Gone with the wind in Cappadocia
Strategically located at the intersection of two continents - Europe and Asia, Turkey can't help but conquer you. From the elegant seaside resorts to the magnificent mosques and exquisite museums of Istanbul and beyond, to the vast steppe landscapes of Cappadocia, there is something for everyone. There are enough reasons why you should put this country on the shortlist, if you haven't already, and today I chose to talk about one of them - the hot air balloon flight to Cappadocia.
I have to be honest and tell you that I was afraid of flying, which is why I didn't book the trip from home. We left thinking that we would follow the balloons from the roof of the hotel where we were staying. Said and done! The day hadn't even started well and we were upstairs. One by one, the balloons, maybe 100, maybe more. We couldn't keep track of their numbers. The sky was shedding the night's clothes and the sun was beginning to shine. So magical. Then the dance that made us change our minds.
We had to find two tickets. Well, that was impossible by normal means! Fortunately, the hotel manager helped us to make the dream possible, so the next morning we woke up with the morning light still a few hours away. The driver of a minibus was waiting for us at the reception and he was going to take us to the place in question, not before gathering other tourists and have some breakfast at a nearby restaurant. We drank some tea with the others joining us, after which we were all told to wait. Some minutes passed, maybe half an hour and we didn't receive any explanation. Everyone began to worry, especially as the balloons started to rise on the horizon.
We started to get impatient, wondering what was going on. At one point, an off-road car appeared and stopped with a squeak near the minibus. Everyone murmured, although it was not clear if anyone was with the driver: "We were waiting for them!" Slightly irritated, I repeated: "yes, we were waiting for them!". Surprise! In the car only the driver who takes a crumpled paper out of his pocket and shouts a hotel name. It was the hotel we were staying at. Then a name. Our. We were told that we had to go by off-road car, while the other passengers were to continue their journey by minibus. I didn't understand anything, but I had no choice. In a mad rush, we reached the boarding place.
In a nacelle, about 15 tourists crowded, irritated also. They were waiting for us. I don't remember if I said a word, I just remember we were picked up and thrown in the basket while the balloon rises. We forgot the fear of heights and let the thrill of flying over the houses carved into the rock to embrace us. The sensation was hard to describe in words. The sound of the heating flame woke us from time to time from dreaming. We couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, wondering that we are flying. The flight lasted about an hour.
... some blue as the sky, some pink as the palms of our hands, others ... You know what it's like in Cappadocia? As if all the candy from a candy shop were scattered off the store shelves and you caught them in your clogged palms. And suddenly they all disappear and the palms are empty. And the palms fill up again and empties again, and you are satisfied, but you cannot speak because your mouth is too full.
We knew that the landing was the culmination, but it went smoothly. We got off smoothly, directly on the platform of the car waiting for us. After we returned to the hotel and told the story, we would find out that, no longer having places for that day's flight to any company, the owner of the hotel where we were staying had called a friend. Especially for us, two places have been found. So, we were lucky.
If you plan to fly the balloon, you must make a reservation in advance, either through the hotel where you are going to stay or directly on the websites of the companies that offer this service. In Cappadocia, several agencies offer balloon flights. The price is around 200 euro/person and includes breakfast before the flight, sparkling wine on landing, pictures, diplomas.
We flew with Kaya Balloons. info@kapadokyakayaballoons.com
If the weather is not favourable, the balloons do not operate flights.
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