We decided to finish our adventure in Turkey in Goreme, Cappadocia. We wanted to enjoy the slower pace of a town instead of a big city, explore some of the Turkish countryside, and see one of the most unique places in the world.

We weren't disappointed. The scenery of Goreme is otherworldly, as we discovered upon arrival. Thick deposits of volcanic ash sculpted over centuries by wind and rain have become a bizarre rockscape of spires, "fairy chimneys," and deep canyons in beautiful tones of rose, green, and gold. Every morning approximately 100 hot-air balloons take people for a sunrise tour of this unusual landscape. The balloon ballet, as beautiful from the air as from the hotel terrace, was a fine reason to get out of bed.

We had booked an extended flight for our first morning in Goreme, and were fortunate that the winds were sedate and the sky was clear. According to our pilot, it was perfect ballooning weather. High winds and approaching storms resulted in very limited flights the next two mornings, circumstances which made it easy to photograph balloons over town.