Turkey update 1 ended with us about to leave Kusadasie. We wanted to go to Cappadocia, but we did not really have the finances for that and I felt for a while that we need to do a hitch hike in Turkey I decided now is the time. The only problem was that I was under a slight misunderstanding of where exactly Cappadocia was in Turkey. I thought it was about 100km from where we were at the sights of the old city of Colosse and Laodicea, but in fact it was about 700km away not at Colosse. This I found out 2-3 days before we had to leave so that changed the plan. So what would have been a 100km hitch hike race between 2 team to see who gets there first turned into a bigger challenge of 4 days to get to Cappadocia and see how many of the old churches you can get to see along the way. So of we went in 2 teams with R50 pp for the 4 days (so at least we would not starve to death if all else fails)
Hitch Hike/Challenge
It was really a tale of 2 of the most opposite journeys there that you can get. My team got a total of 20 lifts, 5 meals, spent 3 nights in tents next to road, had 1 shower and got no money donated. The other team had no lifts, got a lot of meals, spend only the first night not sleeping in a house had 3-4 showers and got donated about R1000 and got buses where they had to go. To tell the tale of our journey will take 2000 words, and no one want to read that much. So highlights: Got picked up by owner of hostel that took us in, fed us and let us stay for free that night. Being picked up by someone that works at the shop at Laodicea that took us in for free so we can see the ruins, my personal fav, I love old stuff (must be a sign of age). People giving us lifts stopping to buy us real Turkish meals, and a real Turkish breakfast is something to experience. Sleeping in tent next to highway. Sleeping in tent in Goreme in open field (since it was late and we could not find a place to sleep) to be waken up at 4:15 with lights on us and walking out finding that we are right in the middle of where the famous hot air balloons go up. So there were hot air balloons being prepared on both sides of us, a lot of Korean tourist taking pictures of us and at sunrise seeing 30-40 hot air balloons got up around us. And we followed in the footsteps of Paul's first mission journey, not on purpose, but going where we felt led and then in it we realised we are following his path from Perge to Iconium and on. It was epic. It was also a challange for all team members in so many different ways and different things happened in our hearts over this time, but the one thing it did do was bring us closer together.
Goreme
We spent a week in Goreme and only by blessing because we stayed in a camp site for half price and that made it possible. The area is very interesting, it is this basin of funny rock formations and cave systems that for the last 3000 years have been used as hide outs for the locals from about 4 different empires. It also served as a hide out for the early church when the Roman empire was persecuting the church from Nero onwards. Thus walking the footpaths and bike trails you get all these amazing carved out caves that was houses and churches from the Byzantine era (400 AC) and before. It was so cool to see the carving on the roofs and some of the church paintings still visible. Time there was just chill time, walking around and sightseeing. We also randomly met up with 3 guys from the Nederlands that we met in Kusadasi camp site, they have the coolest and most classic VW camper van and are on a 5 month road trip. We camped next to each other again and hung out some more, coincidence?? We took a bus back to Istanbul and flew out at 4am the next day, who makes a flight at 4am it is about the most impractical time ever.
Me
The hitch hike was really good for me, I love the challenge and seeing places and the experience and blessing it is to hitch hike, I can do this forever. Wow as I type that I see that I am really becoming more and more of an homeless unemployed bum. The challenge was also good for me just to relax an bit and that opened up things in me. Time in Goreme was just continuation of my journey in Turkey and I was still faced with a few things. And after a few days the spiritual atmosphere there just really intensified. But all in all it was good.