When my alarm went off at 4:15 this morning, I tried to keep in mind that what the kids and I were about to do was something we’d been looking forward to for two years. The Kapadokya Balloon company sent a van to our hotel at 4:45 and drove a Columbian couple and us to their office where we and dozens of others paid and had light refreshments. Then we and the other passengers were driven in several vans to the different balloon sites. Our pilot, Bariş, whose name means “peace,” pointed out the unusual rock formations saying in English but with a charming Turkish accent, “These are phallic rocks but we are in Muslim country – circumcised.” There were 14 passengers on our 90-minute, sunrise ride. We went down into the different valleys many times on our flight in order to get a better view. Although we didn’t touch the ground, we did scrape bushes and trees.

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apricot trees

Goreme Open-Air Museum

We had a cherry juice with champagne toast after the ride, and Baris read off the name of a rider whose birthday it was and presented her with a beautiful cake for all of us.

This evening at dinner the kids were petting some of the cats that wander around here. Laurel gave one a piece of her eggplant, and then the cat became quite friendly with Laurel and Charlie.

Laurel named this one Heil Kitler.