WW - The Fairy chimneys of Cappadocia

I had read and heard all about the awesome views in Cappadocia, located at the heart of central Turkey and glad it didn't disappoint me. Its setting alone is breathtaking. Having realized the immensity of the region and the few transportation options, we decided to join a local tour. Our guide was extremely professional and knowledgeable and her enthusiasm throughout the tour was amazing.



The main draw for tourists to Cappadocia is the opportunity to view its extraordinary landscape of eroded valleys and unique fairy chimneys up close. The unusual rock formations so-called fairy chimneys were the result of a volcanic eruption and thousands and thousands of years of wind, water and lava forming them into different shapes through the valleys.


Various types of Fairy Chimneys are found in Cappadocia. Among these include those with caps, cones, mushrooms, chimney columns and pinnacles.


For anyone who has ever wanted to experience a hot air balloon ride, this is the place for a great perspective of Cappadocia! We also contemplated on going for a hot air balloon ride, but the price was 110 euros for a 45 minute journey, which was too costly for our pockets. I'm sure it's a fascinating experience but it's not my main priority though. Cappadocia is more than enough to blow me away, even without a balloon ride! :D


People have made homes in the caves since prehistoric times. Some still live in them today as they are reluctant to move to the cities. If you ever wondered how it would be like to live like the Flintstones, I believe this is the closest you will get to experience how they lived.


There are a few towns in Cappadocia that cater to tourists or backpackers, but I suggest staying in Goreme. It seemed to be the most ideal location for visiting all the amazing sites. It also had a lot of cave hotels and hostels offering at great bargains for budget travelers.

Apart from visiting interesting valleys, we explored a few underground cities as well as some ancient Christian churches which I'll be featuring more about them in my upcoming posts.

I've been to some very wonderful places and seen some magnificent sights but the Fairy Chimneys in Cappadocia were truly out of this world. I will never forget this magical place.

First Commenter - Lina

Scenic Sunday/Today's Flowers - Early Spring Blossoms

I like the feeling of spring when flowers starting to bloom. When I visited Europe last month, it was still late winter, early spring, so everything was not in blossom. After what seems a long, cold winter, the early signs of spring is finally making its appearance in Vienna. I was glad to be able to enjoy some of these beautiful bursts of spring colour popping up around the city.


These two shots showcase both signs of the winter and also spring life.

PhotoHunt - Covered

One of my absolute favorite places to visit in Istanbul is the colourful Spice Bazaar. It’s an essential shopping haven if you’re in the city and you’re at all interested in food.


There are about 100 small stalls in a covered bazaar selling everything from exotic spices, candies, dried fruits, fruit tea, among a hundred other Turkish delights. True to its name, my nose immediately detected the aroma of various spices the moment I entered the market. It was also impossible to walk past one of these stalls without sampling different types of local delicacies.



Row upon row of different types of fruit tea, exotic spices, pepper in the background with locals jostling for the lowest prices. It was nice to look at the display of pretty coloured spices even if you were not buying anything.



Dried figs and dates are displayed on the front row while the rest of the rows are all lokums (Turkish delights) in a riot of flavours and fillings. Some varieties are covered with coconuts, some nuts, mint, rose and most commonly, with powdered sugar. My favourite version are the nut flavours. With a wide range of flavours like hazelnut, pistachio, walnut and almond, my hands-down winner would be definitely pistachio. They are sinfully delicious with a tinge of nuts dancing around my taste buds.


Turkish Helva, or Halva, is a sweet confection that is similar to lokum, but made with sugar syrup and sesame oil. The helva is usually cut into wedges or thin slices according to customer requirements. It is believed that the locals served helva on special occasions such as Ramadan and other holy days but more commonly to mark births and deaths.


Further down, we came across some stalls selling a wide array of candle holders covered with decorative designs. They are colourful and eye-catching and I couldn't resist taking a picture.


Apart from that, a great variety of herbal tea are widely sold here. Apple, rose and linden flower being the most popular flavours. It has been a long tradition of drinking tea here I would say. The best type of tea for me was the apple tea. It was bitter yet refreshing and I liked it very much and drank a lot of it while trotting around Istanbul.

I came home with small bags of tea, a box of lokum and a luggage full of wonderful fragrance. :) This is the ultimate one-stop shopping destination for souvenirs as well as a wonderful place to meet interesting people. I'd recommend travel there to anyone. The Turkish culture is nowhere more alive and colourful than here.

First Commenter - Dora

WW - Leonardo da Vinci, a gifted polymath

An awesome statue to commemorate a true historical figure. Both shots were captured outside Ufizi gallery in Florence, Italy




Leonardo da Vinci is best remembered as the artiste of the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. But he's equally famous for his astonishing talents in architecture, sculpture, engineering, geology, hydraulics and the military arts, all with success, and in his spare time doodled parachutes and flying machines that resembled inventions of the 19th and 20th centuries. During his lifetime, he also made detailed drawings of human anatomy which are still highly regarded today. Leonardo also was quirky enough to write numerous notebooks and sketches for countless advanced machines, with descriptions written in secret mirror writing, a trick which kept many of his observations from being widely known until decades after his death. Many of them were apparently never executed, but they anticipated modern inventions through the years to help scientists and inventors make new discoveries.

He had sparked public interest in 2003 with the publication of The Da Vinci Code, the bestselling thriller by author Dan Brown.


Leonardo da Vinci was a true genius of his era, and I wish we had a few more like him for the benefit of our future generations.

First Commenter - Caite

RT-Getting Around in Istanbul

This is my 2nd time in Istanbul, my first time there was about a few years ago. The place is pretty much the same, everywhere you turn there’s ongoing restoration works, and the city just keeps bustling nevertheless.


Getting around in Istanbul couldn't be any easier. There are frequent trams, funiculars and buses and the city is blessed with one of the best metro systems in the world. Most of the tourist destinations are accessible by either metro or trams. We never took a taxi as everything was made easy by city trams and metro. They were not only quicker, but also cheaper than taking a taxi.


You can easily obtained tickets in kiosks close to each station. It is valid in all metros, trams, funiculars and other means of transportation.


Trains and funiculars arrive fast but carriages are always crowded, especially during peak hours. However, pickpockets are everywhere and they are experienced and quick. It is something we should be extremely careful about. They usually work in groups to distract you while another one pick-pockets you which was what I experienced in Rome. My backpack was unzipped but fortunately, the pickpocketers didn't manage to get anything. I usually placed my hand-made money pouch worn under-clothing when I was out and about.


During my previous travels, I observed most metro systems tend to be filthy and rather dull from an aesthetic point of view. However, there are few cities that explicitly foster arts in metros like the ones I come across in Dubai , Moscow as well as in Istanbul.


This is one of the many stations that’s been decorated to reflect one of the Islamic cultures or inspired artwork on the walls of the line platform.


The walls along the tracks of most Metro stations in Istanbul are tiled, and most of them are decorative tiles. They can be delightful and inspirational for daily commuters as well as an attraction for tourists.



First Commenter