Our first stop was Dereyamanli Valley, where fairy chimneys abound, with a visit to Yamanli Church, a 6th century Christian church. The church was interesting inside. Like many of the churches and homes in Cappadocia, it is carved out of a rock.

Riding through Dereyamanli Valley, I noticed a lot of small vineyards. In Cappadocia, a lot of people have their own little vineyard. The soil is fertile from the area volcanic activity, making it a good place to grow grapes. We met an old woman working her ... ...

People are so friendly and generous in this part of Turkey. A man who owns a nearby vineyard offered our horses water on the trails. After our horses drank, we rode over to an apricot tree, where we picked sweet apricots from the branches, before continuing our trek.

Chavusin’s old rock homes and churches are carved into a large high, cliff. They are situated in what looks almost like a castle. We were able to ride up on top of these dwellings, stopping below the St. John the Baptist Church from the 7th century. Above us there were also these cubbyholes carved into the rocks. These are what the locals call pigeon houses. They paint the rocks around these indentations red to attract pigeons to these spaces. The locals collect the pigeon droppings and use them ... ...

Every Friday in Avanos, there is a large market where everything from fruits and vegetables to carpets to spices to household items are sold, so we took a break from the saddle to check it out. Ahmet took us fruit shopping. Now, this is a small town and the market was amazing and huge. The produce was beautiful.

Ahmet introduced me to a woman from a surrounding village who was at the market to sell her produce. She is Alevis, a people whose faith is related to Islam as well as other traditions. There ... ...

Ahmet’s stables in Guzelyurt are right on the edge of the village. We arrived the night before to pick our horses for the next days trek. I have ridden a lot of different breeds, but before this trip to Turkey had not ridden many Arabians. This breed is prized for its endurance, spirit and intelligence, and I was a little worried before I traveled here that the horses might be too spirited! I am glad to say that the Arabians that I have ridden in Turkey have been just right. For the past few days, ... ...

She led us to the deserted city of Kayaköy in the town of Kaya. On the ride there, we passed lots of small farms, stone fences and family run restaurants. We also passed Roman tombs and had the chance to do a short canter down some suitable roads. Kayaköy was once a town inhabited by thousands of Anatolian Greeks. The Greeks were forced to abandon it during the population exchange agreement between the Greeks and Turks in the 1920’s. Norma talked about this book, “Birds Without Wings,” which ... ...