Do a quick YouTube search for “Turkey” and videos about Cappadocia are sure to pop into your results. People from all over the world travel to this utterly unique piece of the planet in order to enjoy history (Hittite cities and Christian cave dwellings) and nature (gorgeous canyons, deserts and rock formations.)
When Jack was watching one of the first videos about Cappadocia, he saw that the area was known for its perfect hot air balloon conditions. “Mom,” he declared, “we have to ride one of these.”
Like his father before him, Jack is more interested in thinking or reading rather than adventuring. He collects thoughts, not moments 😏 So in those rare times when Jack shows interest in something (say, scuba diving or the Hagia Sophia 🤣) I try to make those interests into reality. My reassurances must not have been sufficient for him because before we left, Jack asked me on multiple occasions if I’d made sure to book the hot air balloon ride for our family. It was that important to him.
We flew to Cappadocia with a tour group organized by our friend Faruk, a travel agent who helps the military community experience Turkey while they are stationed here. It has been luxurious to let someone else handle my travel planning for once. I think that I might be spoiled. He does a fantastic job creating itineraries and ironing out all the little details to make trips amazing.
So after a late four-hour flight from Izmir to Cappadocia, we checked into our hotels in at 11:30 and set our alarms for 4:00 the next morning. Our commitment was strong! The balloon company picked us all up, bleary eyed and half asleep, promptly at 4:30 AM and then drive us out to a field where huge balloons were slowly being filled.
The video, which feels long to me at just under ten minutes, only represents a fraction of the time we spent in the air (little over an hour.)
My conclusion? Well, Jack was right to insist on this experience. Though I was prepared to be underwhelmed, the flight was magical. The colors, landscapes, sunrise and general excitement shown by my children was amazing.
I hope that you enjoy a peek into our ride through these pictures and video, and perhaps you’ll add “Hot Air Balloon Ride” to your own bucket list one day🥰
Balloon company: http://kapadokyaballoons.com/en/index.html
That was awesome! We went up and down in a tethered hot air balloon in Foley, Alabama. That seems rather insignificant compared to your trip!