Hiking through the Red & Rose Valley, Cappadocia, Turkey

We had very limited time here i.e. only 2 days and it’s definitely not enough to see everything there is to see here. Additionally the public transport is very limited and slow and we were not very comfortable driving on the left hand side. We also didn’t want to take any tours – as they were expensive and we didn’t have the entire day required for each of them. So we had to plan and be targeted in our approach on how to best spend our limited time here and experience as much as we could. And based on our research and the actual trip, I am sharing all the things we managed to see and do here in 2 days by ourselves.

Paintings in rock cut churches, Rose Valley, Cappadocia, Turkey

Hike in the Valleys to see the unique rock formations

Cappadocia is one of the best places to go hiking with multiple options and routes i.e. Meskinder Valley, Rose Valley, Red Valley, Love Valley, Pasabag Valley, Ihlara Valley, Pigeon Valley, Devrent Valley, etc. We just had half a day and didn’t want to spend much time traveling so based on online reviews and recommendations, we decided to hike through the Red & Rose Valley. We loved walking through this trail, seeing the colored rocks, many panoramas, ancient rock cut churches, cave dwellings, stopping at multiple cafes and meeting people from across the world. For us hiking was the best way of experiencing this landscape.

Tip for the trip – This hike is moderate in difficulty level and if I can do it, then anyone can. However carry adequate food and water, a cap and sunsreen for the sun and wear correct footwear.

Up Up & Away.. In a hot air balloon ride.. Cappadocia, Turkey

Hot Air Balloon ride

Hot Air Balloon ride is definitely one of the highest rated and the most expensive activity in Cappadocia. While hiking you see the rocks from the base but with the hot air balloon ride you get a birds eye view of the entire landscape, that too at sunrise. You fly over multiple valleys, literally see the changing shapes and colors of the rocks with the sun.  The pickup for this tour is around 4.30am, the rides take off around 6.30am and finishes in a couple of hours, thereby leaving the entire day open for you to do whatever you want.

Tip for the trip – Book this ride as soon as you confirm your trip here as this is a popular activity with limited take-offs per day. This ride is dependent on weather conditions and permits received for the ride, thus can only be confirmed on the evening prior to the ride. If weather conditions are not favorable then the rides are cancelled and you are either accommodated on the ride the next day or get a refund.  

Hot Air Balloon at sunrise, Goreme, Cappadocia, Turkey

Watch the Hot Air Balloon Rides Take Off over Goreme

This too is a beautiful sight – around a 100 multicolored balloons taking off against the stunning landscape and the gorgeous colors of sunrise. There are loads of Instagram shots of this view from hotel tops with various possible props. There are multiple viewing points for watching this spectacle in and around Goreme, but we saw it from the rooftop of our hotel itself. Again these balloon rides take off around 6.30am and you can watch it for around an hour, thereby leaving the entire day open for you to do whatever you want.

Tip for the trip – The actual balloon ride and these views are only possible if these rides are not cancelled that day. So it’s always advisable to plan for a few extra days as a back-up in Cappadocia to be able to witness this.

Tunnels in the Kaymakli Underground City, Cappadocia, Turkey

Visit an Underground City

Cappadocia’s rock formations are not just above the ground but also under it and early inhabitants in this region have built entire multi-level cities in it. These underground cities are believed to have been used by them to escape the harsh winter and wild animals. Later, they became places of refuge for Christians escaping persecution at the hands of Roman soldiers. There are two popular underground cities open for visitors here – Derinkuyu and Kaymakli. We decided to rent a taxi and visit the Kaymakli Underground City, as it was closer to Goreme and also believed to be more spacious. I was amazed at how early inhabitants built these spaces with such limited resources and tools. There is everything in this city from rooms for families, kitchens, storage rooms, stables, winery, ventilation shafts and even a church.

Tip for the trip – Despite being the most spacious of the underground cities it’s still quite narrow with many tunnels that need you to bend in and crouch. Additionally it tends to get quite crowded and then claustrophobic in the tunnels.

Uchisar Castle, Cappadocia, Turkey

See the Uchisar Castle

Uchisar is a neighboring town of Goreme and the castle is situated at the highest point in Cappadocia. The castle has many rooms hollowed out into the rock and some rooms are still used as pigeon houses (the droppings are used by farmers as natural fertilizer). We just saw the castle from the base of the hill as a quick stop from our taxi enroute to Kaymakli Underground city. It’s possible to hike from Goreme to Uchisar through the Pigeon Valley and the sunrise and sunset views from the top are supposed to be stunning. Unfortunately we didn’t have time for this.

Tip for the trip – If you have your own car and are looking for a place to stay as an alternative to Goreme, do consider Uchisar. It had a very non-touristy and non-commercial vibe with the castle looking over the entire town from its vantage point above making a very pretty picture.

Views from the Pigeon Valley View Point, Cappadocia, Turkey

Visit some of the famous View Points

Cappadocia is full of stunning viewpoints where you can admire the unique land formations, watch the sunrise or sunset or the hot air balloons taking off. We walked to the Panoramic View Point from Goreme and stopped at the Pigeon Valley View Point on our taxi ride back from Kaymakli Underground city. Views from both the viewpoints were beautiful and we got our photos of the landscape with the fairy chimneys and trees with Turkish evil eye talismans.

Tip for the trip – There are multiple viewpoints all across Goreme and the hiking routes and you can visit anyone you like or the one closest to you.

Our room in a cave hotel, Cappadocia, Turkey

Stay in a cave hotel

Cappadocia is full of caves that were used as homes, monasteries, churches and are now hotels. These cave hotels provide a small flavor of how early inhabitants of the region lived in caves. However unlike then, these caves are not primitive, claustrophobic or cold, dark places. Instead these caves are boutique hotels that incorporate pretty much all modern amenities including modern bathrooms and wifi. There are many options of cave hotels in Goreme and you can chose any based on your budget and other preferences. We stayed in a budget cave hotel but I liked our spacious room, the rock cut arches and the niches in the walls.

Tip for the trip – There are two options for stays here (apart from standard hotels) – cave hotels and stone hotels. Be sure to choose a cave hotel. Additionally cave hotels are expensive so plan your budget for stay accordingly.

Borek at the Nazar Borek Cafe, Goreme, Cappadocia, Turkey

Eat at Nazar Borek Café

During our research on Cappadocia, I came across references and rave reviews of the Nazar Borek Café across multiple blogs. Intrigued we decided to visit this café for lunch post our Kaymakli Underground city visit. This family run cafe is a bit of an extra walk from town and on the outskirts of Goreme. It is at the base and inside a fairy chimney with beautiful views of the valley all around.  The place itself is small, has outdoor seating with a very homely feel and the most friendly and lovely hosts possible. The food was fresh, super tasty and very reasonably priced. We had and loved the vegetable borek, the gozleme and the kunefe. The cafe had a very laid back feel and the hosts invited us to sit and enjoy for as long as we liked; we would have too if we didn’t have a flight to catch.

Tip for the trip – Visit Nazar Borek Café at leisure and enjoy the beautiful place and the views with a cup of Turkish tea.

Pottery Kebab, Goreme, Cappadocia, Turkey

Eat a Pottery Kebab

A regional food specialty in Cappadocia is a pottery kebab so named for the pottery (clay) vessel in which it is cooked. Available in both vegetable and meat versions, the clay pot is filled with vegetables and spices and sealed with bread dough. It is then cooked for around 5 hours to result in a slow cooked vegetable stew. Once ready the hot clay pot is served and cracked in front of you to be eaten with rice or bread. A definite must try.

Tip for the trip – I read in a blog that for a truly authentic pottery kebab you need to give a restaurant a few hours’ notice to enable them to freshly prepare this dish. Normal restaurants pre-cook and keep this dish earlier in the day and just reheat when customers’ order it. We didn’t have time to pre-order hence just ate a pre-cooked one.

Colorful Carpets, Goreme, Cappadocia, Turkey

Walk through the Goreme market

Goreme is small town with everything within walking distance. The main street of Goreme is filled with many local souvenir shops with some amazing ceramics, carpets, lamps, fridge magnets, socks etc. We had a very nice time walking through the various streets, checking out the shops and picking small gifts for friends and family back home.

Tip for the trip – If you are buying many things from a single shop do try and bargain to get better deals.

Rose Valley, Cappadocia, Turkey

A few pointers on Cappadocia –

1. While booking our flights, we got quite a surprise to realize that Cappadocia is the name of the region and not a city or town. Cappadocia has multiple small towns such as Göreme, Ürgüp, Uçhisar, Avanos, etc but no airport by any of these names.
2. For flights to Cappadocia, you can fly into two airports i.e. either Kayseri or Nevşehir. Kayseri has better connections and all budget airlines fly from here. 
3. If you take a flight to Cappadocia, it is important to pre-book a shuttle transfer in advance to your hotel.  Once you arrive at Kayseri or Nevsehir, look for your name on a board and the local shuttle company will drop you off at your hotel. 
4. Public transportation is slow and in-frequent, so either rent a car, scooter or taxi or plan to walk all around.  
5. We didn’t visit the Goreme Open Museum as it was super crowded and the ticket was quite expensive. Instead we decided to hike the Red & Rose Valley to see the same sights for free and without the crowds.
6. I found this blog link that mentioned some different things to see and do in Cappadocia and you can check the same out here.
7. If you have a car and are interested in a self guided / DIY tour of Cappadocia, then check our this blog for a roadmap.
8. If you are self driving and have the time, do visit the Pink Salt Lake – Lake Tuz near Aksaray.

Bombay: Exploring the Jewish Urban Heritage by Dr. Shaul Sapir

The author, Dr. Sapir is a professor of historical geography at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University. He was born in Byculla, Bombay but immigrated to Israel in the sixties, though with an ever burning desire to return to Mumbai. In this book, which draws upon his extensive and meticulous research, he tells us the fascinating history of the small Baghdadi Jewish Community in Bombay (Jews of Iraqi origin), how they prospered as businessmen here and their unique contributions to the urban landscape of the city. Dr. Sapir covers this history through some of the famous Jewish personalities in Bombay, their stories, sites and the famous landmarks (many of them are still surviving). Alongside this, he also covers Mumbai’s history and evolution into a modern metropolis with many pho­tographs from the exten­sive col­lec­tion of Dr. Rob­bins.  

This book is a must read for everyone who loves reading or learning about Mumbai, its history, its evolution, architecture, Jewish history & culture and of Mumbai’s famous personalities. It provides a good background on the multiple Jewish communities that resided in India i.e. the Baghdadi Jews, the Jews of Kochi, and the Bene Israel Jews and the Sons of Menashe and of the Baghdadi Jew neighborhoods of the 1950s i.e. Nagpada’s Jew Garden, Ballard Estate, Masjid’s Samuel Street, Israeli Mohalla, Sassoon Docks, JJ Hospital and Parel’s Sassoon Mills. It also covers important contributions made by the Baghdadi Jews in the field of education, healthcare, finance, trading, industry, culture and youth empowerment.

This book is a treasure trove of information and I totally recommend it to everyone. As a Mumbai-kar I have lived all my life here but had missed so many sites and architectural details mentioned in this book. I especially loved the stories of David Sassoon, his vision for the city and his contribution to several important fields and  landmarks (not just limited to the David Sassoon Library). Though I walk around exploring Mumbai frequently, I realized that there are synagogues (in different colors) in Mumbai I haven’t visited, so many small Jewish design elements in buildings I have been blind to and so many contributions of Jews that I haven’t paid attention to. I learnt of their lives in Bombay, their unique Jewish traditions, communities, clubs and festivities and now can only hope to witness this in Israel someday. It’s sad to see that such few Jews remain in the city they have contributed so much too.

Unfortunately this book is out of print and I had to contend with a soft copy available on Kindle. But for these kind of books, you need a hard copy – to flip back and forth through the pages, mull over the beautiful photographs and to stand in the locations mentioned in the book and refer to the notes / book in your hand. So I tried looking for it with all the second hand booksellers I know but unfortunately have still not found a copy. However my search continues and if anyone of you come across a copy, do consider pointing me it that direction..

Dabul, an old Christian neighbourhood of South Mumbai, Maharashtra

One early Sunday morning we met at the Kyani & Co and after a quick bunmaska and chai walked to the first stop of our walk. This was a statue of Dr. Accacio Gabriel Viegas in the compound of The People’s Free Reading Room and Library. Here Jane started with a quick overview of the old Christian neighborhoods of Cavel, Sonapur, Dabul and Kotachiwadi in the then Native Town of Bombay. Surprisingly, the only Christian neighborhood I had heard of before this walk in South Mumbai was Kotachiwadi. Jane then went on to talk about Dr. Viegas. Dr. Viegas, originally from Goa, was a medical practitioner and credited with the discovery of the outbreak of the bubonic plague in Mumbai in 1896. His timely diagnosis and inoculation of ~18,000 residents had saved many lives. He was also the first native Christian to become the President of Mumbai (then Bombay)’s Municipal Corporation. Dr. Viegas was a resident of Cavel for a while and the main street there is still named after him.

Statue of Dr. Accacio Gabriel Viegas, Mumbai, Maharashtra

Citation under the statue of Dr. Accacio Gabriel Viegas, Mumbai, Maharashtra

We then started our short walk through the narrow lanes of Kalbadevi towards Cavel and Jane kept pointing out to small landmarks, buildings and shops that used to be owned or run by Christians but have now either changed hands or become obsolete in their purpose. She spoke about a couple of pork shops that shut down as there was not enough demand. She also showed us an old Goan Kud or club (like present day hostels) , that was set up as an affordable place for people (majorly  sailors) to stay in temporarily when they came to Mumbai. This seemed like a theme common to the entire walk – people moving away (either immigrating or moving further to newer parts of the city) and leaving a gaping hole in the old social fabric and life in the neighborhood.

Grand Club of Cavel, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

After a short walk we reached Cavel and I was surprised to see a small neighborhood hidden in such plain sight in one of the by-lanes of Kalbadevi.  The lane looked like any other narrow Kalbadevi lane but opened into a nice sheltered compound with a school and old houses on one side and a church on the other. Jane’s book, Bombay Balchão, is a fictional tale of characters and people from this neighborhood.

Dr. Viegas Street, Cavel, Mumbai, Maharashtra

We first visited the Church Of Our Lady of Health. This was built by a Portuguese gentleman, Pedro Jose de Moura in 1794 as a private chapel and later opened to native Christians for prayer. It was initially built in a very Portuguese design but was rebuilt in 1812 and then remodeled in 1971. The altar is still the original altar and is beautiful with gold gilding work. Today only the central altar remains as the two on the sides were attacked by white ants and had to be removed. They are now at the Archdiocesan Heritage Museum in Goregaon, where they are trying to restore and preserve them. Even though the church’s structure is very modern, there are a lot of artefacts all around that are pretty old.

Church Of Our Lady of Health, Cavel, Mumbai, Maharashtra

The altar, Church Of Our Lady of Health, Cavel, Mumbai, Maharashtra

We then walked across the road and visited the beautiful compound, a small oasis in the mad chaos of the city. Jane explained that Cavel was originally a Koli village and derived its name from the Koli word Kolwar. She said that once the Portuguese lost Bassein to the Marathas, the Portuguese missionaries came to Cavel and settled here, thereby making Cavel the oldest Latin quarters in South Mumbai. They converted the locals of Cavel to Christianity and these new converts were called the Portuguese Christians. In later years, many Goans migrated to Mumbai looking for better opportunities and settled down in Cavel. All communities co-exited peacefully in a culturally cosmopolitan neighborhood. According to historian, José Gerson da Cunha – “In 1860 when I first visited Cavel…it was the centre of the largest Roman Catholic community on the Island, to which immigrants from Bassein, Salsette, Daman and Goa made their endless yearly additions.” In 1887, when Queen Victoria was celebrating the Golden Jubilee of her coronation, the Portuguese Christians (i.e. the natives in their own view) decided to differentiate themselves from the Goan and Mangalorean Christians (the immigrants in their view), by naming themselves after the English trading firm, the East India Company. And thus was born the term East Indians.  This was in their view their way of aligning themselves with the English and hopefully having better access to clerical jobs in the colonial government.

Old surviving houses of Cavel, Mumbai, Maharashtra

Jane introduced us to many interesting things about Christianity and Cavel – the Padroado propaganda controversy, Italian Carmelites taking charge of Mumbai’s Churches, the intra-Catholic rivalry and discrimination, changes in local churches, etc. We learnt about Vitorino Mudot and his first bakery in Cavel and Bernardo Xavier Furtado and the origins of St. Xavier’s High School in Cavel. Also many famous personalities had lived in the same building as Jane in Cavel – mayors, historians, sports personalities, singers, physicians, etc. I have included articles at the end of the post that provide detailed information on these topics. 

The old surviving houses of Cavel, Mumbai, Maharashtra

After a group photo, I asked Jane what does Balchão in the title of her book mean. Jane explained that Balchão is a Goan spicy prawn masala but can be made with fish too. Well, being a vegetarian, I can’t taste this masala

Dabul or Thakurwadi, Mumbai, Maharashtra

We then walked to Dabul or Thakurwadi to see the St Francis Xavier Church. This was a beautiful church built in 1872 in a very Goa Portuguese style church design. Here we learnt that possibly Dabul comes from the word “two churches”. Story goes that when this church was to be built, two plots of land were acquired on either side of a road and the hope was that the Municipal Corporation will give the church the in-between road strip to build one big church. But the Municipal Corporation, despite repeated requests, did not give them the strip of land. People then built two churches on these two plots of land and prayers were simultaneously conducted in both churches. After many years of prayers and requests, the church finally received that strip of land and one church was built.

St Francis Xavier Church, Dabul or Thakurwadi, Mumbai, Maharashtra

Interiors of St Francis Xavier Church, Dabul or Thakurwadi, Mumbai, Maharashtra

I loved the interiors of the church, all the color, figurines and the beautiful altar. They also have relics of St. Francis that are kept locked in a box and only put on public display during the time of the Feast. There used to be profession specific masses here such as mass for musicians, doctors, sailors, tailors etc.  But most interestingly we learnt about the Portuguese Church bells. The Portuguese used to control many areas around the coast from Daman to Salsette and had built churches with 2 bells in each church. When the Marathas started attacking these Portuguese settlements, they destroyed everything but kept these church bells as war trophies. The Maratha chiefs carried these bells back to their villages and these bells still exist in many village temples across Maharashtra. Also one of these original bells was gifted to St Francis Xavier Church, Dabul.

Altar at the St Francis Xavier Church, Dabul or Thakurwadi, Mumbai, Maharashtra

Interiors of St Francis Xavier Church, Dabul or Thakurwadi, Mumbai, Maharashtra

Interiors of St Francis Xavier Church, Dabul or Thakurwadi, Mumbai, Maharashtra

We also learnt about the current difficulties of the church. With people migrating from the area, there are not enough people to fill the church for a service. Not enough people also means less collections and not enough funds to maintain the churches and the philanthropic activities it supports. This seems to be a common issue across churches in South Mumbai.

We finally finished the amazing walk at this church and I now can’t wait to read Jane’s book to follow the lives of her characters around Cavel. Will read it and share a review soon

Further Reading – I found these articles / research online about some of the topics Jane spoke about. You can read these for additional information –

• The Origin of Mumbai by J. Gerson Da Cunha –
• An Early Goan Book-Seller by Teresa Albuquerque
• Goan Bakeries of Bombay by Teresa Albuquerque
• Archdiocesan Heritage Museum
• Goans and East-Indians: A Negotiated Catholic Presence in Bombay’s Urban Space
• Why bells from Portuguese-era churches ring in temples across Maharashtra
• Mumbaiwale: Cross them off your list

Books –

• Bombay Balchão by Jane Borges
• The Taj Mahal Foxtrot (on the jazz culture in Mumbai) by Naresh Fernandes
• Old Ambassadors of the New Era  by Father Francis Correa (on the Portuguese bells).

This is not a paid or advertising post and all the views here are my own

Ottoman tombstones at the Sulemaniye Mosue, Istanbul, Turkey

At the entrance to the Süleymaniye Mosque we saw these unique vertical tombstones with a lot of design at the top and beautiful calligraphy and carvings in the body. We didn’t have a guide with us and didn’t know much about this place but were intrigued enough to research on it once we were back. Online research and articles, explained that in the Ottoman culture, tombstones were were an art form and a reminder about importance of life to people. These tombs were built in the middle of neighbourhoods or at the entrance to the mosque to remind people about the realty of death and to celebrate life.

Ottoman tombstones at the Sulemaniye Mosue, Istanbul, Turkey. Notice the different headgear across headstones.

Beautiful calligraphy and carving, Ottoman tombstones at the Sulemaniye Mosue, Istanbul, Turkey.

For the Ottomans, each tombstone was unique in its own way as it represented the biography of the person buried under it. Each grave typically had two tombstones – a small vertical footstone and a large vertical headstone with Arabic writing on both sides. The headstone was topped with the representation of the headdress of the deceased and described the sex and station of the deceased. The footstone was dedicated to their show of faith. Interestingly the tombstones of the men were topped with large stone turbans, in a range of the Ottoman civil, military and religious hierarchies and there were turbans of a paşa, a Sufi dervish (different head gear for different orders), a soldier / janissary or a eunuch. Headstones of women’s graves were decorated with flowers and topped with oriental hats or draped with simple scarves. Many of the graves had beautiful carvings and elaborates obituary inscriptions which we didn’t understand but read online that some were poetic, some touching while some just amusing and even irreverent.

Close up of an Ottoman tombstones at the Sulemaniye Mosue, Istanbul, Turkey

We kept seeing these concrete tombstones until we saw one which was green in colour with gold gilding. This turned out to be the headstones of the grave of Sultan Süleyman II, who built this mosque. It seems green was the colour used for the graves of intellectuals or scholars. 

Notice the green coloured tombstone in the left, Ottoman tombstones at the Suleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey. Also notice the design of the Sufi hat in the one next to the green tombstone. Each Sufi order was represented bu their unique hat. 

Another beautiful grave here was one that belonged to a young woman Fatma Müşerref Hanım from Thessaloniki. She died when she was 17 years old and was engaged but not married, hence her headstone has a bride’s veil to symbolise that she died before she got married and the written part explained how she died. On the foot stone was carved a broken rosebud symbolising death at an early age. so poignant.

A beautiful gravestone of. a young woman Fatma Müşerref Hanım from Thessaloniki, Suleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey

Ottoman sultans and their families didn’t have gravestones, but their own tombs or türbes with elaborate tile work in the interiors. The turban or fes they wore were put on the top of their graves.

Interiors of a tomb / türbe of a Sultan, Suleymaniye mosque, Istanbul, Turkey. The white turban in the window is at the top of the grave. 

This cemetery was in a beautiful setting and we could have walked around here for hours. I so wish I had known about these tombstones while I was there as I would have loved to explore these in more detail. But anyways, look forward to adding this for my next trip to Istanbul

The Wild Places by Robert Macfarlane

“Wild Places” is a travelogue combined with a memoir covering a range of topics across geography, geology, ecology, history and literature. In this book, Macfarlane describes his adventures to remote places in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland as he looks for the remaining “wild places” and explores relationships and interconnections between these places and humans. There are fifteen essays in the book and each essay covers one landscape through Macfarlane’s journey and personal experiences in that landscape. His journeys take him from Beechwood near his house in Cambridge to Ynys Enlli (Island), Coruisk (Valley), Rannoch Moor (Moor), Black Wood (Forest),  Strathnaver (River Mouth), Cape Wrath (Cape), Ben Hope (Summit), Burren (Grave), Lake District (Ridge), Dorset (Holloways),Orford Ness (Storm beach), Essex Coast (Saltmarsh) and Peak District (Tor).

I loved this book and  Macfarlane’s writing style and prose. I literally read this book word-by-word, picked up a dictionary many times and savored each sentence.  Macfarlane’s descriptions are beautiful, evocative, thoughtful and informative. I loved traveling via this book in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland through these unique narratives and experiences and learnt so much along the way. I had never heard of a Holloway and definitely want to visit one now. I discovered that rocks, ferns, wood make good souvenirs. I learnt to look for nature even in smaller places such as under the rocks or in cracks. I have now figured so many newer ways of exploring places. And lastly, there are references to many books and authors that I hope to read too someday especially Waterlogs by Roger Deakins.

Though, I don’t think I will be able to do some of the things he has done such as sleep in these remote places especially in the cold, so I just loved the journey he takes the reader though his book and I imagined each of these as my own travels. Overall this book is a definite must read for everyone who loves nature, adventure and travelogues.

Macfarlane writes – “I also decided that, as I travelled, I would draw up a map to set against the road atlas. A prose map that would seek to make some of the remaining wild places of the archipelago visible again, or that would record them before they vanished for good. This would be a map, I hoped, that would not connect up cities, towns, hotels and airports. Instead, it would link headlands, cliffs, beaches, mountain-tops, tors, forests, river-mouths and waterfalls. This book is that map.”

And reading this book has inspired me to probably someday create my own unique map.

Ancient ruins of Ephesus, Turkey

We visited Ephesus in October 2019 and based on our experiences, sharing some tips and guidelines with you to make the most of your trip here.

The State Agora, Ephesus, Turkey

1. Check the most recent travel advisory for Turkey – Turkey is one of those countries that is somehow always in the news for its political situation and general safety concerns. From our personal experience, we felt that Turkey is (at least for now) safe for tourists and we did not face any issues whatsoever. We had read of minor scams, pickpocketing etc. but thankfully didn’t face anything. That said you should always be aware and cautious, just as you would be no matter where you are – at home or abroad. Also, if you are considering visiting Ephesus or anywhere in Turkey, do check online for the most recent travel warnings and follow the advice of local authorities before deciding whether to go.

The Temple of Hadrian, Ephesus, Turkey

2. Weather / Months for Visit – Being a vast country Turkey has a varied weather across different parts of the country, though largely it’s pleasant all year round with hot summers and cold winters. The ideal time to visit depends more on the places you want to visit and the activities you have planned. April-May and September-early November are cooler months and considered as the best time for outdoor activities and exploring archaeological sites. June-September are normally hot and dry and from November-March, the weather is cold especially in the interiors with snow in many parts. Ephesus is an open air site and thus recommend to visit in the cooler months.

Carving in the Library of Celsus, Ephesus, Turkey

3. Stay in Selcuk – During our research for Ephesus, we saw that many people visited Ephesus as a day trip. However we decided to stay in Selcuk and visit Ephesus and other sites around here and totally recommend this to everyone. Selcuk is a nice small town with a very relaxed vibe and quite a few things to see, do and places to eat. Additionally, you can also visit Ephesus from here by yourself and at your own pace, without any tours.

Trajan’s Fountain, Ephesus, Turkey

4. Prepare for your visit – Ephesus is a large open air historic site with a lot of walking around. Our recommendation is to be prepared for it as follows –

a. Read before your visit – Ephesus is an ancient historic site with a lot to see and do. Hence it’s advisable to read up a bit on its history – to be able to better appreciate and understand the sites. Additionally decide on what you really want to see – there is so much to see that you can easily miss something.

b. Travel Guides – Ephesus is pretty easy to visit as DIY and at your own pace. We downloaded the Rick Steves podcast in advance and brought our headphones for an audio tour through the site. The podcast is very good and best of all, it’s absolutely free. You can also check out the Lonely Planet travel guide for this visit.

c. Dress for the trip – It gets quite sunny in the day, so wear a hat / scarf and comfortable clothing and shoes. It’s advisable to wear shoes (and not sandals, flip flops etc) as the walk here is long, at times on uneven surfaces and the stones are slippery in places (especially when wet). Also do keep sunglasses and use sunscreen to avoid sunburn.

d. Carry Water & Snacks – Carry plenty of water and some snacks. There is a small kiosk inside but it’s quite expensive. We also saw small cafes and juice bars at the lower entrance along with toilets, shops and a tourist center.

e. Photography – If possible, keep a wide angle lens for photographing some of the landscape pics, sites such as the Great Theater, etc. We didn’t have a wide angle lens for the camera so we carried a wide angle lens for my cell phone camera instead.

The Great Theatre, Ephesus, Turkey

5. Time your visit – Ephesus is a popular destination for tour groups, so it is advisable to either visit it first thing or last thing in the day. Ephesus’s timings are – 8 am – 19.00 pm (April-October), 8 am – 17.00 pm (November-March) and you need at least 2-3 hours to visit this entire place at an easy pace. So plan your visit accordingly.  We reached here around 8.30am and had the entire place pretty much to ourselves.  

Library of Celsius, Ephesus, Selcuk, Turkey

6. Lower Gate (“LG”) Vs Upper Gate (“UG”) – There is a lot written online about which gate to start at and every website provides the advantages and disadvantages of each gate; the main factor being the incline / climb from LG to UG . For us however the choice was very simple – we decided to take the public bus, reached the LG and first saw the main sites, which are all near the LG. The Rick Steves podcast tour starts at the UG, so we then walked to UG and re-started the trip from there. We think LG is the best way to start as it is closer to Selçuk and therefore easier to reach if you want to walk in from town or cheaper if you take public transport. Additionally, the main sites are near the LG and the incline from the Lower Gate to the Upper Gate isn’t much and very easily doable by everyone.

Carvings in Library of Celsus, Ephesus, Turkey

7. How to reach Ephesus from Selcuk – Ephesus is about 4kms from Selçuk, and there are multiple travel options available. For the LG you can walk, take a hotel shuttle or take a public minibus. For the UG you can hire a taxi. We walked to the bus station and took a dolmus (the minibus) to the LG. The bus ride was comfortable and the ticket was very cheap.

Public Toilets, Ephesus, Selcuk, Turkey

8. Ticket for Ephesus – Before your visit do check with your hotel or Ephesus Travel guide for updated information on ticket prices, offers and site timings. The cost for just the Ephesus ticket is 72 TL with 36 TL to visit the Terraced Houses. However, if you want to visit more sites in Selcuk, there is an option of buying a combination ticket for access to Ephesus, the Terraced Houses, Ephesus Archaeological museum and Basilica of St John for 132TL. Individually this would have costed us 144TL. If you intend to visit all these sites, then do check for this ticket before purchasing any other ticket. Additionally, do carry TL for the tickets as the ticket office does not accept USD or Euro.

Curetes Road, Ephesus, Turkey

Harbor Road, Ephesus, Turkey

9. Visit the Main Sites first or last – No matter which gate you enter from, first head to the main site here i.e. Library of Celsus, the Ephesus amphitheatre and the main Curetes street. By heading straight to the main sights, you can take all the pictures you want without the crowds.  If you are visiting late evening, then visit the main sites last once the big groups have left.

Notice the terracotta pipe in the wall? that’s ancient plumbing. Ephesus, Selcuk, Turkey

10. Take your time at each site – There is a lot to see around here and the best way to visit is to walk around at leisure, spend adequate time at each site, notice the smaller details in design and carvings and frame your photographic shots. Apart from all the main highlights here, there are many small design elements to notice all around – there are metal rings on the road to hold lamp poles in the night, street stones are hatched for better grip for sandals on wet streets, separate routes for chariots and pedestrians, carvings on stone all around as directional aid and shop signage and many such unique things. Each feature is unique and worth noticing.

The Nike frieze, Ephesus, Turkey

Mosaic floors, Ephesus, Turkey

11. Pay extra to visit the Terraced Houses, it’s totally worth it – Entrance to the Terraced Houses is not included in the Ephesus entry ticket and for some reason, most organized tours and visitors do not visit them. However we felt that this is a definite must visit in Ephesus for an insight into what life was like for the rich residents of this city. These houses were built during the Roman Period, with the oldest one dating back to the 1C BC and  were used as residences until the 7C AD. Many sections of the houses are still under excavation but you can see rooms with columns, basilicas, and walls and floors richly decorated with frescoes and mosaics. However the highlight for me was the ancient plumbing system with clay pipes.

Terraced Houses, Ephesus, Turkey

12.    Don’t buy the Roman coins on sale – Outside Ephesus and in many places in Selcuk, you come across many merchants selling Roman coins and claiming they are originals. We read online on multiple sites that these coins are not originals and even if they are, they are national treasures and can’t be taken out of Turkey.

Ancient Ephesus, Turkey

Have you been to Ephesus and have any additional tips / comments from your visit? Do share the same in comments section below.

Very many Santas at the Christmas market, Valkenburg, The Netherlands

Valkenburg is a city located in the province of Limburg, in the south of the Netherlands and quite close to Maastricht. It is known as the Dutch city of Christmas and holds many festive events, markets and other activities from the middle of November until early January. There are many caves here, but two caves host Christmas markets – the Gemeentegrot (or the “Municipal Cave”) and the Fluweelengrot (or the “Velvet Cave”). Although these are called caves, they are not natural caves but old quarries that have been mined since Roman times.

Christmas Market in a cave, Valkenburg, The Netherlands

I was super excited for my first ever Christmas market and read that the Gemeentegrot cave market is said to be the oldest, largest and most visited underground Christmas market in Europe. Super excited (i.e. me) we drove to Valkenberg and once parked, walked through a beautifully decorated city towards the market. Christmas decorations and signage were everywhere and we could feel the festive cheer in the air.

Entrance to the Gemeentegrot Christmas market, Valkenburg, The Netherlands

There was an entry ticket which we bought at the entrance. We had reached around the time the market had opened which avoided the crowd, though P told me that they limit the number of people in the cave at any point in time resulting in waiting, a crowded entrance and at times queues lasting an hour long.

Christmas decorations, Christmas market, Valkenburg, The Netherlands

Christmas decorations, Valkenberg, The Netherlands

We passed the control point and entered the cave market. The entire cave was beautifully lit up with Christmas decorations everywhere. The brown yellow walls and high ceilings in the passage coupled with fairy lights helped create a surreal / mystic atmosphere of the market.

Christmas decorations, Christmas market, Valkenburg, The Netherlands

Even though it was a cave, it was quite spacious with very high ceilings, festive decorations and stalls that form a part of Christmas market. There were signages everywhere with directions to walk and we walked through the market admiring the decorations, sampling the tasters in food stalls and picking small gift items from gift stalls.  

Notice the high ceiling of the cave, Christmas Market, Valkenberg, The Netherlands

Few walls showcased the many charcoal mural paintings and sculptures providing a glimpse into the history and past usage of these caves.  

Charcoal paintings in the cave, Christmas Market, Valkenberg, The Netherlands

Charcoal paintings in the cave, Christmas Market, Valkenberg, The Netherlands

Sculptures and decorations in the cave, Christmas Market, Valkenberg, The Netherlands

Amongst loads of toys and gifts around, I especially loved the Santa figurines and decorations and was quite tempted to buy a few of them to bring back home with me.

There were a few food options inside but we didn’t eat much. Also most importantly there were toilets inside too.

My purchase from the Christmas Market, Valkenberg, The Netherlands

We spent a couple of hours exploring the caves and then exited and walked around the open markets in the city. These were also beautifully decorated and I am sure made quite a sight lit up at night. We had a quick lunch here and then started our drive back home to Vaals.

Christmas decorations, Valkenberg, The Netherlands

Overall I loved my visit to this Christmas market and it being in a cave just added to the entire experience. I hope to someday return to Europe and explore all of its other famous and unique markets too. A big thanks to my awesome hosts P, J, M and N for always taking me to experience Europe in such unique ways.  

Christmas decorations, Valkenberg, The Netherlands

Tips for the trip –

1. There is a limit on how many people are allowed inside the caves at any point in time, however, it’s possible to skip the line by buying tickets online.

2. If possible, do try and visit this market first thing in the morning to avoid crowds and long queues.

3. There are loads of Christmas activities organized in Valkenberg around this time such as festive parades, fresh food stalls, and other Christmas themed attractions. Check the schedule of these activities and attend accordingly.

4. There are many other things to see and do around – the castle ruins, the oldest train station in the Netherlands, the other caves, the reconstructed city gates and defensive moat, churches, a small fairytale amusement park and buildings designed by famous Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers (who also designed the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and Amsterdam Central Station). The caves also have guided tours where you can view charcoal drawings, sculptures and learn about the history of their use.

Our camp, Kolad, Maharashtra, India

The booking slip had a Google Map link for the camp location, and we used it to drive to the camp. The camp is in a small village of Kamath and at least a 30 – 45 minutes’ drive from the main town of Kolad. Due to the distance from the main town, it is advisable to have your own transport to reach this place. For the last 30 minutes of the drive, there was absolutely nothing around (no signage either) and for a while we were not sure if we were going in the right direction. But Google Maps showed the correct location and we finally reached the camp.

Superior Deluxe Tent, Kundalika Rafting, Nature Trails Resort, Kolad, Maharashtra

The booking slip also mentioned the check in time as 5.00 pm; so we reached the camp around that time and immediately loved the quiet tranquility of the place. The camp is surrounded by a small jungle and hills in the background. There are 20 tents and a big common dining hall (I loved the posters in this hall!) and a large playground. Our superior deluxe tent was spacious, clean and cozy with a good air conditioner and all working facilities in the bathroom. There were enough charging points in the room, though Wi-Fi was only accessible in the dining hall. Our room did not have a river view and we were ok with it. Due to the remote location, there was patchy or no phone network, no shops around and apart from the basic toiletries in the bathroom and drinking water, everything had to be ordered. So I suggest carrying everything you need with you such as cold drinks, toothpaste, toothbrushes etc.

The dining hall, Kundalika Rafting, Nature Trails, Kolad, Maharashtra

When we checked in they informed us that we have an option to try any of the following adventure activities such as Zipline, Burma Bridge, Tarzan Swing, Kayaking, Laddering, and Treasure Hunt but after our long drive we just wanted to relax. The timing for most of these activities is from 5.00-6.30 pm and with the late check-in time and the long drive, I just felt a bit rushed. If, at the time of booking, the property can inform their guests of the timings / options for these activities, I think it would give people like us an opportunity to plan accordingly and try some of these on the first day of arriving itself. We decided to just try river rafting and after booking our rafting trip for the next morning, we just walked to the river and enjoyed a beautiful sunset all by ourselves.

Sunset in Kolad, Maharashtra, India

We had dinner and breakfast at the camp, both served 20-30 minutes later than the scheduled time, but the spread was good –  food was local (All Maharashtrian fare), fresh and tasty. I especially loved the rice rotis and the ussal. People all around were really helpful, honest and polite and helped us whenever we asked for anything. While rafting, we couldn’t carry anything with us and left our wallets, phones etc. in our room. Since our lock was defective, we couldn’t lock the room and when we got back everything was just as we had left it.

Our dinner spread, Kundalika Rafting, Nature Trails Resort, Kolad, Maharashtra

The only issue I had here was lack of proper information dissemination. People are very polite and helpful but the attitude is extremely laid back. You need to ask for everything and only then get the required information.

Overall, if you are looking to visit Kolad for a quick rejuvenating weekend getaway from Mumbai or Pune, this camp is a good option to enjoy some quiet time with nature and a hand at river rafting. Apart from some minor hiccups, we had a good stay and enjoyed our time here.

This is not a sponsored post and these views are personal and based on our own experience. We paid for the stay and the river rafting trip.

Driving to Kolad, Maharashtra, India

Kolad is a 4 hour drive from Mumbai and we used Google Maps for the entire route, which was quite reliable. The journey was nice though bumpy in several places but ok overall. Sometime before Pali, maps took us off the main road and took us through picturesque village roads with small village houses, conical roofed temples, green fields, rivers, lakes and hills all around. Since I wasn’t driving (A was), I had the luxury of enjoying these views and switching between the important roles of being the navigator and the official photographer. We drove without any break and reached our Nature Trails camp in ~4 hours. There were options here for kayaking, zip-lining etc that can be done between 5.00-6.30pm but we just walked to the river and watched the sunset and the surrounding scenery acquiring its beautiful colors.

Sunset in Kolad, Maharashtra, India

The next day we woke up bright and early and all set for the river rafting adventure. We didn’t look around for any river rafting operators and just booked the tour through the camp. We couldn’t self-drive our car to the starting point (around 20 kms from the camp); while rafting you cover ~12-12.5kms down the river (over 2 – 3 hours) and need someone to pick you up at the end point. The camp can arrange for cars / autos and charge separately for it (over and above the fees for rafting). Luckily we tagged along with another large group staying at the camp and ended up sharing this expense. The camp also advised us not to carry anything with us including phones, wallets etc and we just kept our keys and some money (inside a plastic bag) in a pocket with a zip.

Our camp, Kolad, Maharashtra, India

River rafting in Kolad happens every day and all-round the year as it is connected to the water released by the Ravalje Power station after their power generation. We were told that the reporting time for rafting is 8.30am and were all ready in time for it, but nothing happened till 9.45am. While waiting we decided to walk to the river, which at this time seemed more like a stream and we couldn’t believe how we could raft in this little quantity of water. Half an hour before the Ravalje Power station started the power generation, a siren was sounded to warn the people. This was an indication for operators to start pulling out their equipment and start preparing for the day’s activity. Half an hour after this the second siren was sounded which was a signal for the instructors to start the briefing. They assembled all of us in the waiting area and split the assembled groups into teams of 9-10 people per raft and assigned an instructor to each group. The instructors then handed out our safety gear (a lifejacket and a helmet) and helped us wear it correctly. We also got our paddles and I thought we all looked like armed soldiers ready to battle the river Kundalika :). Since I was trying this sport for the first time (A has done it in Rishikesh before), at this point I started to get a little apprehensive and seriously wondering what have I gotten myself into.

Rapids on Kundalika River, Kolad, Maharashtra, India

We then walked towards the river and were amazed to see its transformation by now. It no longer resembled the tiny stream we had seen just a short while ago, but had become a big swiftly flowing river with a lot of water. Our instructors began an introductory session by guiding us through various paddling techniques and guidelines, safety instructions to be followed in case we fall out of the raft and other do’s and don’ts. We didn’t need any prior experiences of rafting or swimming but have to inform the instructors of any medical conditions including a broken heart :). We then got into our rafts, took out seats and slowly eased the raft into the water. We practiced the various maneuvers we had just learnt and my initial skepticism was replaced by excitement and I warmed up for the upcoming fun.

All set for rafting, Kundalika river, Kolad, Maharashtra, India

There are around 8-10 rapids ranging from grade 2-3 on this river and we kept hitting them one after the other. The huge waves advancing and the cold water hitting us, was both scary and thrilling at the same time. After the first rapid, my initial fear had completely evaporated and I looked forward to each new rapid and enjoyed the ride. All thoughts were wiped out and all I could think was rapid, paddle, splash of water and scream with joy and excitement. Since we couldn’t carry any phones / cameras, the instructors keep a camera and took pictures for everyone on the raft. We posed for many pictures and tried various stunts of standing on the moving raft, dipping our heads in the water etc. Towards the end of the ride and once the river was calm, everyone jumped into the river and had a nice time either swimming or generally floating on the water.

At the end of the trip, we carried the raft out of the water and helped the instructor carry it up to the end point. It was at this point we realized how heavy it can be. The end point is a chaotic place with small shops offering tea, pakodas and vada pav and drivers looking for their passengers. We found our driver and finally returned to our camp. Overall an amazing trip and  can’t wait to try this again, but this time in the mighty Ganges.

Tips for the trip –

1. Overall I felt that if you have never done rafting before, then Kolad is worth trying for the first time. For people who have done rafting in Kolad and Rishikesh, the grades for Rishikesh are higher and if you rafted in Rishikesh, chances are you might not like rafting in Kolad.
2. The Kolad rafting schedule depends solely on the water released by the power station and every day water is expected to be released at about 8:15 a.m. But there can be delays, thereby delaying rafting too.
3. In case, by a very rare chance, the power station does not release water in the river, rafting is cancelled and everyone gets a refund of their booking amount. However the operators will not provide any refund for reaching the starting point late / post the raft departing on the activity.
4. Rafting happens here all year round but the ideal time for rafting on Kundalika is from June to January, with the best time being during the monsoon season (the water levels are high and currents are strong).
5. Kolad is a 4 hour drive from Mumbai and we drove our own car. There are options of buses and trains too and you can check this link for more information on this – https://www.kolad.in/blogs/
6. I heard from people in Kolad, that from Pune you can also do this like a day trip i.e. start early in the morning and reach the rafting starting point directly.
7. We stayed at the Nature Trails Camp but there are other options too.
8. We booked a stay including dinner and breakfast (as there is nothing else around). There is an option of booking lunch (post the rafting trip) but we checked out and decided to have lunch on the way instead.
9. We didn’t look around for rafting operators and paid Rs. 1,350/- per person for our booking through our camp. There are multiple operators and you can shop around.
10. We couldn’t self-drive to the starting point (around 20 kms from the camp) as while rafting you cover ~12-12.5kms down the river and you need someone to pick you up at the end point. The camp can arrange for cars / autos and charge Rs. 700 – 800/-separately for it (over and above the fees for rafting). Luckily we tagged along with another large group staying in the camp and ended up paying only Rs. 300/- for both of us.
11. Eat light before rafting. Carry your own water and some energy bars
12. If you are suffering from any health issues, then check with the operators before booking the trip. Also, children and pregnant women are not allowed to try this sport.
13. What to wear for rafting –
    • Wear quick dry clothes and avoid cottons
    • Wear water proof footwear with straps / laces. Please do not wear any heels
    • If you are wearing spectacles or sunglasses then do wear a retainer strap
    • Do not wear any jewelry, danglers around neck, ears or wrists  etc as you might lose it in the water
14. Use a lot of sunscreen
15. Don’t carry anything that can get spoilt in the water or fall off. For example don’t carry your phone, cameras, wallets, sun glasses, keys, etc. If you want to carry any of these items, then carry a water proof bag with a zip to keep these items safe.
16. The instructors carry a camera and take pictures throughout the trip. They charge Rs. 2,000/- for the entire raft and you can split the expense depending on the number of people in the raft. You can collect these pictures at the end of the trip.
17. There is a washroom at the starting point of rafting but not at the end point.
18. At the end point, there are small shops selling water, cold drinks, vada pav, pakodas etc. In case you buy something here and are not carrying any money with you, then the shop keepers ask you to hand over the pending amounts to the driver once you reach your camp.

I discovered this book only on my last day in Istanbul but decided to read it instead as a historian’s perspective to this city. And totally loved it. Even though I had walked aimlessly quite a bit all over Istanbul and thought I had seen pretty much everything there was to see, after reading this book I realized I had just seen a very small piece of this city’s vast history and architecture. The book starts with a quick snapshot of Istanbul’s history and then through various walks talks about various mosques, churches, baths (hammams), fountains, museums, libraries, palaces, aqueducts etc to see, the architectural details to notice and stories associated with these buildings, how these buildings have changed over the course of their lives, people who built them and their stories, etc etc. While reading this book you can actually visualize the building in front of you (I also used google wherever possible) and imagine them in all their former glory and splendor. I also realized how multicultural Istanbul was and still is with a mix of Greeks, Turks, Armenians, Jews, etc and how the architecture differs for each of these areas. You also read about the Greeks, Romans, Byzantine, Ottomans and how each one of them left their own unique mark on the city. For me it was re-discovering and loving Istanbul all over again and in an entirely different way.

One concern I have with this book is that its slightly dated. It was written in the 70s and the updated version is from 2010 (nearly 9 years ago). So not sure if there are any changes on these routes since then. Additionally, you need a lot more time to be able to explore the city in this manner and I am not sure how many people have that much time on a holiday for a single city. But these are questions I would love to get an answer to for myself when I am Istanbul next with this book.

All in all, I totally recommend this book to anyone visiting Istanbul. The authors clearly love their city and their love is infectious; it catches up with you as move through these pages and start knowing the characters of this city. I so hope that someone writes about my city, Mumbai someday like this.

Have you read any book that explores a city in such a unique manner? Do share these names in the comments section below.