It’s a chilly morning, 5am to be precise. An hour I am not accustomed to waking. We are here to fulfil my dream of experiencing the movie Up. To float in the sky tethered to a bunch of balloons. All along the way, in the dim light, giant hot air balloons are being inflated and pegged to the ground. Half hour and a cup of strong Turkish tea later we are off.
Climbing into the basket, I am awed by the sheer number of balloons rising up around us like lanterns in the sky.
The sun peeks into the world just as we ascend. Higher and higher. The pilot of this little airship steers expertly until all we see are multicoloured balloons dotting the blue horizon.
It’s almost surreal, a childhood dream come true. Looking down is a dizzying feat but on careful observation it’s visible. The famous Fairy Chimneys of Cappadocia peppered through this little valley called Love Valley.
Legends abound as to how these mysterious rock formations came into being—the popular one being a forbidden love story but there’s more than a little romance in these unique structures below us.
These rock formations are made of volcanic eruptions and ash forming ‘tuff’ pillars with a basalt cap, almost like tall mushrooms scattered over the land. From above it looks like a moon landscape. Craters and crevices and otherworldly towers.
Meanwhile, we are in the sky and for a second I think we might just drift away like a helium balloon. Our wonderful pilot, however, steers us into a solid landing straight onto the back of a pick up truck.
The heat was at its zenith when we went exploring the fairy chimneys at the Goreme National Park. There was a time when humans hid from their enemies by scooping out rooms into these chimneys and making all sorts of underground hiding places in this soft rock.
I finally realised why they make such good homes. Stepping into one of the chimney rooms felt like a shot of chilled lemonade after a spicy shawarma.
There are so many things I loved about Turkey. Cruising the Bosporus, by night accompanying the Halay dancers, by day watching the gulls flap over the aqua waters. Walking and shopping in Taksim street, sampling the syrupy, nutty, flaky deliciousness that is Baklava straight from the original makers. My mouth waters even today thinking about them. The Hagia Sophia and her rich architecture. Olives of course. Pottery and artworks abound, showcasing the cultural heritage of Istanbul.
But, Cappadocia is something else. An experience of a lifetime.
The writer is a psychiatrist based in Kannur, Kerala.
