These days, Turkish caravanserai pit stops serve tour buses rather than camels. They try to attract as many tour operators as possible by slathering their windows with logo stickers.
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Ballooning Majestically over the Valleys of Cappadocia
With a dozen people in our basket and the capable captain Mustafa at the helm, we enjoy a dreamy glide over Turkey. Halfway through, our captain tosses Super Ted from the balloon. Mustafa learned to fly a balloon in 2002 in Albuquerque. A single Muslim man learning to fly in the USA just after 9/11, he attracted all sorts of attention from our government. I felt perfectly safe in the balloon of Mustafa.
If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.
Up, Up, and Away in a Beautiful Turkish Balloon
Arguably the best hot-air balloon experience in the world is reason enough to get up at 4:30 and spend $200 each for a morning floating above the “fairy chimney” rock formations of Cappadocia. Each morning, 50 to 80 balloons lift off, giving lots of travelers a fine memory.
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Dancing Frenzy with the Villagers
I have great memories of dancing with Turks as a teenager in my earliest visits. I remember it was a natural way to inject joy into a convivial get-together. And now, Rick Steves Turkey tours always seem to find a way to dance with the locals.
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Baggy Pants and When Your Money Belt Creeps Up
During dinner, Turkey tour member David Preston took a moment to demonstrate how baggy pants are just the ticket when your money belt keeps sliding higher. (A friend from Twin Cities Public Television in Minnesota, David couldn’t resist slipping in a pledge pitch at the end of his demo.)
If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.