A popular tourist activity in Cappadocia is taking a hot air balloon flight at sunrise. We opted in, and had another really early morning today, but it was worth it! We reserved a flight with Butterfly Balloons and were picked up from our hotel at 5:50 then taken to their office where they assigned us our pilot and served a light breakfast to all of the morning's fliers. After breakfast, we were taken to the field in a van where our balloon awaited us.
Filling up our hot air balloon.
We shared our basket with four other couples and the pilot. Both Vince and I were very excited to experience our very first hot air balloon ride.
Ready for lift off.
The safety briefing consisted of two instructions. 1) Stay in the basket, and 2) the correct landing position (crouched down facing away from the landing direction). After the safety briefing, we took off!
Away we went on our first hot air balloon ride.
The entire ride took a little over an hour and it went flawlessly. Our pilot Tamer is a seasoned hot air balloonist. With his expert piloting, we went on a nice ride and saw scenic valleys, open air museums, and got a bird's eye view of several of the villages in the area. At one point, we reached 5200 ft above sea level (about 100 stories above the ground below us). The ride was really smooth, as there wasn't too much wind, and the height didn't affect me as much as I thought it might. Vince had some altitude issues; he says he "has a healthy respect for heights" and said his feet were tingling.
Some of the 100 other balloons in the air with us making for a majestic view with the landscape and sunrise.
Tamer landed the balloon very softly. Soon after, a truck arrived with help to deflate the balloon and pack it up for transport. The company set up a small table with potted silk flowers, some small cakes, and poured champagne for everyone right in the field. Each of us also got a cute little certificate.
Tamer and Vincent
When we were dropped off back at the hotel, it was still pretty early, so we grabbed some more breakfast and then took a nap. Afterwards we drove to Kaymakli where there's an underground city. There are currently four levels open to the public, and we saw all sorts of spaces: larders, a wine cellar, living room, church...all connected by small tunnels.
Supposedly the stone door can be opened / closed by one person.
The living room was one of the few places where Vincent could fully stand
Back as early as the Hittite times, these underground cities (there are others in the Cappadocia region) were used for hiding as long as six months. There were even stables underground to hide animals.
A kitchen appliance at the Kaymakli underground city.
After Kaymakli, we returned to Uchisar to have lunch. Vince and I went to a nearby restaurant and shared a Pide; a Turkish flatbread. After lunch, we returned to our hotel to enjoy the view from our terrace. Vince used the jacuzzi and I did some writing.
It's to share :D
When we checked in yesterday, Ferhat at the reception noticed from my passport that today was my birthday, which he shares, including the year. We wished each other a happy birthday, and this afternoon, he surprised me with a beautiful birthday cake, complete with candles and a Happy Birthday Song. Vince and I each took a slice and then shared the remaining with him and the staff. As of this evening, he wasn't sure what he was going to do to celebrate with his wife but I hope she has something nice planned!
Ferhat and I share the same birthday. Month, date, and year!
For dinner, we drove back to Goreme for some traditional Anatolian cooking at Anatolian Kitchen on Muze Caddesi. We started with a crisp and chewy lavash and enjoyed a few falafels. I had a main course of seared minced beef in a tomato, mushroom, and onion sauce while Vince ordered some grilled chicken wings. Everything was delicious. We shopped the windows on the main street and came across a store selling handmade shoes; both of us walked out with some really soft leather slippers made in the village of Avanos. The woman at the shop was so friendly and talking with her, we learned that her family are all artisans of leather, pottery, carpets (she has a weaving certificate, but only crafts them by custom order these days).