Cappadocia - Balloon rides & Underground cities

Cappadocia is one of the best places in the world to take a Hot Air Balloon flight. Not only is the landscape impressive from above but on any given day there are approximately sixty to seventy balloons in flight. Mum and Dad consistently refused to fly but we finally convinced them. Mum held on for dear life with white knuckles on the basket when we reached 1300m. I don't think she regrets the experience! The early morning wake up call was sure worth it!





































A bit of fun with the crew, the pilot picked Dad up, threw him over his shoulder onto the deflated balloon.








The next couple of days left in Cappadocia we spent visiting the Goreme Open Air museum, the underground city of Kaymakli, the village of Uchisar, and Uchisar Castle, the large village of Avanos famous for ceramics, and the sleep village of Ortahisar known for the death of over 200 residents in the 60's when the cave houses carved into the rock in the centre of the village collapsed due to the over building or lack of planning when residents continued to renovate their cave houses,digging more rooms as their needs changed. they now live in more mainstream houses and the caves are now abandoned.

Relaxing after an early morning balloon flight at the Kelebek Hotel.












A rare moment out on the town in Goreme with no kids in tow




Visiting the Goreme Open Air museum.













Kaymakli city is a maze of tunnels and rooms carved eight levels underground. The Byzantines spent months underground at a time when enemies were close by. There are stables, kitchens, wine cellars, even underground rooms to store the dead until it was safe to come up and properly bury them.








Visiting Uchisar village to climb to the top of Uchisar fortress. Amazing views from the top.








Devrent Valley

















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Location:Cappadocia, Turkey