More than 60 weeks ago, I first learned the name of Cappadocia. Thanks to my Yeonseok who posted a picture of floating air balloons on his trip to Turkey. Since then, I kept that one dream of coming to Cappadocia and climbing on that hot balloon myself.
It finally came true.
But not after a series of glitches in my travel planning. The somewhat-disaster started when we realized that Keyseri, our hotel's location, is good one-and-half hour away from the balloon ride. It made the plan disturbed because the balloon ride usually started at 4-5 in the morning. Bloody 4-5 AM. How could I get there from Keyseri in time?
But before I could even get the solution, I was tripped with second glitch. I missed the flight from Istanbul to Nevsehir. The traffic was really bad, even switching to metro ride didn't help. We wasted 80 lira and much more. So upon coming to the airport, we looked for an alternative flight to Nevsehir that day. None. Yet, the travel agent said there is another flight to Keyseri instead at 00.50. Hey! That's where our hotel is. So, we decided to take it. An hour smooth flight and I passed out quickly after reaching our hotel. Only later I learned that should we did not miss our flight, we will be homeless for that night. Keyseri is 1,5 hour by bus from Nevsehir airport. Ugh you expedia!!
Kabooom.. Hotel in Keyseri gave us another headache as it has no way of arranging our balloon ride. So we decided for real that we need a hotel where the action is going aka Cappadocia central. Hahahaha.. What the heck is central? That's how I called the balloon ride. Apparently, it has a name. A valley city called Goreme.
Goreme is a house to the caved houses and all that is cave. It's a cave city. Almost everything are made out of a cave. Hotel, houses and later I learned, old churches. It's magnificent really, how human being can carved out cave to make it a home. No wonder there's a cave period and seriously it looks pretty now. Flinstones, you're real!
The first thing we did in Goreme is walking through the city. Seriously that's the best thing we all can do. It's hilly terrain, the cave houses just took my breath way. Yet, there is nothing as breathtaking as watching the sunset on top. Goreme is kind enough to show the way to sunset point so we are all good. From atop, Goreme looks like sea of whites, a valley city. Everything is in a bowl, surrounded by mountain of rocks. It's just pretty. Period.
The balloon ride the next morning confirms just how majestic Cappadocia landscape is. We were picked up at 5.15 AM, had our breakfast before riding the balloon. The ride cost us 110 USD, for a 20 people balloon ride. So imagine how pleased I was to find that the ballon ride was only for 9 people! Hupla horray!!
The ride was a smooth sailing although at times I thought we will hot the rocks. It was not cold up there. Instead, all is a wave of happiness and awesomeness. We saw from above the sunrise, Cappadocia's mountains of caves, Goreme air museum, love valley, and of course, other balloons that made the sky pretty. I am lucky to have a clear sky ride, not windy and surely not rainy. If someone asked me to do it again, I will say yes in a heartbeat.
Upon landing, we were presented with non-alcohol champagne and a medal. Kya!! We toast for a great life a head and thank for the blessing that we had in life. Cheers!!
During the balloon ride, I have decided that I wanted to go to Goreme open air museum. An open air museum was a foreign term for me because museum is identical to big closed building with air con and all sorts. So I was ready to embrace this new concept of open air museum.
Goreme open air museum is actually a 11th century Church complex. The museum houses 12 churches that are the living witness of the glory of early Christianity in Turkey. All churches are located inside cave, which made it even more magnificent. Carvings and wall paintings beautify each churches. It amazed me still how they painted and how the pictures last centuries. I probably should credit the clarity of paintings to the handy restorations but the paintings itself blew me away. All of them were on the walls, dome and pillars. All are beautifully painted and designed. I am glad that none of the visitors are allowed to take picture because flash can destroy it.
The whole journey over the museum took me an hour and upon exit, I found out that open air museum is more of my kind. I hope that there will be more in Turkey and Greece because I am completely loving it. Goreme open air museum is 20-30 minutes walk from centrum (depends on your speed of walk really and your ability to walk uphill). Admission is 20 lira.
When I finished the museum, I still got few hours before leaving back to Keyseri. There's a direct bus or shuttle so no need to go to Avanos or Nevsehir. So I strolled around the shops downtown and bought alot because they offered so much better price than Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. Everybody who came to Turkey and Cappadocia should get their souvenirs in here rather than Istanbul.
Also in Goreme, I finally tasted the food that looks like Raviolli I saw in Istanbul. It is called Manti and it is indeed ravioli, Turkish way. It has stuffed meat inside. Served with tomato sauce and yogurt, one serving is more than enough for me.
With full stomach, lots of gifts, and happy memory, I left Goreme with a happy feeling. A 63-weeks dream came true and much more.
Lesson learned:
- Cappadocia is not a city, it's an area. The city where all the good things happen is Goreme, Uchisar, or Urgup.
- Book hotel directly in Goreme or Urgup or Avanos. Never Keyseri or to some extent Nevsehir
- Fly to Nevsehir if hotel is located in one of the three places above
- Careful in booking the balloon provider, they gave different price. If you want to book online, book in your country to avoid any credit card hacking.
- Balloon ride depends so much on wind speed and weather. When travel blog advises you to come before October, they have their reason. October onward, the weather for balloon ride is not favorable. We were lucky indeed to get it on the only day we were in Gerome.
If you ask me whether I want go go Cappadocia again, I will say YES in a heartbeat.
