In Cappodocia there are a lot of cave churches and homes where Christians used to live, some up until the 1950s when the government said that they're unsafe. Some of the churches are no longer very nice inside, but some still have really nice paintings, like the frescoes inside this church. Since it is a cave, these churches are very small...I wouldn't think you'd be able to have more than 30 people in one of these at a time.
Here's what the caves look like from the outside. Cappadocia has tons of these. The strange rock formations are the results of volcanic explosions. Over time, and with erosion, these are what remain. Besides churches and homes, many of the caves are used as pigeon homes by the local farmers who then collect the droppings for fertilizer (they grow a lot of apricots and grapes here).
This is another picture from the springs in Pamukkale. The calcium deposits are why the rocks are white. It felt good on a cold, winter afternoon.
In Selcuk there is an annual camel wrestling contest the weekend after we left. Don't worry, the camels don't actually hurt each other...they just have to knock the other camel over. The owners parade the camels through the street beforehand. This is the time of year for camel mating, so the males are especially aggressive, making for some good entertainment, I guess...
Another picture of the strange rock formations in Cappadocia.
Many of the hotels in Cappadocia are made out of caves. This is our cave hotel. It was super-awesome.That's all for now. I still have more pictures to upload at a later time....
Yesterday I took my Arabic placement exam, which was impossible. Tomorrow I find out my class schedule, and then on Sunday we start school again.
We found a nice apartment that we're going to sign for on Thursday!
That's all for now, have a good Wednesday!
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