I’m a self-confessed sleep hog and if there’s one thing I enjoy more than good food, it’s some good sleep! I also think I’m generally an okay person in the mornings, but on days when the wake-up call is way before sunrise I might be a less-than-average kind of person… It’s just the way it is!
It was a fine August morning in Cappadocia when my alarm went off at three o’clock in the morning, and my sister — dedicated as ever — was ready with her hair already done! I, on the other hand, had 15 minutes to brush my teeth and get dressed to look somewhat decent. Why all the frenzy while on holiday? Oh, because we had to catch the hot air balloon ride over the valley before sunrise!
Cappadocia is located in Turkey’s central region, where the area is semi-arid, so flying a hot air balloon in broad daylight could result in the balloon bursting into flames and plummeting to the ground. I suppose, then, an early alarm for the sake of safety wasn’t too bad. (A stunning sunrise view wasn’t shabby, either.)
We reached the site for take-off where the deflated balloons were being pumped to life. As our captain pumped heat into our own balloon, we watched as our basket slowly lifted off the ground and floated up into the air.
We started our journey higher up for an aerial view of the valley — it felt surreal witnessing this beautiful volcanic terrain so close. It was bizarre realizing that the view right before our eyes had taken centuries of wind and water erosions to form!
In lowering the balloon, we came in direct contact with the rocky pinnacles or “fairy chimneys,” and it felt like an absolute dream — no nap of mine, for sure, could conjure up such an image.
The scene was made even more dramatic with the sun rising on the horizon. The soft orange and red hues further accented the skyline and I couldn’t help but sigh at Mother Nature showing off.
Before we knew it, our one-hour flight was up and our basket had slowly touched the ground on a different area from where we had taken off. Certificates were handed out alongside non-alcoholic sparkling grapes to commemorate a safe and successful ride! What a truly epic experience!
Just in Kace (tips)
We did not look up hot air balloon operators for this excursion; the hotel we stayed at offered the option (via their website reservation portal) to include a hot air balloon tour, which we included in our package. We paid 150€ and shared the balloon basket with 12 to 16 other riders.
Lots of love and travel miles,
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