"So I take it you're here to find yourself?"
- Dora, the Canadian ex-pat who's made Goreme her home.
Dora's lived in Cappadocia for 13 years. She followed her husband to Goreme, and after they divorced, she liked the town so much that she stayed. She bought a house and ran a pension for a number of years. At the moment, she's wondering whether it's worthwhile giving up on the town and moving back to Canada. She's got a plane booked in December, but she's not quite sure whether to take it.
She belongs in Goreme. Yesterday, she walked through the valleys around the town and picked stinging nettles. There's a slower, more reflective pace of life that suits her well. Her "home" is Calgary, but she's been away for so long that she's afraid she won't adapt if she moves back. In her mind, she's Turkish, and Goreme is her home.
And when she asked me that question, it was with a certain kind of weariness, like she's seen my type so many times before. I suppose she's met a lot of people travelling in Cappadocia, and a lot of them are trying to find themselves. I'm not sure what I'm doing here, to be honest. When I first started out in August, the idea of travel seemed to have a sense of purpose. Now, I'm not sure. Just going through the motions of living, I suppose. Just drifting along.
There are some amazing sights in Cappadocia, though. The lunar landscapes is spectacular, and the way the inhabitants managed to carve those houses, monasteries and cities is amazing. If I hadn't have lost my USB cable in Istanbul, I'd post a few pictures. Simply amazing stuff, and well worth the 11 hour bus ride.
Not sure if it was worth missing out on Arsenal beating Man Utd 2-1, though. I haven't had internet access since Friday, and it's a bit of shock to read about it after a 14 hour bus ride to Selcuk. How the fuck did that happen?
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