Capaddocian valleys

After arriving in Goreme around 2.30am yesterday morning, I had got my bearings with a walk/jog up towards Uchisar, then down Gullicinlik (Pigeon) Valley, just trying to absorb the famously extraordinary landscape of Capaddocia. This morning, after a stupendous breakfast at the Shoestring cave hotel, I embarked on a longer outing, mostly taken at a gentle running pace. Towards sword valley initially, then through terrain ruined by quad bikes (a total blight on the landscape and ambience). The signage was appalling, and the terrain very complex, so I just followed my nose as the whim took me. This led to what I assume was Rose Valley, with its deep pinks and oranges stretching up towards the high plateau of Hagri Dag. A cave church was at the end of one of these hidden valleys, along with blossoming cherry trees: it was exquisite, and I had it all completely to myself. Down this valley, then up another, before taking the tracks to the village of Cavusin. I bought and drank a bottle of water below the remarkable 'cave city' that towers above the village, then headed down to the main Avanos road. A left turn, then a short road section before branching off towards Love Valley, which I then followed in its entirety, all the way up to Uchisar, the remarkable cave village I had already reached yesterday (it is dominated by a 'castle' formed by a giant pinnacle, a useful navigational aid). This valley, with its phallic 'fairy chimneys' is perhaps the most extraordinary of all, albeit a little less enclosed. Again, blossoming cherry trees added to the ambience (the weather was perfect throughout - deep blue cloudless skies, warm with little humidity. Again, I had it to myself: it has a remote feel in its upper reaches, which is completely deceptive because the road is never far away. The pillars fade, and the top sections reminded me of Utah, 'slick rock' and white canyon walls. I emerged at a pomegranate seller's stall, and then the Uchisar road. Miles away, across the plains, loomed Erciyes Dagi, a giant 4000m isolated stratavolcano peak above Kayseri. Later visited the open air museum with its ancient cave churches, then refuelled with the local speciality claypot kebab.