Cappadocia

We've had a great visit with my brother and sister-in-law. Shannon and Zach spent a week giving/overseeing a Physical Therapy training, and then afterward we took them to a very unique place in Turkey. Cappadocia is a land filled with "fairy chimneys" (pictured below), underground cities, and caves where people have lived for centuries.

Here we are in an underground cave city. The caves went down four levels and inside we saw where people lived, cooked, worshipped, made wine, etc. Some tunnels were so small we literally had to squat and walk. The "builders" purposely made it small so that their enemies couldn't come through with large weapons.

We also visited cave churches where the early Christians worshipped. They used the color of roots and other organic things to paint beautiful frescos on the walls. These churches date back to the 10th century and some of the frescos are still in decent condition.

Finally we stayed in a cave hotel. It was incredibly unique and quaint and I would recommend the place in a heartbeat.

They had a beautiful golden lab that Eli fell in love with.

While in Cappadocia we ate the famous local dish...a kebab that is cooked in a clay pot. They have to break the clay pot to get the food out.

The drive out to Cappadocia was also fun as we passed TONS of sheep and shepherds!