Down and Out Day

Woke up this morning with a horrible head cold, which has plagued me all day and left me on the sidelines resting. Haven't been sleeping very well this week and here is the result. Bummer!

When we first woke up we stepped out onto the terrace to view the tufa towers, and there were dozens of balloons floating by. Apparently the air currents were floating our way today, so we got to watch another delighted batch of tourists have that exalted moment and remember how good yesterday was.

This morning was our Persian rug experience. We saw people weaving carpets on old wooden looms, watched silkworms being boiled and unraveled into threads, and learned all about the process of dying silk and wool with natural dyes. It was fascinating, and then naturally was followed by the now familiar hospitality moment when tea and/or drinks are served and the salesmen rolled out carpet after dazzling carpet in huge showrooms. Their pitch was suave and competent. They flung the carpets dramatically and unfurled them to best advantage. Several of our little group bought something wonderful (yes, so did we).The rest of the day, for me, was a wipeout. I stayed in the shade and felt awful while everyone visited the famous Kapadokya Open Air Museum, more dwellings and churches carved out of steep rock cliffs, now abandoned. We had lunch nearby, a delicious Turkish version of pizza, and at the next stop, another bunch of cliff buildings, I crawled into the back seat of our van and slept for an hour, very precious time. You will need to see Daniella's blog for photos.I did rouse myself to attend the Whirling Dervish performance at a nearby Caravanserai (a stopping place since ancient times on the Silk Road). This was very spiritual and moving, as well a astounding to watch these men spin in circles while accompanied by musicians playing flutes, drums, and an autoharp, and chanting beautiful Rumi poetry and verses from the Koran.Here's what they say about it in their handout. "contemporary science definitely confirms that the fundamental condition of our existence is to revolve. There is no object, no being which does not revolve and the shared similarity among beings is the revolution of the electrons and protons in the atoms, which constitute the structure of the smallest particle to the stars far in the sky.....and man carries on his life, his very existence by means of the revolution in the atoms, structural elements in his body, by the circulation of his blood, by his coming from the earth and return to it, by his revolving with the earth itself.......Thus the whirling dervish causes the mind to participate in the shared similarity and revolution of all other beings.". Beautiful!

Today, Tuesday, we travel to the area where Rumi lived and is revered, Konya. Tonight we have a home-stay in a small village with a family. There will almost certainly be no Internet hookup there. So this adventure will pick up again when we move on to Antalya.

-- Posted from my iPad