Swept off my feet in Cappadocia

The village of hobbits and fairy chimneys or maybe just phallic rocks is the unbelievable land of Cappadocia. Having landed at night in the dark it was an incredible experience waking up to this breathtaking landscape, part of me thought I was dreaming as it is unlike anything I've ever seen. My room here was a cave and I mean this 100%, as we didn't have a window to the outside and entering the rock room you duck (yes, even me) to get in. There is something magical and charming about the room and hotel even without hot water and my shower in the dark the first morning.

The highlight for many in Cappadocia is hot air ballooning over the landscape which gives a different vantage point. Without a doubt this likely is one of the best travel experiences I have ever had. The pictures dotting the websites of the region and in tourbooks and I'm sure the hundreds I've taken can't even begin to give it justice. 

Riding in a hot air balloon was one of the items on my 31 before 31 list so I'm pleased to check it off and especially in such a spectacular setting. Sure, I'd love to ride one again in Napa or another area but nothing will compare to the diverse views in Cappadocia. The bus picked us up in the dark at 4:45am and took us to a large meeting hall where we were joined by hundreds of chattering tourist all excited about the opportunity that laid ahead. Once driven to the departure site and loaded in the basket which held 20 of us we slowly floated up. Many were expecting the ride to be jerky but it was smooth as we floated away from the ground like a balloon a little kid lost at a fair. When it came time to landing we were instructed to get in our landing positions which consists of holding an "oh shit" handle and squatting into a seating position. All of this is to assist with a smoother landing and being safe if the basket tips and travels a few meters. Thankfully we had a smooth landing despite our pilot predicting some bumps due to the knots of the wind. With our feet back on earth we were treated to a champagne toast with local bubbly from the region. I was amazed by the amount of men that made up the crew folding the balloon back up. As I stood sipping my bubbly a young good looking Turk came and took my hand threw my backpack aside and within seconds had swooped me off my feet and threw me a few feet into the air and on top of the folded balloon to help get the air out. There were many other great parts of my stay here such as long hikes through the valleys and a trip to an underground city that is 8 stories deep. At the end of the day my experiences being swept off my feet by the balloon, young lads, and more than anything the unworldly view will remain a travel highlight.