Hot Air Balloon Ride Over Central Turkey by Beth Robinette

Hot Air Balloon Ride over Central Turkey
Story & Photos by Beth Robinette

Anytime you get a chance to take a hot air balloon ride, you should do it. Nothing compares to
quietly floating over the landscape. I had the special honor of taking my first balloon flight during a
recent trip to Cappadocia, Turkey.

Balloon flights are done at dawn or dusk, when the air currents are low. We picked a morning flight
and it was hard to crawl out of bed in complete darkness. Turkey is quite cold in early March and we
were bundled up.

The crew starts by spreading the balloon canopy on the ground.   They fill it with air using an
industrial fan. Once the balloon is full enough so that the sides stand out, they use a propane
burner to complete the inflation with hot air.



There were about 8 balloons going up simultaneously that morning. Ours was the last to leave the
ground, just as the sun was topping the mountains.   Balloon flight is quite smooth and the only
sounds are your breathing and the occasional blast from the propane burner.

First we flew over what looked like a lumpy desert area. Cappadocia is a region in central Turkey, in
sight of the Taurus Mountain range. The area is bounded by three volcanoes that have filled it with
layers of ash and lava. Over the centuries, the ash has compressed to become tufa, a relatively
loose rock. The lava is now basalt which is quite hard. As we flew over the area we could see the
effects of erosion on the two very different rocks.

These structures are called “fairy castles” locally, but look quite phallic. Our pilot referred to this as
Viagra Valley! The “cap” weather resistant basalt which protects the column of soft tufa below.

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We were able to fly very close to these unique volcanic formations! Notice the large gondola, the
wicker basket. Our crew told us that it would hold, “thirty people or twenty Americans.” There were
20 in my group. I am going on a diet.

Next we flew over the town of Göreme. If you look closely you can see that there are “caves” in the
rock formations. Some of these man-made caves are thousands of years old and people still live in
them. Tufa hardens when exposed to air, but once you have pierced the outer couple of inches, it is
soft enough to be dug out with a teaspoon. The caves remain quite dry and are cool in the summer
and warm in the winter and quite well insulated.

Our pilot was quite experienced. He had flown all over the world and spoke several languages. I
couldn’t resist looking straight up to take this photo inside the balloon canopy.

We flew over the Göreme Open Air Museum, which I later visited. This is a fascinating, early
Christian commune. The community may have contained upwards of 2,000 people between 800
and 1200AD. Many of the rooms are interconnected. The museum features a monastery, nunnery,
communal kitchens and several simply but beautifully painted and carved cave-churches.

The area of Cappadocia is quite fertile farm land, although dry. We saw small fruit trees and
grapes, although it was too early in the season for them to be green yet.

All too soon it was over and we had to come down to earth. The chase crew had been following us
with both a van and a trailer. They pulled us down and helped us out of the basket.

A common tradition is to have a champagne toast upon landing. That’s me with my much earned
glass, reciting the Balloonist Blessing:

The winds have welcomed you with softness
The sun has blessed you with warm hands
You have flown so high and so well
That God has joined you in your laughter
And sent you gently back into the loving arms of Mother Earth.

Bio:
Beth Robinette is a Chemical Engineer who now works in Atlanta. Beth plans to hike the entire
Appalachian Trail and has done the first 374 miles. She lives frugally, not spending money on her
hair, clothing and make up, so that she can travel more - "This explains why I've been in 7 countries
in the last year, but cannot get a date!" Beth recently returned from a trip to Turkey. She's writing
a book on solo travel for women.

Anatolian balloons over Cappadocia Turkey

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