Turkey-The Bridge Between East and West (Day 5)

 

Day 5:Ballooning, hiking and more churches

4 am came way too soon. Outside, it was a crisp 37°F. For the Floridians among us—and Jeri, who does not require a Florida address to object to cold weather—this called for multiple layers. We were also concerned that it might be considerably colder aloft, where requesting an extra blanket would presumably be more complicated.

After a quick pre-breakfast breakfast, we headed to the launch site. We kept the meal light out of consideration for the balloon, which was about to be asked to lift a substantial number of tourists.

Apparently, every tourist in Turkey had selected this particular morning to go ballooning. More than 100 balloons were going up. The sky was preparing for rush hour.

We piled into our basket with about 20 or so new friends, had a briefing from the pilot and copilot (just in case). We really liked having a copilot. When your aircraft is essentially a basket, backup personnel seem like a worthwhile feature.

They demonstrated the landing position and had us practice it. This was reassuring in the way that learning where the lifeboats are is reassuring: useful information that you would prefer not to need.

Twenty people in a basket initially brought back memories of our Yotel room. The sardine theme was developing nicely. But before we could give the matter much further thought, we were airborne, at which point stepping outside to reconsider was no longer a practical option.

  

All kidding aside, the basket was spacious, and the flight was extraordinary.

Balloons stretched as far as we could see, floating above a landscape that already looked as though someone had invented it. For a while, even the early wake-up seemed like a reasonable idea. That is how good it was.

The hour plus flight passed quickly and as the pilot brought us back to earth, we were remembering the landings of our other balloon adventures, all of which required that crash position. Here, the pilot gently set the basket down on its trailer without so much as a bump.  I guess these guys know what they are doing. I have parked cars less accurately.

After mimosas nd a ballooning certificate, we returned to the hotel by minivan, a much more pedestrian mode of travel.

A quick shower and hobbit breakfast later, 

and we were off again for a hike and trail Cappadocian BBQ. Oğuzhan led us on a 6-mile hike in the Rose-Red Valley that was, at times, challenging but took us through areas of fairy chimneys and past a wide variety of fruits including wild grapes, quince, apples, oleaster (not to be confused with the poisonous oleander-I hope) and almonds and walnuts. . It was like walking through a grocery store that had refused to install level floors.

At about mile 4 we stopped at a trailside rest stop where Oğuzhan started a fire with wood that he collected and he grilled local Cappadocian beef sausage that he brought. Some people bring trail mix on a hike. Oğuzhan brings a restaurant.

The sandwiches were enormous and though delicious (but then anything tastes great cooked out on the trail), none of us could finish. Halvah completed the feast.Apparently, halvah occupies a separate compartment in the stomach.

Before leaving, we hiked up a steep slope to an ancient church in the rock face.  Jeri and Molly decided to sit this one out. demonstrating an admirable ability to distinguish between an interesting opportunity and an unnecessary hill.

The rest of us went up, carrying both our enthusiasm for history and a considerable amount of sausage.

We then wattled the rest of the way back to the van.

After another ancient church stop (Holly Cross Rock Church).  Our church count was progressing impressively. Whatever else we might miss in Cappadocia, it was unlikely to be churches.

We finished the day with a visit to Pasabagi Fairy Chimney park.

By now, all we needed was dinner and bed. Yes, dinner. Despite the two breakfasts, the enormous sausage sandwiches, and the halvah, we remained committed to observing the traditional meal schedule.

We grabbed a pizza at an upscale Italian restaurant next to our hotel and crashed. Tomorrow, we tour some more and then return to Istanbul for an overnight at the sardine can. Which leaves us with the great unresolved question of the trip: Do we spend the extra €20 for a bigger room?

After today’s meals, the decision may be settled by geometry.