of the monasteries.  I love the sky in the background.


This was a rough day but we made it through and really enjoyed the museum.


The city of Goreme at dusk.


We had troubles finding a restaurant with a high chair.  After the day we had she would never have sat through dinner without one.  We decided we would eat at the first place that said they had one.  We walked all over Goreme.  Finally one guy said he had one at home and would run and fetch it for us if we would eat there.  It wasn't the best food but it was a rest and she did sit through it.  


They make what is called a pottery kebab.  When they bring it out they crack the pottery open and the meat and veggies were cooked inside.  This place claimed to be the first place to ever make it, I am sure we would find the claim at many other places.  We didn't love it, very greasy, but we may try it again elsewhere.


On this trip Lissy had taken to putting things down her shirt and keeping them there.  This day she has put a water bottle down there for safe keeping.  Watching her walk around with the bottle sagging her sleeper was so funny.

Tomorrow the kids and April wake up at 4 to take a hot air balloon ride and then off to see more of Cappadocia and celebrate Carl's birthday.


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