The time has come to seek out for new experiences, follow some more dreams, and be on the road again. This time, my final destination would be the intriguing, alluring region of Cappadocia, in Turkey. Having everything prepared in advance, and with great enthusiasm, my friends and I embarked on an airplane towards Istanbul in order to transit on our way to Nevsehir airport, the closest airport to this notorious beautiful area. There was an inexplicable delay at take-off, which obviously led to little time left between the moment we landed in Istanbul and the domestic flight’s departure. Our hopes were crushed when we reached Passport Control and came to close quarters with a very, very long line. Fewer counters were open for non-Turkish citizens, thus, until airport authorities finally decided to open some more, many people, including us, had already missed their connecting flights. Fortunately, Pegasus Airlines was kind enough to provide us with a compensation package for our missed flight, comprising of: a clean hotel for the night (Holiday Inn, Gebze), airport shuttle to and from it, dinner at the hotel and airplane tickets for another flight, departing the following morning at 6:00 a.m. towards Kayseri airport (about 80 kilometers from Cappadocia region). We rapidly made phone calls to postpone all our reservations – hotel, car rental, balloon flight. After a not-so-long night, we landed on Kayseri airport really early in the morning. It was such a sunny, beautiful morning; I first laid eyes on an immense, snow-bound mountain, spreading its frozen tentacles and emanating an icy flavour which embraced the surroundings. We met with our car rental company’s representative, but did not manage to reach a consensus regarding the safety deposit for the reserved vehicle. We kindly asked that dear sir to drive us to our hotel and he agreed for a small amount of money. About one hour later, we would place our bags inside our rooms at Goreme Mansion. We met with a young, pleasant man, and soon figured out our accommodation was actually a cosy family business, as many others in this area. He was very supportive and drove us to Nevsehir airport to retrieve our lost luggage. When reaching Goreme, I had the feeling that I have gone back in time, a time when mighty Persian conquerors invaded this region. One of this area’s main attractions is the balloon flight, over a spectacular valley, with unique land-forms. To make the long story short, we had previously booked a balloon flight with Butterfly Balloons, for the winter price of 130 Euro per person; we secured our reservation with one of our cards’ details. If you decide to travel to Cappadocia, it is very important to study the weather conditions and especially the wind tendencies in advance since they are vital for your balloon trip. This is what we also did, but since we missed our connecting flight back in Istanbul, we also missed on the proper weather for flying. Our host assured us chances were little to fly the following mornings and proposed we flied with one of his balloons later that afternoon. I am very accustomed to this Balkan approach towards solving problems and finding solutions: we do everything for you to be pleased, everything has a solution which I will provide to you, I will help you reach your goal; his proposal surprised me in a pleasant manner and I instantly tried to talk to Butterfly Balloons to see if we could cancel our reservation due to bad weather conditions in the following days. Unfortunately, this was not possible, we even discussed face to face to them, but there was nothing we could do to cancel it, because if we would have, the company would then charge our card with the outstanding sum. We went out for a long walk to balance our thoughts and try to enjoy the amazing sights and sun rays caressing our complexions. Passing by traditional stores dedicated to hand weaved rugs made me think of bygone times, somewhere on the Silk Road, when well-graced odalisques would display their beauty under ethereal veils. Steps led us to Sedef Restaurant, where we enjoyed classic Turkish lunch dishes. Later on, we decided to climb to Sunset Point, which was not far, about 10 minutes walk from Goreme Mansion. The Sunset Point is a magical plateau, tantalizing visitors with picturesque views, especially at dawn and twilight. We could now admire the deep valleys and the magnificent landscape formed around them, as a result of volcanic eruptions. A strange feeling abounding in solitude waked inside each of us. After the sun set at the windy Sunset Point, we grabbed a light traditional dinner downtown (Mother’s restaurant). The following morning was Saturday morning and we were all up at 4:00 a.m., got dressed and waited to be picked up for the balloon flight, just in case it was possible for us to fly. A representative from Butterfly Balloons did come, but only to announce us that all flights for that day were cancelled due to strong winds. An hour later, our host knocked at the door to tell us that balloons were up in the sky. Since I was already dressed up, I climbed up to Sunset Point and saw the miracle that was happening. About 40 colourful balloons were up in the air and spread happiness all around them. Even though I did not fly, the sensation of freedom could still impregnate my mind and senses. What you experience is a hard to describe feeling of joy and laughter, liberty and amazement, transience and eternity. We decided to go on the Green Tour which cost approximately 40 Euro per person for the entire day. Our first stop was the splendid sight of Goreme Panorama, over a rich valley abundant in strangely-shaped stones. Drop by drop, rain began to fall and we headed towards Derinkuyu Underground City – as its name suggests, underground chambers, large and small, were carved by ancient peoples residing the area; during invasions, people would enter these underground cities, along with their cattle, hens, horses and stay there until the dangers would pass away. Derinkuyu features 7/8 floors, an underground church, a ventilation system, and a long passageway which is believed to have led to other underground cities around the area. At some point in historic times, 20.000 people stayed there for 4 months! Our voyage continued towards Selime Monastery – the education cradle for many generations of clergymen. We climbed on its narrow alleys and silently looked up to forgotten chambers, carved in stone; an ancient church still guards and guides the entire monastery, shaping it as a place of spiritual retreat for so many centuries now. We served a fast lunch in a traditional restaurant, also a family business, in Belisirma. The Green Tour would make a stop also in Ihlara Valley, a valley as beautiful as those narrated of in fairy tales. Climbing down an intricate labyrinth of stairs, the Church of Saint George can be reached – the main point of interest here is a very well preserved fresco on the ceiling and over the walls representing Saint George slaying a three-headed serpent. We then walked on the trail of Melendiz river, indulging in its luxuriant shoreline, wrapped up in the leaves’ emerging green and the cerulean blue covering the river itself. Up the cliffs, carved in stone churches could be easily spotted all across the valley. The vast immensity of this incredible hollow seals your memory. The itinerary covers about 4 kilometers, with a hospitable halt where you can taste traditional Turkish tea, Turkish pide, pomegranate fresh juice, or a strong Turkish coffee. Our last stops granted us the opportunity to solemnly envisage The Pigeon Valley and to visit an Onyx jewelry factory and assist a demonstration of carving an onyx stone. We also talked about Turquoise and Zultanite besides Onyx and admired these gems’ beautiful integration along with other precious metals. After a long day but filled with amazing information and experiences, One Way restaurant happily greeted us and let us know the evening was devoted to live traditional Turkish music. Marvelous, the band was really great and made our dinner even more enjoyable. On Sunday morning, we woke up to yet another rainy day. I instantly grabbed my book and went outside, on the mansion’s traditional porch, savoured a hot Turkish tea, continued the wonderful book I was reading, and listened to the rain in total silence. We went out to buy souvenirs and then I extended my walk to see and caress horses, and take more pictures of the unusual landscape God created in this region. In the evening, we had a barbecue with our hosts, and thanked them for their support and kindness. Our trip to Cappadocia was exhausting; we basically woke up at 4:00 every night with our hopes high regarding our balloon flight. But the beauty that relies in this volcanic region cannot be imagined; it has to be seen, felt, experienced, unveiled, and discovered bit by bit. A glimpse of Turkish civilization essentials still lingers here, inviting you to have a taste of this true Anatolian delight.
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