Category: Turkey

Written by mccown @ Weekend Blitz

Our first night in Göreme was quite different than our time in Istanbul. We try our best to visit more than one city in a country because only then can you truly grasp any sense of the people, their culture, and their history. While Istanbul is a bustling, international city, the town of Göreme is much slower paced and its history is practically oozing out of each rock and cave.

Watching the sun rise from way up high

I knew I wanted to go hot air ballooning in Cappadocia the minute we booked our flights to Istanbul, so our sole purpose of going to Göreme was for this activity. We did some research before leaving on our trip and ended up booking the Rick Steves-endorsed ballooning company – Butterfly Balloons. The different companies end up working closely together, and Royal Balloons’ balloons were right alongside us for our trip through the skies, so I don’t think the company matters as much as one might think before arriving.

Getting ready to take off

After spending way too much time at dinner chatting it up with the family who owned the delicious restaurant, we got back to the hotel with only about 4 hours until our 4:30am wake up call the next morning. The early wake up call was the worst part of the whole trip, but definitely worth watching the sun rise from the balloon.

Pre-boarding

We were taken to our balloon and a little surprised to find that the only way in is climbing over the basket wall (yikes… no door!). Once about 8-10 of us were inside, we were off on our 1.5 hour journey across Göreme. Our “pilot” was a British gentleman with a refreshingly dry sense of humor– with plenty of jokes in the style of “this is only my second week ballooning, I’ve just about got the landings down.”

Inside the basket

In an interesting anecdote about how the Turkish government sets policy (and how the Turkish people react), he said that a number of years ago, the Aviation Authority in Turkey tried to reduce the number of companies ballooning by saying that all companies had to own and operate a minimum of five balloons. This, of course, resulted in all of the smaller, one-balloon companies going out and buying four more balloons. So, at the end of the day, there were many more balloons. Then, having too many balloons and trying to correct their mistake, the Turkish government said, OK, now the maximum number of balloons any one company can have is 5. Many companies owned 10+ balloons, so, they formed new companies. At the end of the day, you now have many more hot air balloons in the area and many more companies that have similar owners.

Even though Göreme is fascinating on the ground, it’s mesmerizing from above. The “fairy chimneys” popping up everywhere make you feel like you’re on another planet. It’s pretty crazy that families lived in these rocks until just a few decades ago when the Turkish government deemed them too unstable […]

Written by jeffrey @ Weekend Blitz

After leaving Istanbul, we headed to Göreme, in the Cappadocia region of central Turkey. The Cappadocia area is known for its unique geography and rich history. Our main reason for visiting the area was to see the famous caves and “fairy chimneys” and take a world-famous hot air balloon ride.

Trying to cram a lot into a small amount of time, our first 24 hours in Göreme involved lots of activities with little sleep: we got to the hotel (which was partly built into the volcanic rock) around 8pm, dropped our stuff, and headed to dinner at this cool restaurant we found within walking distance, Topdeck Cave Restaurant.

Kismet Cave Hotel entrance in Göreme, Turkey

Jeffrey at Topdeck Cave Restaurant with the owners

This small, family-owned restaurant was undeniably off the beaten path but, luckily, Göreme is a one-horse town, so we found our way quickly with a little help. This restaurant was great—you walk in and it is just what appears to be the family’s kitchen. Mom and Dad were in the kitchen cooking while the 2 girls, 12 and 17, were the waitresses. The small dining area was packed, and at first they weren’t impressed that we didn’t have reservations, but they threw something together for us and seated us quickly. It is evident they don’t have child labor laws (or very strict drinking age/serving laws) and I’ll admit we felt a little weird ordering wine from a 12-year-old.

Interior of Topdeck Cave Restaurant

Serving up delicious food!

The highlight of our night was when one of the girls said that Jeffrey looked familiar and asked if he was on the show Gossip Girl… Immediately playing along, he said that he was surprised they recognized him but told them to guess his name. She disappeared to the computer for a while, Google-ing away and came back with a name. Jeffrey confirmed whatever name she said and invited them to Hollywood, where he lives, anytime. It was really quite funny (and, of course, we soon clued them in that Jeffrey wasn’t actually the actor).

Having spent way too much time at dinner chatting it up with the family, we got back to the hotel to secure approximately 4 hours of sleep before our 4:30am wake up call for hot air ballooning the next morning. I was bound and determined to experience this hot-air ballooning as everything I’d researched prior to our trip said it would be the memory of a lifetime. Jeffrey reluctantly played along but ended up having a great time, too (although he’s somewhat embarrassed to admit that, all within the span of one day, he enjoyed both an exfoliating scrub at a hamam (but we’ll call a spade a spade and call it a spa…), followed by the “womanliest” form of aeronautical transportation).  

More info on our balloon ride and very spontaneous car rental to explore the rest of Cappadocia coming soon!