Next Stop Cappadocia

After a few days in Istanbul we headed for the airport and our flight to Cappadocia.  We visited a ranch and local family who cooked lunch for us and rode horses around the hills near their home.

The landscape is like a lunar surface and the pinnacles of Goreme are strange structures that litter the valleys.  We took a balloon ride at dawn over the spectacular scenery and it was awe inspiring.  To drift 500 feet above the land and look down on the most amazing scenery was on my bucket list - tick!!!!  Our pilot was a young man who I doubted had enough experience to take us safely on our journey, but he turned out to be expert and managed the scores of other balloons that were drifting around us effortlessly.  He even landed our balloon on the trailer ready to drive away once we had champagned and celebrated a safe landing with our other travellers.

Aydn took us to a local ranch and we had lunch there prepared by the family.  the woman above is the mother and she did all the cooking and her sons served us.  they were a delightful family and very generous with their hospitality.  It felt like we were in Mexico with the hot weather and the dry landscape with horses as well.

Our view from our cave hotel.  Leith and I were put on the top floor because they thought the Aussies  would be able to billy goat it up all the stairs!  

The dot on the rocks is Aydn!  We had wandered off taking photos and we heard our names echoing  in the distance - everyone else was back on the bus and we were being summoned back!  Luckily we had Matthieu with us to share the blame!