Recently in Turkey Category

This morning we've reported on the death of a British tourist in a ballooning accident in Cappadocia, Turkey. Explore, the operator with which the man was travelling, believes the balloon may have been in collision with another. 

I went ballooning in Cappadocia just last month, and on the day I flew there were nearly 40 other balloons in the sky. I don't have sufficient frame of reference to say whether that is a lot, but it is more than it used to be - the operator I flew with told me the number of balloons that rise up over the valleys of Cappadocia each morning has grown over the years.

Either way, it caused no problems on that occasion. The pilot of our balloon was in radio contact with other pilots to keep track of where we were in relation to other balloons. They would often radio to check that there was no balloon above us before we ascended.

Nor is it unusual for a number of balloons to take off in the same airspace - take a look at photos from the many festivals all over the world, such as the famous one in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

Suffice to say that the incident in Cappadocia is as out of the ordinary as it is tragic. We will have to wait for more information from Explore and from the Turkish authorities before we know exactly what lay behind it.

My last day in Cappadocia is gorgeously sunny and I'm pampered with a relaxing breakfast out on the terrace of my hotel. 

The etymology of Cappadocia seems to be pretty complex, and the name has meant many things, including 'land of the pretty horses.' Almost unbelieveably, it never seems to have meant 'land of caves' - and it really should, because they are everywhere. Caves underground, caves hidden in hillsides, caves dug into rock formations - if you can excavate it, someone in Cappadocia will have.

Cappadocia's geology makes the ground a ready source of clay, and the area is famed for its ceramics. I visited Guray Seramik in the town of Avanos and watched one of their master potters making a beautiful vase.

 

Then they let me have a go. This is an old-fashioned kick wheel, so you have to control the rotations with your foot and use your hands to shape the clay. I don't think I'll be winning any prizes for my pottery skills.

 

This is the end product. (Please note the immensely flattering pantaloons I was given to protect my jeans. Florals are so me.)

 

And these are some examples of what the experts make. The designs date back to the Hittite era and bear no resemblance to the deformed ash tray produced by yours truly.

 

Cappadocia is littered with underground towns. There are 44 which have been unearthed, and the chances are there are many still hidden. They range in size from villages to the largest, Derinkuyu, which is 10 storeys deep. The size reflects the size of the town which sits above, as these subterranean citadels were designed as hideaways from invaders. The population could spend anything up to two months hiding in a complex web of tunnels.

 

I visited Kaymakli, the second largest at five storeys deep, and the easiest to make your way around. You can move through it on a circular route, so you're less likely to run headlong into other tourists trying to crawl bent-double through the tunnels on their way back as you're heading in.

 

It's believed that the city was built in the 7th or 8th century, and could hold a mind-boggling 15-20,000 people. What initially seems to be a rabbit-warren of tunnels is actually a meticulously designed town with stables, kitchens, accommodation, a ventilation shaft, even a cemetery and a wine press. Punctuating the tunnels are vast stone wheels which could be rolled across openings to block invaders, should the city be discovered.

 

We had a real shock leaving the underground city. Having entered in bright sunshine we emerged into a flurry of snow - a rare sight at this time of year in Cappadocia!

 

 

I'm spending a few days in Cappadocia. This region lies slap bang in the centre of Turkey and is home to its strangest and most stunning landscapes - and there's no better way to see them than by balloon.

It does involve an eye-watering 5am start, but my tiredness is soon forgotten as I watch our balloonists Kaili and Lars from Kapadokya Balloons filling the huge canopy with hot air.

   

Soon we're sailing up, up and away into the blue. The scores of other balloons look gorgeous in the early morning sun.

 

  The curiously shaped rock formations and the bright bands of colour that stripe the mountains were created by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago.

 

 After the flight we drink champagne to toast our flight. One couple have even more to celebrate - there was a mid-air proposal and luckily the lady accepted!