"I had to make 3 bus changes before reaching Göreme (from Kırşehir) about 3pm. I was quite surprised to find that a small town had sprung up where there was only a few houses and the odd shop in 1968.
I soon found a small very easy-going hotel full of other travellers. A basic but clean room at £2 a night. The hotel and the whole area was just what I felt I needed to recuperate as I was still feeling weak and quite fragile. (Martin had been diagnosed with kidney stones after becoming ill on the bus and passing out. He was prescribed medication and paid about £30 for the examination and the pills, which would have been a lot for the average Turk to have to pay). I stayed 3 nights, spending two easy days walking in the area.
The Göreme Valley, covering about 12 square miles, was fullof interesting shaped nooks that had been carved into to make homes and churches by early Christian settlers. Despite the fact that much of the land between the rocks was farmed with vineyards, wheat and many other crops, one was still free to walk anywhere between the fields, and I was able to enjoy making sketches and painting without being troubled by anybody." - MH