10-Day Turkey Tour Day 6

Konya is the largest city in Turkey and is known as the breadbasket of Turkey for its abundant crops. The road from Konya to Cappadocia is the D300 Ancient Silk Road, which is over 1,000 meters above sea level. There are few tall trees on both sides of the road, which is now covered with snow. In ancient times, there was a free royal post station every 40 kilometers, which provided free food and accommodation. It closed at sunset and opened at sunrise. It took about 10 months to travel from Turkey to China by camel, and about 2 years for a round trip. The first attraction today is the Sultan Han. After restoration, there is a modern coffee shop here, which is very artistic. However, there is no time to experience it on a group tour. You can take a break and enjoy it on a self-driving tour. The largest hall used to be a place for camels to rest, and now it displays carpets from different periods. The second attraction is the Cappadocia Underground City, which was covered with snow when we arrived. It was once a refuge for Christians. The narrowest part is about half a meter high and can only accommodate one person. The longest passage is 21 meters long, and the underground depth is more than 20 meters. The internal passages are complex, and some parts are not open to the public. You need to follow the direction of the arrow. Lunch is a local specialty, beef in a clay pot, which is quite ceremonial when opened. In the afternoon, we first went to Pigeon Valley, which is tens of meters deep and about 4 kilometers long. It is a gathering place for pigeons, and locals do not eat pigeons. In the distance is a village in the Cappadocia region, where houses and buildings are carved into the rocks and are still in use today. Then we came to the open-air natural museum, which was originally a monastery. Some of the caves have Christian frescoes for teaching. The unique volcanic rock landscape here is also a place for hot air balloons to fly. Unfortunately, tomorrow's hot air balloon project was canceled due to snow and strong winds. The Cappadocia landscape in the snow is also a kind of compensation. Check in to the cave hotel at 4:30 pm.