Day Three: Cappadocia

Graded class work until 2 a.m. Woke up twice before 5 a.m. Got dressed at 5:20 a.m. On shuttle to airport by 5:45 a.m.

Haven’t slept since.

Tragic sleep update is now officially over, as lack of sleep is only making me feel slightly loony (the main effect of which is that I’ve lost huge bits of my vocabulary, but I find smiling makes people think I may be dumb, but that I’m a benign blight), and so I should get to posting today’s highlights. Incidentally, I’m really appreciating your comments, and I’m really appreciating that these over-full days are getting recorded so that I can look back later and remember what the hell I actually did.

So we flew to Kayseri, rented a car, drove into the town of Urgup, and started visiting our old haunts. We went to our favorite fruit and nut guy and loaded up on presents for beloveds back home; we went to the Saturday market and stared at huge cabbages; we went to the used kilim shop and bought a few more used, um, what’s the word?

Then we went to Pancarlik Church and stopped at the Ortahisar overlook to stare at the stunning profile of our former village. We also drank tea at every stop, of course. My favorite was the guy at the overlook who, despite his limited English and my limited Turkish, managed to convey that he remembers me well as The Woman Who Runs.

I mean, if I had to leave a legacy behind, there could be worse titles. I didn’t tell him I was also The Woman Who Had the Runs, for example.

Closing out our day was our arrival at friend Laura’s home, a veritable compound in which every aspect makes one feel one is on a movie set. We are staying in two of her suites for a few nights, and when Virginia walked into the first one, I do believe it was the first time I’ve ever seen my quip-for-every-occasion friend fall speechless. Laura invited over another friend from our time here, who brought some cousins along, too, so it was a regular dinner party. Byron helped close it out in fine style by gifting our host and hostess with matted art work he had done expressly for them. For Laura’s boyfriend, Nurettin, there was a comic depicting Nurettin’s great-grandfather choosing the family’s surname in the 1920s (when Turks were required to select family names). For Laura, there was a pen-and-ink drawing of a famous mosque in the city of Adana. I daresay they were just the right audience to appreciate Byron’s talent.

Here, now, are the colors and textures and people who contributed to today’s bliss. Leading the list are my travel companions.

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6 responses to “Day Three: Cappadocia”

  1. kmkat Avatar

    Now I want olives. And firewood on my roof. And a sink in a sewing machine base.

  2. chlost Avatar

    Wow. Such a unique and wonderfully different place. I remember looking at your pictures and reading your stories during your sabbatical year, but for some reason, it seems different this time. Perhaps because you are seeing things with a different eye on your return. How fun that you are remembered as the woman who runs. You apparently did leave an impression on this ancient place where so many others have passed. That is quite an accomplishment.
    Is everyone in your group having the sleep challenges that you are having? I just wonder if everyone is in that mind-numbed place of sleep deprivation.
    The photo with everyone sitting at the painted/fresco’d wall captured so much. And the one of your friends with arms around each other made me feel sad for some reason. Glad to know that they are there with friends and love.

  3. Secret Agent Woman Avatar

    I’m so glad you got the chance to do this trip with your friends!

  4. Green Girl in Wisconsin Avatar

    Woman Who Runs. A very powerful name granted to you.
    What a trip!

  5. Meg Avatar

    Oh, the photo of Kirsten and Virginia made my eyes water and I don’t even know them. Wow. BTW – did you get new glasses?

    1. Jocelyn Avatar

      I did get new glasses. An increase in bifocal prescription necessitated new lenses…which, um, naturally necessitates new frames, right?

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