This view shows the small Melendiz River and the trail which runs the length of the valley. The thermal river brings a longer growing season then the region normally allows, and the volcanic earth is very fertile. Several villages subsist almost entirely on food grown here.
Cappadoccian children are inquisitive towards strangers.
This young girl agreed to be photographed, but insisted her young brother was included. The only piece of clothing that was machine made were her plastic shoes. The boy wasn't wearing any. This is the view that awaits you as you approach the valley. While the hiking here looks quick and easy, it soon becomes more challenging as you must ford the river at several points, and the canyon walls become much more vertical.