MILES & MEMORIES

So, our adventure kicked off after a marathon bus journey, dumping us at Trabzon Bus Terminal. Naturally, being the early birds, we headed straight for food. We found a little café with a lovely lady whose English was, shall we say, a work in progress. While munching away, we played detective with Google Lens, translating Turkish news headlines on TV. Who knew a news channel could be so intriguing when you have no idea what it's saying?  (Fun Fact: Google Lens can translate text in real-time, which is basically magic for travelers in foreign lands!)   After fueling up, we rang up Ali from Copper House, Trabzon, hoping for an early check-in. He, bless his heart, said yes! We hopped into a taxi, which then dropped us off... at what looked suspiciously like a copper antique shop. "Uh oh," we thought, "did we book a room or a relic?" Just as confusion reached peak levels, Ali called, probably sensing our bewilderment. He invited us in, then proceeded to charm us by ...

So we rolled into Cappadocia at the  absolutely prime hour  of 3:30 AM after 10.5 hours long travel – because nothing screams "vacation goals" like arriving when even the vampires are calling it a night. And surprise, surprise! Not a single taxi in sight. Shocking, right? Who would've thought professional drivers might want to sleep at this ungodly hour?   Our hotel, Owl's Cave, was a mere 500 meters away. But walking? Oh no, we're  civilized travelers  – we demand motorized transportation for distances we'd normally walk to grab midnight snacks!   I gallantly crossed the road to the taxi stand and peeked inside the cars like a creep. There I witnessed modern art: a taxi driver in his natural habitat, snoring like a chainsaw convention, hands strategically positioned down his pants like he was auditioning for a very different kind of movie. I thought about waking him up but decided, "Nah, let's not make this awkward for BOTH of us." How considera...