some photos I haven't shared yet, part I

I love this picture from our hot air balloon day, taken from the ground, of another balloon headed up!

Hiking in Goreme on our first day! 

I didn't blog about going to an underground city near Goreme, but here are some pictures of that. The first two levels below ground were dug using bronze tools 4,000 years ago! Then six levels below that were dug more like 2,000 years ago. The people in the area would hide in these caves when enemy tribes invaded every few years. They would stay underground for up to six months at a time! They stored grain and animals in the caves, too, and made wine there, too. So cool.

This is a ramp between levels, showing how short these people were! We REALLY had to squat down to move between floors. 

Okay, this is incredibly cool. The people who lived here carved huge circular stones when they were digging out the caves and then placed them near all the exits. If enemies attacked, 8 or 10 strong men could roll the stone in front of the exits, protecting the people inside. Amazing!

Part II to come!