Cappadocia is a region in central Turkey, known for its extraordinary natural wonders and skies filled with hot air balloons. It holds valleys that dip and rise through amazing rock formations. Hiking through these valleys is breathtaking; walking up close to the fairy chimneys and ancient cave dwellings is indescribable. I would wake up early enough for sunrise, and watch as the dozens of hot air balloons filled up and took off, floating just above orange hues. I would walk through the valleys just in time for sunset, to see the pinks and purples change the color of the rocks before the stars come out. This place is nothing short of magical. 

I was enjoying a river cruise on the Seine, during my after-graduation trip to Paris when I first heard about Cappadocia. The name itself immediately intrigued me – the way it flows. Kapadokya. I searched it up and fell in love with the idea of otherworldly landscapes and heaps of hot air balloons flying above me. I knew I had to visit, but I didn’t think I’d have the chance this soon. It’s quite expensive to stay in the region, and there are few volunteer opportunities available. I applied to the only three that I could find online, not expecting to hear back. Miraculously, though, I received a response from a hotel in Göreme (Cappadocia’s most central town) offering me a position to help with cleaning/housekeeping in exchange for food and accommodation. 

I took a 12-hour overnight bus from Istanbul to Göreme, and arrived around 6:30am – right as the first round of balloons began to rise. I was in awe; all of the pictures I’d admired online were now right in front of me. While I volunteered in Göreme, I stayed in Ortahisar which is a few miles away. My host drove me to the volunteer house, and I was still in disbelief as we wound our way up through the orange rocks. Ortahisar is a very small village, basically consisting of a pharmacy, a couple markets, and some restaurants. The people are kind, albeit slightly nosy (Ortahisar has its own neighborhood watch). There are loudspeakers throughout the town that announce when tangerines are on sale at the bazaar, or when someone is parked in an illegal spot. I was eating dinner once when the speakers went off in Turkish, and Ata (the only Turkish volunteer) looked at me and translated, They’re selling eggplants at the market today.

My first ever hot air balloon ride took place on my first full day in Cappadocia. They fly every day, all year round, as long as the weather permits. I had to be outside waiting for pickup by 5:00am, and the van took us way out into the dusty flats between the rocks. I’ll never forget the feeling when I was rising up in a woven basket, the heat of the fire on my face. A few days later, I explored Derinkuyu Underground City – carved in volcanic rock in the 8th-7th century B.C. The city has twelve levels underground and could accommodate up to 20,000 people. I saw kitchens, living areas, wineries, a church, a school, and even gravesites 200 feet below the surface. Cappadocia has numerous underground cities, but Derinkuyu is the largest. The paths were very short and narrow – I often had to crouch going down the stairs or through the tunnels.

The area had one public transportation option: the dolmuş – a shared van that arrived (rather, was supposed to arrive) at the single bus stop in each town once every hour. It didn’t run early in the morning, or after dark. As I rely on public transportation while traveling (taxis can be expensive and obviously renting a car is out of the question) this put me in a predicament. I wanted to explore the surrounding villages (Uçhisar, Avanos, Ürgüp, or even the nearby Göreme) on my own time. So I resorted to hitchhiking. Since there is one main road linking all of the nearby towns, hitchhiking is a common way for foreigners to get around. The locals are accustomed to seeing folks on the side of the road sticking their thumbs out. It never took me longer than five minutes to find a ride to wherever I needed to go. While I met some interesting characters this way, I never felt unsafe. 

One of my favorite memories of Cappadocia is when one of my housemates, Amete, took me on a five-hour hike to chase the sunset. We started walking through Ortahisar, and eventually turned to go down into one of the valleys. It might’ve been Red Valley, it might’ve been Rose Valley – the signs don’t make any sense. We descended down, and down, and down further to reach the bottom of these massive rocks. Sometimes there were even ladders to descend a particularly steep part. I wasn’t equipped for this, as I travel with a pair of AF1s and no hiking shoes. The walk through the bottom of the valley was worth it a thousand times over, though. The leaves were all turning yellow, the grapes were ripe. Walking through this serene space, munching on grapes from a wild vineyard, was something of a dream. We came across a hidden café, tucked behind some rocks and leaves. The owner spoke mostly Turkish, so we couldn’t communicate very well, but he served us some Turkish tea and a big plate full of grapes. After hours of walking, we exited the valley just in time for a sunset that turned the rocks deep red, and the day more magical.

I have just one keepsake from Cappadocia. There was a market on the corner of my street. It didn’t have posted hours; the owner opened and closed his store when he wanted to. I’d go in to grab my soda just about every day, and he’d be sitting inside behind his cash desk, smoking cigarettes and watching TV. Cigarette smoke is a trivial matter in Turkey. One day, after maybe my tenth visit, I was about to leave when he told me to wait. He showed me a tiny evil eye bead on a pin and asked if I wanted it for good luck. I’ve always liked the concept of evil eye amulets, and I have a few at home. I accepted his small gift, and everyday since, I’ve worn the pin. It holds Cappadocia inside it, somehow.

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