UP IN THE AIR
A TA L E O F U N R E Q U I T E D L O V E I N T H E H I L L S O F C A P PA D O C I A , B Y M E R U S H K A G O V E N D E R
I fell in love on Instagram. The exotic
curves of a landscape dotted with hot
air balloons floating through a surrealist
painting did it for me. Golden light
reflecting off fantastical rock formations
formed by volcanic eruption and erosion,
cities carved out of ancient rock and tales
of bygone civilisations. My traveller’s heart
lusted over this mystical land.
It’s winter in Cappadocia and icily cold in
central Turkey. My breath condenses into
the chilly air and I warm up with a strong
Turkish coffee. The snow has just passed.
I wake up before dawn each morning,
anxious for a call from the tour operator
50 // MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE
to confirm that weather conditions are
good enough for ballooning. The tourists
have departed and an eerie silence
envelops the town. Remnants of slush
adorn the roadsides and rocky outcrops.
It’s probably not the best time to visit,
but I’m determined to fulfill my hot air
balloon dream.
I pass the time studying the history
of this place, where caves, myth, legend
and culture entwine in a magical fairytale.
The Göreme Open Air Museum is a
Unesco World Heritage Site. I learn that
during the Roman period persecuted
Christians fled to Cappadocia and built
a network of handmade cave houses,
churches and even stables carved into the
malleable rock.
I visit the secret city of Kaymakli – an
underground village made up of over
100 tunnels. Crouching through the cave
tunnels I see blackened walls that suggest
kitchens of long ago, tables carved into
the stone and defaced Christian frescoes
in secret cave chapels. There is history
and heritage everywhere. Towering over
the rocks the “fairy chimneys” of Love
Valley – named for the phallic geological
formations that stretch up to 40 metres
into the sky – look like castle turrets built