First impressions of Cappadocia

Arriving somewhere new late at night and in the dark is always exciting, and Cappadocia is no different. The limited glimpses I got of buildings and road signs from inside the transfer bus from the airport to Goreme only made it more exciting.

My first morning in Cappadocia started suddenly with the loud and insistent mooing of a local cow. I looked out of the window and was amazed by what lay before me. It’s not every day you come across a view so unique you want to drink in every detail. Across the part of Goreme that fell in view I saw homes and livestock buildings dotted between a few fairy chimneys – the ones you see in the pictures, right outside the room. Behind them were sculpted hillsides eroded by the wind.

As if that wasn’t enough, a loud roar of air made me look up to the sky where a hot air balloon drifted past just overhead.

Of course, I had to see more. A few large terraces in the hotel became viewing platforms and from the other side of my cave I had a view over the whole of Goreme town, the carved-looking hillside behind, and a sky full of hot air balloons. There must have been about 30.

I’m not used to seeing hot air balloons, certainly not up close and not in such numbers. They have always struck me as a bit of a miracle of flight. How can something that size and shape fly? A sky full of them floating over my head in the early dawn light only served to make Cappadocia seem even more magical.

Over the years I’ve certainly learned how delicious Turkish food is and how very friendly and hospitable Turkish people are. This first impression of Cappadocia only made me more excited about exploring the region and getting to know it better.

Have you been to Cappadocia? What was your first impression?

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