September 26, 2024
Cappadocia
Weather 70’s and sunny
Paul took a picture of Orion as we were on our way to meet the bus to take us to the place where the balloon is to be launched.
The Balloon Ride:
We were put in with a group of 25 others to make this van a compliment of balloon passengers. (Each balloon basket can hold 28 people in 8 compartments of between 3 and 4 people each.) Our driver was obviously new at this as it took him a long time and a circuitous and VERY bumpy route to find our designated balloon. Our friends were in the front seat and noted that he was on the phone constantly and looking at his GPS. (They also noted that the gas gauge was on “E”.) The ride was extremely bumpy – much bumpier than a ride up Cliff’s mountain.
But we eventually made it. We queued up to get in the balloon and when our turn came, we climbed a step ladder, sat on the basket edge, swung our legs over and ‘plopped’ into the basket. We were assigned a square nearest the Captain – a good thing. Shirley got the edge and Paul the interior and paparazzi role (unwise to dangle one’s iPhone over the edge).
The way they fill the balloon with hot air after they have blown regular air in with giant fans.
In a moment we were off. And somewhere between 120 and 170 other balloons were off as well. It was the best show in town. As we took off we saw brides, photo shoots and classic American convertibles lining the area.
Then, as we rose, it was exhilarating to say the very least.
Shirley in the Balloon
Some of the 90 + pictures from the balloon:
These guys are pros! They landed gently. The Balloon trailer and support staff pulled up beside the Balloon and the Captain set the basket gently on the trailer, deftly managing blasts of hot air and pulling on guiding ropes. The crew of 5 wrestled the balloon down, folded it,and helped us disembark. We all had the traditional champagne toast (only it was sparkling apple juice).
Oh, by the way, the sun came up while we were 400 meters in the air.
We then took the very bumpy and rocking trip back to the main road and the hotel, breakfast and COFFEE !!!!
We did not have much time to rest and we were off again-- this time to a carpet demonstration. Ha Ha! Or should I say a rare opportunity to purchase a fine crafted carpet direct from the makers. Or perhaps a rare opportunity to practice your bargaining skills (against these guys who have been doing it all their lives). More accurately though – attend a high-pressure sales spiel. These guys put the condo hawkers in Vegas to shame. We saw the demo (interesting), watched the girls work the looms, and then exited and walked around the grounds.
After a nice lunch and chit chat with some friends from Salt Lake City, we were off to the Underground City tour. Because the tufa is so conducive to carving out places, people from ancient times carved these underground cities as a form of protection against enemies. (I need to research these a bit as we got some unspecific claims about them.) Anyway, there are more than 40 of these known to be scattered around Cappadocia. We went in one that was not in the Rick Steves travelogue but gave us a sense of them. Actually, pretty awesome!
We made it 3 levels down. It was not easy. It was most akin to caving.
From the picture you can see how excited Shirley was to be there. She did it for Cliff.
After the underground city we went to another “demonstration.” This time a pottery demo. Now to be fair, Shirley did want to purchase a specific item to match our kitchen tiles. And she purchased a nice small vase to accent an area of the kitchen. (She did well with the haggling, FYI.)
The craftsmen here are truly expert at what they do. The designs and colors are drawn and painted by hand without a pattern, except the one in their heads. We’d have a picture, but they packed them really well before we thought of it.
By this time it was back to the Hotel for a freshen up before we were bussed to a local dinner and dance show. Belly dancing, folk dancing, and lots of drums set the tone for a high charged evening. There was one striking act and that was when a girl started whirling just like a Dervish, only with a prettier costume.
By this time we were too tired to blog. Back to the hotel for sleep and packing up as we had to be out for a 5 AM Breakfast, and a 6 AM ride to the airport. Our time in Cappadocia has come to a close.
No blogging, no sunset picture (it was light when we went in to see the dancers and dark by the time we came out).
Oh, and 5719 steps and 19 flights of stairs. (Could it be that the Balloon ride exaggerated the number of flights of stairs?)
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