Balloon Flight & Goreme Open Air Museum

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Geo: 38.6454, 34.828

Up at 5 AM this morning for our flight in a hot air balloon. It was perfect weather and thanks to our hotel we were booked in a small basket (8 people). Some of the baskets are 20+ people and it is difficult to see or take pictures. Our pilot was a lot of fun and it was a very enjoyable hour in the air. Maximum altitude for the flight 600 metres. We also had a very soft landing right on the trailer - it was hard to tell we had landed. Then came the celebration (with champagne) and presentation of our certificates. Back to the hotel for breakfast and then we walked to the Goreme Open Air Museum. The area was a Christian settlement from the 4th to 10th century AD. It is hard to believe that the rooms were carved out of the rock with only hand tools. One wonders what it looked like when people actually lived and worshipped here. From what we were told the Christian settlement came about to avoid persecution by the Romans. Some of the frescoes were in very good condition but we were not permitted photos in many of those areas. Lots of tourists.

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Comments

[Carla]

Oh, my god, oh, my god. What an experience.