Cappadocia to Güneysinir

May 7

Skunked again.

This morning was our third and final opportunity to take flight in hot air balloons, and yet again, it was called off due to unreasonably poor weather. Oh well, perhaps another time.

Today's destination is Güneysinir. Güneysınır District is located in the transition zone of the Konya Plain to the Mediterranean Region.

On the way, we visited the Sultanhani Caravanserai. Like other Seljuk caravanserais, it served as a stop for travellers and merchants along the major trade routes of the region, providing lodging and other essential services. It is pretty impressive.

Next, we visited the Mevlâna Museum in Konya. It started life as the dervish lodge of the Mevlevi order, better known as the whirling dervishes. Some of our group went to see the whirling Dervishes while we went hiking. They found it quite interesting. The whirling Dervishes perform a form of meditation by repeatedly twirling in circles.

Following this stop, we went to explore. Çatalhöyük. What a great museum and intriguing excavation site here.

Çatalhöyük is a city founded 9,000 years ago. This UNESCO World Heritage Site was worth visiting as it is the first known city in the world – the first place where nomadic life changed as surrounding villages came together and formed a central location and began a form of urban civilization.

Our final destination was a homestay in Güneysinir. We were treated to traditional home-cooked meals for supper and breakfast and slept in shared rooms. I also purchased a pair of homemade slippers and some almonds from their almond trees from this lovely family.