Cappodocia - Underground City and Hot-air Ballooning

Hot-air ballooning in Cappadocia - that's how much I know about Turkey.  It's in almost every travel photograph about Turkey.  Yes, I was excited about going hot-air ballooning in Cappodocia but there is more to it in this part of Turkey.  Over millions of years, rain and wind have shaped the soft white volcanic rock of the Anatolian plain into an interesting landscape of dripping cones, pillars, pinnacles, and fairy chimneys soaring more than a hundred feet into the sky.  It reminds me of parts of the southwestern United States where I live.  The hoodoos in Bryce Canyon National Park (NP), the arches in Arches NP, Sedona, Arizona, and of course, the Grand Canyon.  The difference is instead of the red rocks in the US, the color here is mostly off-white.

We took a short 1-hour flight from Istanbul to Kayseri, one of the airports near Cappodocia.   We are now in the central part of Turkey.  From here onwards all our travels will be in the Asian part of Turkey. Our first stop is the underground city of Ozkonak.  The landscape at ground level are mostly farms but there are about three dozen of these underground cities in the region.  They were used to hide from invading armies in the early days.  As we enter this underground city we start to see the different quarters - kitchens, living quarters, food storage areas, stables, etc.  These are all ventilated by giant air shafts.  All the doors have heavy millstones to seal off the inside to protect against enemies.

Entrance to the Underground City

Our guide Furkan with one of the ancient pots

A passageway down

Entrance to another room

Ventilation Shaft

We drove to town and saw some interesting sights.

A memorial in the city

Above-ground cave dwellings

We checked into the Misty Cave Hotel that evening.  We'll be spending 3 nights in this hotel.  Interestingly, most of the hotels have the word "cave" as part of their names.  That's because most of the hotels are partially built into existing caves.

Courtyard of the Misty Cave Hotel

The next morning we will be doing something that I have been most excited about - Hot Air Ballooning.  This will be my third time for 2024.  The first was in Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya and the second was in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.  Although the ballooning is the same, the views are totally different.  Instead of wild animals we will be seeing the unique landscape of Cappodocia.

The thrill of of a ballon ride is watching the sun rise in the morning.  We were picked up in the dark in a van, way before sunrise, to a location where all the balloons are being launched.  This is a highly regulated industry because lives are at stake.  However, accidents are rare.  Balloons don't have controls like airplanes or helicopters.  You are at he mercy of the wind and the skill of the pilot.  I learned in Kenya that a balloon pilot has to train for several years before being able to fly solo.  We are flying in the morning because the wind is calmer and there are few thermals, the hot air drafts moving upwards from the ground after it's warmed by the sun.

Heating up the balloon

Ready for takeoff

Amazing landscape

Sunrise over the horizon

Balloons are all colorful

Hundreds of balloons in the air

Passengers in the basket

We started at about 6am and were finished by around 7:30am.  However, it seems like we were up in the air for a long time. It was quiet and peaceful up there.  No engines.  No motors.  Occasionally, the pilot would fire up the burner to take us higher but basically, we were at the whim of the wind.  When we were ready to land, the ground crew would follow us and when they find an open spot the pilot slowly lowers the balloon.  With knowledge of the wind and direction the pilot was able to land the ballon on the trailer behind the truck.  This shows you how skillful the pilot is.  There are no steering wheels or paddles to steer the balloon.  As we get closer to the ground the pilot threw some ropes over to the ground crew and slowly pull the balloon to land on the trailer.  The cost for the balloon ride?  US$300.  In Kenya and Tanzania, they were about US$500-$600

Landing precisely on the back of the truck

Getting off the balloon basket

A traditional champagne toast after a successful ride

A very happy crowd

There are many places in the US that offers hot-air ballooning rides, especially in touristy places with nice weather.  There are also many Hot Air Balloon Festivals around the world.  It's a photographer's delight when you see so many color balloons up in the air at the same time.  One of the best known is the one in Albuquerque.