One of the most rewarding aspects of our work is seeing customers return to book their adventures with us time and time again. Al Donatio has already enjoyed thirty-eight holidays with KE and his latest took him to stunning landscapes, on our ‘Turkish Delight - Cycling in Cappadocia’. This time round Al ditched his walking boots and traded up for two wheels. An avid cyclist at home, he took this passion overseas and was kind enough to share his reflections and photographs from this unforgettable journey…

Although I do quite a bit of mountain biking at home, this was my first cycling holiday. The trip gave me the chance to explore the truly unique and otherworldly landscapes of Cappadocia. It was also my first time visiting Turkey but certainly not my last!

In addition to some fantastic cycling every day, we visited unique “fairy chimney” rock formations, ancient cave dwellings and underground cities. The early Christians built churches in these caves to practise their religion while it was still illegal under Roman rule. They also built multi-level underground cities carved into the soft volcanic rock. It is hard to imagine how people lived in these caves and underground cities. Escape routes were built incase invaders broke into the city.

At the village of Goreme, we visited an open air museum with some of the best examples of Byzantine artworks, in the form of frescoes and paintings found in the rock-cut churches dating back to the 10th century. We also cycled through Pigeon Valley, which included numerous caves for pigeons. In the old days, the locals would collect the pigeon droppings to use as fertiliser. We cycled through “Love Valley,” known for its distinct phallic-shaped rock formations. I never got tired of looking at the scenery.

Our guide, Faruk, was a rock star. Every day was like a history lesson. He also seemed to know everyone, everywhere we went. One day, we came upon a couple of women preparing tomatoes for the winter. We rode up, they gave us some bread and we tried the fresh-baked tomato sauce, an excellent snack. The food everywhere was great. I ate a lot of lamb: lamb kebabs, lamb liver, lamb kidneys, lamb shank, all grilled. One day, we had a whole fresh fish.

Before each lunch and dinner, we were served a number of dips, spices, vegetables and fresh bread - you could fill up on that alone. One night, we ate at a restaurant where you cooked your own food. There was a grill in the middle of the table. We picked the meat we wanted and cooked it ourselves. We visited a local market that sold everything from fruit and vegetables to cooked corn on the cob, which was delicious. The peaches were great and the melon was some of the best I have ever eaten.

The trip was graded moderate. However, there were sections that were well above my pay grade. I found myself, at times, walking my bike down some of the steeper, more technical trails. We rode for seven days, covering a total of about 155 miles or 22 miles per day, with 75% off-road and 95% vehicle supported. It was a great experience.

At the end of the trip, my legs were pretty sore and tired. Once the cycling was over, I went in search of a Turkish barber, who are known for their shaving skills. He did not disappoint. In addition to a shave, he trimmed my eyebrows with a comb and scissors, gave me a head and shoulder massage and one other thing - hot ear burning! This refers to Turkish singeing, a technique to remove fine ear hair using a flame on a cotton swab, not intense heat directly in the ear. I am happy to report that I did not sustain any serious burns and my hearing is still intact, mostly.

Turkey was amazing - the people, the food, the culture and the history. I can see myself returning someday to see more of this country.

Until next time,

Al