Ortahisar

Tuesday, after departing Camping Kaya, we spent the day mostly in scenic driving, walking, gawking, etc. Fortunately, all the relevant sights in Cappadocia are pretty close together. Unfortunately, low-sulfur diesel in Turkey is now well over $8 per gallon.

First up was the village of Ortahisar, famed

for its "castle," a huge spire carved up into

a variety of chambers, terraces, etc.

Parking with the big dogs; despite the appearance,

Ortahisar is one of the least touristy of the sights; the buses

roll in, park on the square, everyone runs out and snaps a

few pix of the castle, buys a half kilo of dried apricots, and

hops back on as the bus continues its rounds

We liked our parking spot so well we stayed a couple hours,

walked the main drag, did some grocery shopping, had

lunch in the camper, and watched as--for once in our

experience--the call to prayer occurred, shops and cafes

actually closed, and the men walked to the mosque (the

women stayed home preserving their modesty, no doubt);

there were many other manifestations of traditional,

unaffected village life to see, some of interest, some pitiable

Preview of upcoming "cats of turkey" post

View from the top (of the castle); another castle