Turkiye Day 6 - Cappadocia, Ankara, Bolu

If you have not done so, read the previous related post here.

We woke up early in the morning (5+am) and got ready for an exciting optional part of our trip. We were going on a hot air balloon ride around Cappadocia. On our way to our balloon, we could already see some other balloons setting up and even taking off. Having been on a balloon ride in New Zealand, I was more excited this time knowing that I will be seeing more than farmland and cattle from the top. After taking so many pictures, I guess I have to display many without captions.

Our balloons, the high power fan is used to blow air into the balloon.


Heating up the air in the balloon


Some earlier groups were already taking off!


The balloon we were going to ride


Balloon from inside, there are four burners


Burners in action


Lift off!


The higher we go, the bigger our shadow


Still climbing


The Seljuk Castle in the far background




Getting closer to the castle


Notice the mixed cave and houses featured in many towns here


Land form from the top. This looks like a large plateau that has been cut up by water running on top and underground








Descending. Much nearer to the castle now.


One of the many valleys




The castle again




The balloons fly in and out of the valleys


Up again

That concludes our tour in Cappadocia. After touch town we had the traditional Champagne and were given certified "flown in balloon" certificates. We returned to our hotel for breakfast and embarked on the road to the capital of Turkey, Ankara. There we had lunch and visited the mausoleum of the late founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (father of the Turks). The place also housed an exhibit of the founding of modern Turkey. However, after lunch disaster struck! I had some stomach problems that resulted in less photos.

With this much advertising the loo here must be fabulous. Went in, it was not bad.


This is the main lake that Turkey gets its salt from. The grass around it is very green.


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Satellite view of the lake


Turkish coffee. The ground coffee is boiled together with water in a copper pot.


This residue is the coffee. Do not eat this!


Lunch! Iskander Kebab


Some sweet dessert made of what I think is fried cheese


They stay in high rise apartments here too.


The mausoleum


A guard. The army here uses AKs but I could not identify this weapon. A SIG perhaps.


Close up of mausoleum


Ceiling inside


The interior


Ceiling above the "coffin"


Some sculpture outside


Old cars used by the founder

After Ankara, we headed to Bolu for the night. Our hotel was owned by an artist so it was rather designer style. A nice place with a garden in the works next to it. Unfortunately I could not really enjoy the day as my stomach got worse here.

Garden Entrance


The hotel


Room keys. So designer


A nice garden in the works beside the hotel


Dining area

Dinner was rather entertaining. There was a pianist/singer playing some songs. Also a group of children were in the same hotel with us. Having made friends with one of the uncles in our tour group, they relentlessly invited us to dance with them during dinner time. Seems to be some traditional dance. After a not so good night's rest we were headed back to Istanbul the next day via the Bosphorus bridge.

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