I thought we had some packed days already, but this would be the biggest day yet. The day started early. Really early. I scraped myself out of bed well before the crack of dawn, at the painfully early time of 4:15am. Why, you ask? To prepare for the hot-air balloon ride, of course, which was scheduled pre-dawn to minimize issues with the wind. Fortunately, a buffet breakfast awaited us at the balloon company's waiting room. I didn't feel hungry because it was so early, but I drank some hot tea to warm up from the chill outside. For someone who hates waking up early and hates being cold, though, though, I soon found myself one happy camper. As we gently soared up in the air in the largest wicker basket I've ever seen, I couldn't deny the great view. The balloon themselves were vividly colorful dots sandwiched between the increasingly bright sky above and the dramatic landscape below. The hourlong ride ended with champagne and cookies -- the latter due to 10/4 being the first day of the year's Kurban Bayram (sacrifice) holiday.
Although I was ready for a nap, our tour guide had something much more strenuous in mind: a hike
among the natural sculptures.
We then headed to a pottery museum and store
in Avanos, which is known as a clay city. After viewing the collection of ceramics and a demonstration by a master pottery sculptor, we ate kabob testi baked in clay pottery for lunch -- and an irresistible kanafeh filled with warm cream. Mohamed
bought a $30 replica of $500 Hittite wine dispenser that he really
liked at the museum store but didn't want to splurge on.
I really, really could have used an afternoon nap, but another hike awaited! Fortunately, this one was short.
I was ready for the Turkish hamam, during which I was scrubbed with a scratchy exfoliator (surprisingly large segments of dead skin rolled off) and then wrapped in frothy bubbles. I was so sleepy that I instantly agreed to Mohamed's suggestion that we skip dinner and nap instead, as we had a whirling dervish show still awaiting us. Even with that nearly two-hour nap, I fell asleep quickly and deeply that night.
