Travel Journal (9)--Cappadocia

Turan and I, somewhere in the Taurus Mountains

I left Istanbul to spend 6 days or so in Cappadocia. My traveling companion would be my good friend, Turan. He undoubtedly has the best job in the world. He spends his days introducing American, Australian or Israeli travelers to the wonders of his country, whether it be hiking in the Taurus or Kackar Mountains, scaling Mt. Ararat, scrambling down tunnels in the undergrown cities, hiking the valleys of Cappadocia, or sailing the Aegean Coast. I have traveled with him from Cappadocia to the Iranian border. He is to graduate the university this year with a degree in tourism. This is something of a anticlimax, however. He is already a walking encyclopedia when it comes to the history of Anatolia. Everywhere we go, no matter how remote, people seem to know him. Turan has farsighted ideas about the future of Turkish tourism, and has the dedication and patience to see them to fruition. He will do well.