So many wonders seen

Is today really 21st October?  I don't have a hope of recording everything we have done since my last post.  It has been a whirlwind of ancient sites, delicious food, shopping, swimming, and good times.  Let me quickly summarise our days and then try to go black and fill in some of the gaps.

15th October:  left Tafoni Caves Hotel in Cappadocia with a libation poured over the bus by the staff, who waved us goodbye.  That included the big taciturn man who chewed gum constantly and who carried our bags up to our rooms.   We drove to Çatalhöyük, a Neolithic archaeological site.  We ate a picnic lunch, toured the site, and reviewed the small museum.   

The Çatalhöyük Touristic Gift Shop

Part of the dig at Çatahöyük

The museum at Çatahöyük had very informative displays but I was more interested in the backgrounds, which included these examples of mekik oya (tatted lace edgings). 

Drove to Konya, where we checked in to the Hich Hotel, (ours was the Asi room, as the rooms did not have numbers, only palindromic names).  We then went to the Mevlana Museum just over the road from the hotel, where the Dervishes were trained.   

We are definitely in Konya according to the tree surrounds.

After we had a rest in the afternoon  we emerged, and so did Judy, Tony, and Kate and Jane. We walked around town, bought some dates and apricots, and some gluten free bread for Louise.  While Judy was buying the bread in the very crowded and busy little bakery, A local carpet dealer learned we were Australian and steered us to a terrace top restaurant where I ate lamb cutlets, and chips, we listened to the muezzin and admired the crescent moon.