THE thing to do in Cappadocia is a hot air balloon ride. Floating effortlessly over the bizarre landscape at dawn, taking in breathtaking scenery of fairy chimneys and pigeon caves… it sounds pretty awesome, right? But still, I wasn’t sure I was going to do it. It’s quite expensive, even as far as tourist excursions go, and I just wasn’t sure it would be worth it.

However, everyone I met in Göreme had done it and raved about the experience. Absolutely no one regretted spending the money on the trip, so I figured that said something, especially since backpackers are a notoriously tight-fisted bunch. So I decided to stop grumbling and just cough up the money. And guess what? It was totally worth it. Continue reading →