It's a street in a strange world...

Rock formations
Originally uploaded by Josie R

I'm writing this from a cafe in Göreme, which is in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. It is truly like another world here, with strange formations created by thousands of years of wind and water shaping the soft volcanic rock.

I find I'm having a bit of a hard time adjusting to travel in Turkey. I am definitely feeling like I have to keep my guard up in a different way here than I have had to so far on this trip. It seems that just about everyone has something to sell, and people aren't always as "helpful" as they might seem to be at first glance. I traveled to Göreme from Istanbul with a friend I met in Romania. We took an overnight bus from Istanbul, which was an experience I probably won't soon forget.... very loud, very smoky, and very little sleep. We arrived in Nevşehir around 7 am... I had finally fallen asleep shortly after sunrise and was completely disorientated when I woke up at the bus stop where we were supposed to transfer to the "minibus" that would take us to Göreme, about 15 minutes away. As we're stepping off the bus, there is a man saying "Göreme, yes please, this way." Blair starts to follow him and I say wait, let's ask the busdriver if this is right. Blair turns back to ask the busdriver who just waves in the direction the man is heading. I was so not surprised, but more than a little irritated, when we ended up in this guy's office in the bus station where he conveniently books tours around the region. He starts pulling out all these brochures, and I ask where the transfer bus is. "My friend is checking," he replies. Mmmhmm. Meanwhile there is a big pitch for his all day tour for 60 YTL. "I don't want a tour. I just want to catch the bus," I say to the guy. I am crabby and I know it, tired, and sick with a chest cold I picked up on my way to Turkey. Blair and the other American guy in the office, whom I gather after a few minutes conversation, was similarly plucked from a bus coming from Pamukkale, just stare at me, I get the feeling that they think I'm being mean to this guy. Meanwhile, the tour operator has taken back his brochures, scowled at me, and turns to Blair, "Where are you staying in Göreme?" Blair starts to hem and haw about not being sure. I interject again... "Where is the bus that we were supposed to catch?" The other American guy, from Virginia, who has of course already agreed to a tour, says, "I think he just wants to figure out where to drop you off." I just look at him, eyebrow raised, and start picking up my bags. I'm going to find the bus. Blair follows me out and so does the tour operator. I tell him I want to get on the bus that we already paid for. He points to the bus next to him and says this one will take us. At this point, I'm just ready to go so we toss our bags under the bus and hop on. It becomes immediately apparent once we turn over our tickets (this always happens after the bus is underway by the by) that we aren't on the correct bus, but luckily the driver agrees to drop us off in Göreme.

All's well that ends well, I know, but I could deal with things going just a bit more smoothly. Blair just caught a bus to the coast and I am staying here in Göreme for a day or two to try to kick this cold. I feel pretty miserable, but did pick up some cough medicine from the pharmacy so hopefully that will help. I so appreciate all the good travel vibes I know you're sending me... I think I could use them! And I know this post sounds really negative... all of my time here in Turkey hasn't been this way, but this is just one story of several I could tell... I hope you'll forgive me a little crabbiness.