The Yank without a Chain at Pamukkale in Turkey

I spent 18 days in Turkey and an average of $50 per day. The hot air balloon ride increased that average pretty significantly, and I also treated myself to a lot of amazing Turkish food! I absolutely loved exploring Cappadocia and kayaking on the Mediterranean. The UNESCO sites of Ephesus and Pamukkale/Hierapolis were also places that I will remember forever.

If I ever make it back to Turkey I’ll do some more hiking in the Cappadocia region and try to get further east. The current instability with Syria does make me nervous, although perhaps a bit irrationally. I encountered absolutely no unrest during my few weeks in Turkey, except for the minor protests in Istanbul which didn’t affect me at all. I heard from a lot of tour operators in Cappadocia that their business has slumped since the Syrian situation has been in the news, which is really a shame since Turkey, especially such a touristy part of Turkey, really has nothing to do with it. I’d love to make it to Armenia and Georgia one day, then cut back through Turkey from east to west. One day!