After arriving in Palermo, Sicily on Tuesday, we headed off to see the old city of Erice on Wednesday. It sits high on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean. Our GPS sent us on a wild goose chase through winding, narrow streets to the center of the “new” town of Erice. The new town was far below the cliffs on which the original Erice stood. We could see the very winding road that led to the top; however it was challenging to find it. Erice was one of the nicest hilltop towns we have ever visited because it hasn’t been over developed as a tourist site. There were restaurants, a few ceramic shops and a limited number of tourist junk shops. The town has several castles that were built through the centuries as well as a few churches. What it will never lose is the outstanding views that you get after you drive up the long very curvy road. We were also surprised by the limited tour buses and, in general, the lack of tourists. We wandered the streets, enjoyed the views and this quaint city.
We then decided to visit the Greek ruins of Segesta. The Romans and the Arabs eventually took possession of Segesta and it was completely abandoned sometime during the middle ages. This desertion allowed the ruins to survive relatively untouched. It was fascinating to see the remains of three distinct time periods laid bare.
The primary attraction here is a large Doric Greek temple sitting on a hillside in the farm lands. It is one of the most well-preserved Greek temples in the entire world. One could be easily be fooled into thinking that the temple was built one hundred years ago instead of twenty-six hundred! It is interesting that the non-fluted columns were a series of 3-4 ft high cut stones set on top of each other versus the one piece Roman columns seen elsewhere. It may have been because of the type of stone, cutting or moving technology that may have differed between the periods. There was never a roof on this temple. It is noteworthy that this exceptional Greek temple was built in this predominately non-Greek town. We read an interesting summary about Segesta. It seems that the city had been looking to Athens for assistance in its struggle against Selinute (another area of ruins, we did not visit). To insure the Greeks would be visibly impressed with Segesta’s size and importance, a Greek temple was quickly constructed. Once the alliance was secured, the town people never bothered to complete the temple.
We then hiked up a hill to see various ruins and an amphitheater dating back, in some cases, to 400+ BC. The views from the amphitheater looked over the Gulf of Castellammare. During the summer, productions are often staged here.
Erice’s main street (limited tourist shops!)The view from EriceA number of castles were built in EriceView from EriceErice’s town square (with only one busload of tourists!)One of the lovely Erice churchesBread “shrine” at an Erice cafeFanciest bakery in EriceThe Greek temple in the farmlandSelfie at the GreekNote the sections of the columns (vs. one piece)
We were off to visit Erice and Segesta in Sicily on Wednesday, when Lesley stumbled upon information about two fascinating cities that we just had to include in today’s itinerary. The towns are not really “tourist sites” and it was quite difficult to find the old town of Gibellina. There wasn’t too much information about the old or new city that we could find on the internet. The story behind these sister towns is so interesting, we decided to do a separate blog about our experience.
The “Dream in Progress” is the name of the project given to the “new” village of Gibellina Nuova which was built about 11 miles away from the old Gibellina town. The old Gibellina was destroyed by the 1968 earthquake. The new town clearly seems to be ONLY a Dream. It is an architectural vanguard in which many architects were involved in the designing of the buildings. The result? A very abstract place, almost metaphysical. We initially visited Gibellina Nuova. There was clearly a sadness hanging over this cement city and we left quite dispirited. The city seems to be without an identity due to its deserted school, wide empty streets and many homes that appeared to be abandoned and in major disrepair. We hardly saw a sole and there were no shops or restaurants open. This ghost city is an open-air museum with crazy pieces of modern sculptures that were gifted from artists and adorn every piazza and road junction. The wild looking church in the center of town was surrounded by weeds and appeared to be closed down.
When the January 1968 earthquake struck, it affected 10 townships but the old Gibellina was right in the epicenter of the quake and experienced total destruction. Old Gibellina is where the largest loss of life occurred. The citizens of old Gibellina were crowded in prefabricated buildings for over 10 years at the foot of their destroyed town while they waited for their new city to be built. Prestigious architects, city planners and well-known artists were called in to contribute to the “Dream of Progress”. From what we have read, the newer modern city (with running water, unlike most of old Gibellina) was an alien place to the old Gibellina citizens. The new Gibellina was supposedly built as a showcase for a “modern” city.
The old Gibellina was very challenging to find due to lack of signage and lack of available GPS coordinates. It was rather a scary drive due to many holes and big dips on the side of the road with weeds overflowing onto the narrow lane. It felt like we were going to drive off the side of the road around every curve. Needless to say, around every curve Lesley wanted to turn around and David loved the wild adventure. The road was spooky and very eerie. Upon arrival, we were flabbergasted at what we saw; as, we initially laid eyes on the valley of old Gibellina.
The artist Alberto Burri visited Gibellina at the invitation of a fellow artist. This visit culminated in the most incredible “artpiece”, so to speak. The “cretto”, which is a vast labyrinth cement work of art, spreads over 29 acres and traces the streets covering the ruins of old Gibellina. The devastation was turned into one of the largest “sculptures” in the world! It was the most bizarre thing we have ever seen. It was getting dark and Lesley continued to be ‘spooked” by this adventure; so, we remained in the car. You could actually “walk the streets” of old Gibellina within this ugly concrete and white structure. After our visit, we googled what this mass of concrete represented. We couldn’t believe that this anonymous concrete edifice was used to commemorate the deceased kin.
This visit to both townships was a spellbinding experience and one we will not forget.
Entrance to the Gibellina NuovaSculpture is everywhereSo quiet in Gibellina NuovaSome of the many artworks in the new townPrimary church – the design won’t pass the test of timeLove the good graffiti artistsAnother street but some construction in progressOld GibellinaConcrete art over the ruins with the streets left in place (5 ft. high concrete)Destroyed buildingSame concrete art – some looks new (or cleaned)Artist Alberto Burri is buried hereCemetery for those lost – most are modeled as homes
Today, Monday, we started our early morning tour to Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius. It was a national holiday celebrating the liberation of Italy by the Allies in 1945. As a result, the crowds were significant.
Pompeii was a bustling Roman town destroyed by an explosive eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD covering and well preserving the city with ash – giving us a snapshot of Roman life in the 1st century. We only saw a small part of Pompeii as our guide told us that it would take several days to explore all the Pompeii ancient ruins. There was also an exhibition of modern sculpture throughout the grounds which was a wonderful enhancement. The best part of the ruins was the “Villa of the Mysteries”, a home owned by a wealthy family. This particular home was not nearly as damaged as other buildings. The frescos inside the home were quite magnificent. The ever popular brothel (there were 25 in the city) was also well preserved and is the most popular site there. It was a tiny house with stone beds and scenes of the acts customers could request – ancient pornography! There definitely appeared to be a lack of upkeep which has taken its toll at Pompeii. The good news is that we did see some “renovation” going on.
Mt. Vesuvius is still active and some experts predict that it will erupt again within 10 years. There is a very steep and winding road up to the path to Mt. Vesuvius where we passed volcanic ash and lava flows. Mt. Vesuvius is probably the best vantage point to admire the Bay of Naples There were many clouds and low visibility today, but we still decided to take the hike up to the top of the mountain. Steam pours out of the rocks and, at times, you can smell the sulfur. As we climbed higher, the clouds rose and, although it was not sunny, we could see Naples, Sorrento and the bay below us. The views were amazing. After the short but steep climb of 45 minutes, the winds picked up and it became increasingly colder. We scurried up the mountain before anyone in our group; so, we were the first to arrive back to the bus when snow started falling. The tour operator freaked out and hustled everyone back in so that we wouldn’t “get stuck” on the mountain. Obviously that was overkill – a mile down the road it was all rain.
The other highlight was “the engagement”. On the top of Vesuvius, David saw a young Canadian couple from our tour kissing and she was fiddling with her left ring finger. We walked over & offered our congratulations and took pictures for them moments after he had proposed. She hadn’t expected the proposal and now they have pictures of “almost” the moment!
PompeiiSculptures on displayOne of many sculptures on displayFast food shop on main street (3+ pots show food & drink were served)One of the many frescoes (black would indicate wealth as the color was expensive)CourtyardIt is hard to believe that these frescoes survived.
These were completed before the 79 AD volcanic eruptionThis exhibition was throughout PompeiiThe only Pompeii roof to survive (Men’s steam bath)Don’t ask us the meaning!Exhibition in the market areaThese are massive (8-10 feet tall)The 5 year old that perished (plaster was inserted into the ash cavity where he body was)Overlooking Sorrento – this was the Venus temple siteSteam escaping from Mt. VesuviusBay from Mt. Vesuvius
Primary craterComing back home on the Amalfi CoastA home on the Amalfi Coast
On Saturday, we paid a visit to the charming town of Amalfi to do some trekking. It just had started sprinkling when we caught the Sita bus to Amalfi right in front our hotel – very convenient! We thought about renting a car while we were here; but, we were so glad we listened to all the recommendations not to drive the Amalfi Coast. When we arrived here, it didn’t seem to be a harrowing drive from Sorrento (which is almost the start of the Amalfi Coast) to Praiano. The bus ride from Praiano to Amalfi was a totally different experience. The road was particularly narrow, scary, exhilarating and extremely curvy with phenomenal views. The bus was always only inches from the cliffs on one side and cars just inches from the bus on the other side. It was an entertaining ride.
Amalfi is one of the more level towns in the region. It rambles up the valley hillside rather than clinging to the cliffs which makes it a tad easier to get around. We learned that Amalfi used to be a maritime powerhouse comparable to Pisa, Venice, and Genoa. It is also a UNESCO world heritage site.
We got off the bus in a torrential downpour! The hiking was postponed as we resorted to wandering through Amalfi and it’s next door neighbor, Atrani. Amalfi, unlike Positano or Praiano, starts at the water edge with a promenade along the Mediterranean and a marina full of colorful boats. The focal point of this town is the Piazza del Duomo which is in front of the magnificent cathedral with its 60 steps leading to the entrance. The piazza is clustered with sidewalk cafes and elegant shops. We also discovered that the town of Amalfi has a long history as a center of paper mills. Apparently, there are still some family-owned paper mills that carry on the tradition. There are a number of small shops in town that sell beautiful paper goods for writing and wedding invitations.
Luckily, the thunderstorm passed and we were blessed with lots of sunshine to continue our sightseeing. Looking around the shops in town and the surrounding hills, you quickly surmise that the primary agricultural product of the area is their enormous lobes of lemons for their famous limoncello liqueur. As we meandered through town, the lemon motif was on everything from ceramics, soaps, clothing and liquor bottles.
Church in Piazza del Duomo
Beautiful gold muralPrimary retail streetA model village near the schoolThis famous fountain is also full of little peopleCars actually regularly drive up this street!
Amalfi from afarAtrani, neighboring villageMinori – nearby town has modern high-rise hotels & condo’s?Huge lemons everywhere
On Friday, we took a small sport boat from our hotel to the Isola di Capri with 2 other couples from the hotel. The 2 hour trip to Capri took us by a private island (rental is only $85k a week including the small church), several interesting grottoes with turquoise-colored crystal clear water including the famous “Blue Grotto”. Unfortunately, the Blue Grotto is a real tourist trap but has become THE symbol of Capri.
Heaven on earth as been located. The search is over! Lesley gasped as we inched closer to the Grande Marina on this magical island paradise. The marina is awash with tourist’s boats and is even bustling in April. We can’t imagine what it would be like during the summer months. We took the steep funicular up to Capri Town which sits on a high plateau looking down to the sea and the marinas. Capri is a gorgeous island with a focus on high-end retail (Gucci, Prada, etc.) and numerous fine dining establishments. Fresh pesce (fish) is the star of the show at all restaurants. With its maze of traditional white washed buildings, there definitely feels like a huge Greek influence here in terms of the color palette and architecture. This classy island is ridiculously attractive and reminded us of a combination of Sea Island, Georgia and Bermuda. You really can’t blame celebs and high-rollers for making it their Mediterranean playground! The island is tailored to affluent travelers and the prices reflect that fact.
Lesley purchased 2 pairs of hand-made Italian shoes from a 75-year old small local shoe store. (She now has 4 pairs of Italian shoes she has to drag around for the next 3 months.) The very elderly Italian shoe store owner spoke English and was absolutely adorable and funny. His father owned the shop before him. It was a very tiny shop with lots of stunning sandals and flats displayed in a rather chaotic fashion. Their inventory storage method was basically keeping similar shoes in shopping size plastic bags. Interesting – but it worked for them.
The weather was a bit spotty. We had lots of dark clouds after lunch and the possibility of rain. Due to the precarious weather, we held off on our original plan to hike (it didn’t help that our legs were still sore from the Path of the Gods hike & the thousands of steps to get to the “Path”). We wandered off the beaten track through some beautiful little cobbled streets, had a delightful lunch and strolled on the “Belvedere of Tragara” which is a wonderful promenade lined with villas and lovely hotels offering high panoramic, jaw-dropping views over the island.
We decided to walk back to the boat after our 4 hour self-tour and were heading down the hill (Capri Center is at the top of the island). After being stumped by the trail/roads down, we evaluated our situation and discovered that we were walking down the wrong side of the island! We were going to the wrong harbor on the opposite side of where we landed. What a mix-up! If we had completed that walk, a taxi driver would have been delighted.
On the shorter boat trip back (less sightseeing), it was raining and the sea was very choppy. We loved Capri and we must return. For such a small island, Capri has so much to explore and experience. Between the weather and only 4 hours on the island, we weren’t able to do our hikes or visit the village of Anacapri – a major disappointment, but we had an absolutely glorious day.
Our hotel as we motored offPraiano, ItalyPath of the Gods trail – see small white sign on cliff below peak (Click to enlarge!)$85k/week gets you the house and church on the left
The “White Cave”Scaffolding in place to fix this natural archWe got to go through the tunnelThese rocks are huge! The boat is similar in size to ours.South side of Capri – this is clearly the wealthiest sideGorgeous blue waterInfamous “Blue Grotto” – $15 for 2 minutes inside + high pressure for $15-20 tipCapri’s main harborCapriAttempting to repair this natural arch – a 3+ yr projectOverlooking the MediterraneanCapri’s 2nd harbor – the one we almost inadvertently visitedCapri’s South side -multi-million dollar homes & 4-5 star hotelsOne of Capri’s many small piazzas.These stretch convertible taxis are unique to CapriWinner of the “Most Steps to our beachfront” Award (and “Yikes” back up!) . Or is it a slide? (you need to enlarge this photo for the true picture)
After closing the Napoli (Naples) airport for several hours due to an emergency landing and the Pope’s visit, we finally arrived at our hotel in Praiano late in the afternoon on Wednesday. Praiano is a charming town between Positano and Amalfi on the Amalfi Coast. We chose Praiano instead of the very popular town of Positano because of the wonderful reviews we read about the Hotel Onda Verde. Upon arrival, we were not disappointed. This “boutique” hotel is right on the cliffs; and, our room has a large private deck with spectacular views of the ocean and coastline. The scenery is absolutely stunning and the breakfast and dinners at the Onda Verde are superb-the best dining, so far, on our trip.
We were supposed to go over to the island of Capri Thursday; however, the ocean was too choppy and the trip was postponed. We opted to tramp the very famous Path of the Gods (a.k.a. Sentiero degli Dei). There are several path options for this hike (most hikers take a bus to a village above the path and walk down to the trail head). We, unknowingly, chose the most difficult and strenuous. To get to the main path on top of the mountain behind our hotel, we had to walk up literally thousands of stone steps through town and then large stone steps on a farmer’s path totaling a vertical climb of almost 1700 feet. To get to the trail head was a strenuous 1 1/2+ hour adventure. The breathtaking panoramas of the Amalfi Coast were stupendous. The Path of the Gods took us past caves and vineyards and followed along a narrow mountain trail with sheer drops. Anyone who suffers from vertigo, probably should not attempt this hike! (We later learned that someone had fallen today and had to be helicoptered out to a hospital.) We continued climbing additional steps and scrambling over a few challenging areas for another couple of hours until we started our descent into Positano. In addition to following a narrow road, the final descent includes a walkway with almost 2000 steps. Those steps use another set of muscles that the uphill steps ignored.
The hotel recommended a restaurant on their hand drawn map. We stumbled upon it on the way down (to say the map was even close to scale would be a major understatement). We were surprised at the large number of diners at this out of the way location which had incredible views of the coastline. We chose the “light lunch” and Lesley’s request of a glass of wine brought a bottle of the owner’s own named wine. A glass was not an option but the wine was some of the best that we have had in Italy. After 7 different antipasto dishes we thought we were done. Then came the pasta! It was great but we would hate to attempt to eat the “regular” lunch. Later we learned it was rated the 4th best Positano restaurant on Trip Advisor.
After lunch and the final 2+ mile walk plus the 2000 step walkway, we wandered around Positano with its lovely retail shops and lots of tourists. Although the walk back to our hotel was only 3 miles, we chose the local bus as the winding road without any sidewalks is extremely narrow and all uphill to Praiano. A great but very tiring day of 6 1/2 hours of hiking.
Late afternoon on the Amalfi CoastGreat place for breakfast at our hotel
Praiano & the coastLocal church muralPath of Gods Trail HeadPraiano and the coast – where we startedPositano – our destinationPositano & big school with no known roads to itFabulous lunch at La Trattoria TagliataView from the restaurantTrial landing before the medical evacuation.Positano neighborhoodPositano above the beachPositano beach on the way downWe made it to Positano
For our final Istanbul posting (#6), we decided to save the Call for Prayer that we hear so often.
Our hotel is in the old city district of Istanbul. We have a very small mosque across the street and the very large Hagia Sophia & Blue Mosques nearby. Daily Call for Prayers occur at sunrise, mid-day, late afternoon, sunset and finally, around 11 pm. The first recording is the mid-day call and was recorded near the Hagia Sophia mosque. The second is an evening call (much shorter) recorded from our hotel window. There seems to be coordination between the 3 mosques as only 1 of the 3 will be broadcasting at a time during the 2-6 minute calls.
We really enjoyed hearing them and we looked forward to them daily – although we didn’t get out of bed to record the sunrise calls.
On Sunday, we decided that it would be a museum day. We started at the Hagia Sophia Museum which was around the corner from our hotel. This building was built around 527 AD as a church. The church is large enough that the Notre Dame Cathedral (Paris) could fit inside! A walk through the Hagia Sophia will leave you pretty close to breathless. It has beautiful Christian mosaics. Around 1400, with the conquering of Istanbul, it was converted to a mosque. It definitely has the feeling of a beautiful marriage between Eastern and Western design. In 1935, the mosque was declared a national shrine and became a museum. It was wonderful to see that the Christian mosaics were not destroyed when it was converted; and, Islamic mosaics and other trappings were just added.
We then visited the Topkapi Palace which is the largest historical attraction in Istanbul. The extensive grounds consist of numerous buildings that were the home to a long succession of Turkey’s sultans and even a longer list of their wives. The display of jewelry (including an 89 carat diamond surrounded by 49 smaller diamonds), swords & armory were outstanding. The best buildings were the sultan’s harem with 400 rooms and a maze-like interior; however, we were only allowed to see a fraction of the rooms. This large facility not only housed his concubines (who were controlled by his mother) but also African guards and eunuchs that cared for the concubines. The harem consisted of a number of buildings isolated from the rest of the palace and the most outstanding was the Sultan’s mother’s apartment.
Other museums we visited, were the History of Science & Technology in Islam and the Mosaic Museum. Both were interesting but not exciting. There is a deep history of science within the Islam communities and many key discoveries preceded the Europeans.
Sunday in Istanbul is clearly “family day”. The streets and parks were absolutely packed with families. We had visited one particular park on Wednesday; but, on Sunday you could barely see the grass!
Hagia Sophia Ceiling Jesus Mosaic Tiles
Massive 6’+ jug from 1 piece of marble (hollow to carry water)The iman’s “pulpit”One of the great mosaicsBeautiful Islamic tile
It can hold Notre DameThis is all marbleBeautiful mosaicMore mosaicPortion of a massive mosaicTopkapi Palace (Sultan’s palace) from the Bosphorous – it is huge!Mother’s apartmentOne of many Harem hallsSultan’s roomMagnificent Harem windowFloor mosaic from Mosaic MuseumMosaic museumSunday crowds
After the last two days of 15-hour tours with flights, we decided this was a perfect day (Saturday) for a relaxing Bosphorous Cruise. The Bosphorous Strait marks the border between two continents – Europe and Asia. It is a 19-mile strait (now within the municipal limits of Istanbul) that connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and ultimately the Mediterranean. What makes “cruisin’ the Bosphorous” so unique is the fact that you can travel between two continents within a matter of 15 minutes! Modern Istanbul straddles both sides. A complex system of ferries, bridges and now a railroad tunnel joins the community into one large “metroplex”. To say that this waterway is very busy is an understatement. We saw mostly commuter and tourist boats but they also compete with large oil tankers and container ships from all over the world that sail from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.
It was a gorgeous, blue sky, sunny day. The ferry boat was packed with what appeared to be mostly Turks with their families. There were only a few tourists and it appeared to us that we were the only Americans. We sailed past palaces, nice homes, fishing villages, fortresses and dodged fisherman and freighters. Mosque and modern feels like the typical Istanbul mix as you travel along the Strait. The shoreline is lined with summer houses (that were once for the Ottoman elite), mosques, palaces and restaurants. If anything, cruising the Bosphorous gives one a visual hint to just how much massive Istanbul (population of over 15m) there is to discover.
After lunch, we walked over the Galata bridge to explore Karakoy which is Istanbul’s hippest neighborhood. Karakoy is the second half of the European section of Istanbul. It is the “new” tourism center of Istanbul featuring many worldwide clothing chains such as Zara, Mango, H&M, etc. and a plethora of restaurants and chic cafes. The major cobbled street in Karakoy is Istiklal Street where the most recent terrorist bombings took place in March. It was difficult to walk this street due to the hordes of young” locals” strolling along the street on Saturday. It felt like we were walking on Fifth Avenue in NYC during Christmas time. Not surprisingly, Karakoy is also a contradictory neighborhood with steep, tight-knit streets reflecting an old world multiculturalism. Once again, it felt like we were the only Americans roaming the streets of Karakoy!
Istanbul’s Chic Karakoy NeighborhoodOld vs. NewExpansive mansions along the BosphorousModern Istanbul in the distanceCondos along the shorelineHuge Ottoman mansionMan-made island used to monitor traffic is now a restaurantHuge mosque along the shorelineOur captain’s cabinVery common – meat skewered, cooked, then cutSaturday crowdsRetail everywhere – even in the under road passageway
On Friday, we flew from Istanbul to Cappadocia for the day. We left at 5:00 a.m. and arrived back at our hotel at 9:00 p.m. It was a long day but absolutely fascinating. We were picked up at our hotel with a driver and “guide” who brought us into the Istanbul airport to get our boarding passes. The guide was then leaving after telling us to come back on the flight around 7 pm. We insisted on getting a printed schedule but finally ended up with only evening boarding passes. At the time, it seemed to us to take a long time to get the return boarding passes at the counter (more to come).
Cappadocia is an region comprised of four major areas. One is a large plain of essentially flat land. Over the years (up to 5,000 years ago), the inhabitants dug underground caves in the soft stone below their homes in order to hide when their enemies arrived. These caves were probably also more comfortable in the hot summer months. As they randomly connected with neighbors, they became a massive underground town with up to 8 levels of carved rooms and tunnels. The area now has one of the world’s most extensive collection of underground cities and villages. Prior to visiting these underground “Wonders”, our guide asked if any of the four of us were claustrophobic. Lesley was timid to admit to her intense claustrophobia and thought she could brave it since she had no problem visiting the Timpanogos Caves a few years ago. Within 5 minutes of entering the underground city with its low narrow sloping passages, Lesley had a claustrophobic attack and pushed her way back out to the entranceway where a crowd of tourists had just entered and did not want her to exit from the entrance. These caves had living, storage and wine-making rooms as well as deep wells to the water table. They are quite fascinating.
Another area of Cappadocia has deep valleys and soaring rock formations. It is a geographical oddity of lunarscape panoramas that are spectacular and truly have to be seen in person. Pictures do not do this “fairyland” justice. These cones were created by volcanic eruptions and erosion which sheared away top layers of soil and left these odd-looking cylinder cones. As the stone is soft, these cones were perfect for cave homes (with limited access to keep their enemies out) as well as many pigeon “farms” that were carved into the stone. The whimsical fairytale cones that are dotted throughout the area were only vacated in the 1960’s due to the rock crumbling! The government relocated all the villagers down the hill; thus the entire area currently has very few inhabitants. Some of these fairy chimneys have even been converted into boutique hotels and there are loads of touristy nicknack shops at each “viewing” area. Interestingly, when these cones were vacated in the 1960’s, they were sold “for a song” to Turkish people from other parts of the country. Once the area was declared a UNESCO site, our guide told us that these vacant cones sold for millions and are still considered today an excellent investment. We didn’t quite understand how a UNESCO site could still sell properties within the site; but we did see “For Sale” signs on a few crumbling cones.
After lunch, we visited an interesting pottery shop in a very large cave owned by a family which dated back 250 years. The pottery making demonstrations were interesting but the salesperson was irritated that after the 20 minute tour and demonstration, we did not purchase the $3,500 bowl that Lesley inquired about. We then got back in the van, ready to head back to the airport. We assumed that we would be flying back out of the same airport as we arrived this morning. As the van door was about the close, our guide wanted to confirm the airport (we hadn’t known that there were 2 airports in the area) and David pulled out the boarding pass for him. We were flying out of a different airport 1 1/2 hrs. away! Yikes! We made our plane but were totally annoyed at the tour agency for not mentioning this “small detail” to us.
CLICK ON EACH PICTURE TO ENLARGE – SOME ARE VERY DISTANT
Underground living areaThe good life – underground
Stone “cones” are everywhereMany homes & pigeon farmsUnique housing
Different volcanic ash @ different temperatures creates diff. rocks
Interesting3 were available to rideSomeday it will fallMore homesFairyland hotel has about 6 roomsLove Valley (a favorite for wedding pictures)
