Eating my earplugs in Cappadocia

Strange things can happen when you travel. Sleep is really important to me (I’m called “Mama Monster” with little sleep) so I carry the best earplugs ever when I travel and they keep all the noise out so I can rest peacefully. I thought a few boxes would be enough to get us through our journey until I started eating them. A few weeks ago I woke up in the middle of the night munching on one/ they are made out of beeswax so pretty tasty, but what? Then a few more nights later I woke up in the morning with one plastered to the inside of my mouth against my teeth. My family thinks this is hilarious- like hold onto the wall, fall over laughing hysterical- so I thought I’d share some of the bizarre ways we’re experiencing life on the road.

We’ve been gone a month now and are in new territory for the first time, so we’re all quite excited to explore new places. Just in case you’re wondering- pilots in Turkey and Greece win the award for “Worst Landings in the World” as we literally bounce, teeth chattering, gripping the armrests each time we land. Maybe that’s why I’m munching on my earplugs? Also, the people who design the restrooms in these places should be fired. In the US and most other places like the rest of Europe and Asia, airport bathrooms have upwards of 30 stalls, but here in Greece and Turkey, the average amount of stalls is 2. Sometimes the wait for the loo can be over 20 minutes in an airport. Pretty crazy. At this point, we’ve done 7 flights within Greece and Turkey so we’re seeing that this is actual problem spanning many airports but are unclear as to why.

That said, Hello from Cappadocia, Turkey! We are in what is considered the eastern side of Turkey, just 260 miles from the border of Syria. We’ve come to Cappadocia to see the otherworldly landforms here which were created during and after a series of volcanic eruptions eons ago. We’ve also come to fly in a hot air balloon- this region is famous for them and often launches hundreds of balloons a day and it can be quite the spectacle.

——————— a few days later..

Well, we’ve spent the last few days exploring Cappadocia, learning about the rock formations, the cave homes and communities people built within them and watching storms blow in on the horizon. It’s been cold and rainy much of our time here. After getting up one morning at 3am for a balloon ride, we were sent home at 5am due to inclement weather. In all reality, I didn’t mind. It was really nice to feel cozy and huddled up, have some candles lit in the hotel and feel warm.

As we’ve walked through these beautiful but often unloved streets, we’ve talked about how politics directly relates to tourism. With a stable government and steady tourism dollars flowing in, this place could look like Tuscany. There is wine, there is history & art, there are rolling hills and it’s quite stunning. Since things have been so unstable in Turkey, possibility and growth seem to be suspended as dogs road the streets, buildings often cave in on themselves- but there is SO much beauty, so much potential. Tourism is way down this year with the election and general instability present within the country right now. Here’s to things continuing to get better in the future.

These are some photos of the magical places we’ve been. Tomorrow, off to AFRICA!