After a first great day in Istanbul we flew to Cappadocia for two days.
Cappadocia is a small town that is famous for its rock formations and
caves. Many centuries ago the region had three active volcanoes. Their
lava with a combination of natural substances such as sand and stone
formed amazing rocks that people carved into caves where they dwelled
including royalty.
On day 1 we wandered around the quaint town and met some locals. We
then hired some quad bikes and toured the Goreme Valleys and caves.
After a dusty afternoon we headed off to the local Goreme Eli's Hamam for
what was said to be a magical experience. We started of with a face
mask, 15 min of relaxing in the sauna and then a quick shower. We then
entered the Hamam where our designated ladies were waiting.
First you
are scrubbed and exfoliated till all your skin peels next you receive a
soap massage with millions of soapy bubbles...literally millions.
Afterwards we were asked to take shower to rinse of all the soap, we then
headed into a warm pool to relax. The last treatment was an oil massage.
This was a stunning experience. I now have a whole new perspective on
bathing.
The night ended of with a traditional Turkish folk evening. There was
tons of food and we were treated to an amazing 5 course meal. Whilst the
meals were being served traditional dancers entertained us with their
incredible talent.
The second day in Cappadocia saw us awake at 5am for a Hot Air Balloon
ride. It was something we were all waiting for for a very long time.
Arriving at the hot air balloon take off point was amazing as I had no
idea how big the balloons actually are. The view from the balloon was
simply out of this world. Reaching over 2000 feet in a balloon is such an
amazing experience.
The rest of the day was spent on a tour which continued to highlight the
various rock formations and caves. We then had lunch at Kazan Restaurant. A 5 course meal was included in our tour and we really took
advantage of it. After a tiring long day we headed to Cappadocia airport
to board our flight back to Istanbul. With only one travel belt,
Cappadocia has the smallest airport I have seen in the world.