Among the many and varied pleasures to be had in Cappadocia, none is more thrilling (or expensive) as ballooning around the rose and red valleys near Goreme. There are a number of balloon companies that offer rides every day (barring stormy days) picking you up from your hotel an hour before sunrise, serving up breakfast to the faint of heart and the hungry, and finally dropping you off by your balloons while the pilot and crew are firing her up prior to taking on intrepid dawn-treaders.
The balloon ride is spectacular for at least 3 reasons. First, it gives you an opportunity to leisurely and aerially discover the amazing volcanic landscape that was last shaped only about 8,000 years ago. Secondly, it gives you an opportunity to view the sunrise from what is tantamount to an open air platform 1 km high with the wind in your face and only a few other balloons for company. Lastly, as the majestic spectacle below and around you begins to mesmerize you, you finally sense the sound of silence that envelops everything at this altitude.
The caves, pigeon houses, rock formations, rose and red hues, blue skies, extinct volcanoes and subtly changing landscape all combine to make this arguably one of the best aerial cruises to be had in any part of the world.
Firing her up
Upending the Craft
Off they go
In the pre-dawn light, colorful balloons appear to rise up from crevices and sunken caves like fantastic creatures
Our guide, Osman, tells us that he is more than capable of taking a balloon up, bringing her down, and turning the balloon in a circle to ensure that everyone gets to see the same view, but cannot guarantee where he will land nor, he says, (with a wink) whether every landing will be smooth. Every so often, accidents do happen.
Because the balloons take their own time to rise to their zenith (about a 1000 metres) one gets to enjoy topography and hues of such spectacular landscapes as the Rose Valley
Sometimes the jet of flame from your craft or from a neighbouring balloon is the only bright light (and source of warmth) in your immediate vicinity
As the sun rises, it lays bare the stark landscape and all heads turn in silence as if on cue. In the distance is Erciyes Dagi, the headiest peak in this part of the world.
At times like this, you understand (despite the knowledge of other balloons in the area) that it's always lonely at this height
Some balloons have been known to go up to 1300 metres but most hover between 800 and 1000 metres
Sun worshippers in days gone by never had an opportunity to congregate like this
Though balloons take off from different parts of the valley they tend to drift along the same currents and land within a circle about a kilometre in diameter
The cars and buses that dropped you off at the start scramble in an attempt to guess the point at which your balloon will land
A safe landing calls for a celebration as bottles of Anatolian sparkling wine are popped
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