Poppin’ a Cap’n into Kapadokya

Position: 38°38’37″N 34°49’53″E

Yep. Kapadokya. You’ve been saying it wrong ever since you learned the word. It’s not your fault. Some nameless Latin scholar with a speech impediment back in the dusts of time transliterated the Turkish word and forgot about the rules of pronouncing Italian (ci makes a ‘sh’ sound).

So, yes, Cappadocia should be pronounced kap-ah-doh-she-ah, which is probably what you were taught. But the Turks keep things simple and spell it how they say it, kap-ah-doke-yah. Please stand corrected. To do otherwise is cultural misappropriation.

RUDE FORMATIONS

People have hung out in Kapadokya since the stone age. Perched high on a steppe with the mighty Taurus mountains to the south, the region’s history is mostly agricultural, with regular sackings by all the big empires on their way to someplace else. Soft volcanic rock slipped away leaving spectacularly rude formations behind. The same stone yielded easily to tribal masons, so people carved out caves and made elaborate cliff dwellings.

When raiders inevitably came, locals disappeared into vast underground cities already dug in anticipation. Then, when times were good, sheep herders climbed back out into the sunshine and took their flocks over the hills, while farmers tilled the fertile plains. These days the landscape is rather more desiccated and makes for excellent hiking in the hollowed, timeworn riverbeds.

Göreme

Now the major industry is of course tourism. Nestled in a low valley of dusty brown and grey cliffs, Göreme serves as the centre of the region’s activities. Dozens of ‘cave hotels’ fan out around the town’s perimeter. Whether every hotel has a cave or not is debatable. But each promises a cave-like experience.

Built with local materials, like soft, sandy tufa that masons, to this day, shape by hand into perfect blocks, the hotels have an altogether subterranean atmosphere. Modern amenities like heated floors and bathtubs put you in touch with your Neo-neanderthal. This time of year, the No Vacancy signs are stowed away, so you can have your choice of hotel and room. That’s not to say it was quiet. There were still plenty of tour groups passing through.

Hot Air

As we checked into the Helen Cave Suites, our host Serkan asked us if we were going hot air ballooning? We said, yes, that’s our plan. “You should come with me tomorrow in my balloon. I’m a pilot and the weather forecast is good. The rest of the week we may not fly,” he replied. Giving us a competitive price, we signed up. The next morning, we woke early and met the 6:50 transport for a 5-minute trek around the corner to the flight office. Once everyone had gathered, about 200 people, we all piled into busses to join one of the many balloons in various stages of noisy inflation. A thin ribbon of purple-yellow dawn crept over the cloudless horizon.

Thirty years ago there wasn’t a balloon in Göreme. Then a Brit wandered into town, sized the place up and said, “By Jove! What this place needs is a ballooning culture, and I’m just the man to establish it!” In this small way, the (British) Empire struck back. It worked. Kapadokya is now the hot air ballooning capital of the world. Morning flights are limited to 150 balloons in two shifts. The first 100 go up about 45 minutes before sunrise, the next 50 lift off 30 minutes later. That helps spread landings out. You’d think they’d need to be efficient with all that’s going on – and they are. Very efficient.

Most balloons hold 24 passengers in four sections of a large oblong wicker basket, along with a pilot and co-pilot. At the height of rush hour something like 3,000 people may be aloft, serenely floating along with the occasional burst of superheated propane buoying them up. It’s good business.

Flight

Serkan made it clear he had no way to control the balloon. It flies, he said, solely at the wind’s behest. This wasn’t entirely true. The pilot can change altitude and use the different wind directions to steer. There are also turning vents that rotate the balloon for a better view, or to align the big rectangular basket for landing. We did all of these things, as you can see in the video below.

Grab a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy a few minutes as we float together to watch the sunrise over the rugged majesty of this ancient land.