The very cool thing about Gorome is the people. We have had amazing encounters with very generous and kind people. Our cave hotel is amazing, the view, the food, the hammam, and the people. We've met some other world travellers, and are making great friends.
We ventured off on a tour of the Rose valley, witnessing the wonders of rosé coloured minerals displaying their artistry in millions of years of sediment. We climbed among monoliths in a place called monks valley, where monks lived in these mushroom shaped monoliths. And we dined on a Turkish lunch in kings valley surrounded by cliffs. There are underground cities carved out of the basalt rocks and we ventured down under six levels thru tiny caves, tunnels and caverns. At one point bending over and crawling thru a four foot tunnel twenty feet long. Early Christians would live here, and had secret access to the underground in the event of raids.
We treated ourselves to a hammam back at the hotel, how divine! Scrubbed on a marble slab with bubbles galore, is my kind of thing!
Upon waking up early the next morning, Chris and our travelling Buddies Brock and Yukiko ventured off to hot air balloon. A five o'clock wake up is required so they can lift off just before sunset. I stepped out of our cave room at six thirty to see 70 air balloons high over me as the sun was coming up. Just the sound of the whoosh of the flame taking each balloon higher. Magnificent. I surely could not tell which one Chris and the gang were in. I watched in wonder from different angles of the terrace and imagined how I would feel if I were on board...probably terrified of the heights and wanting to jump overboard! As the balloons drifter over me I still couldn't figure out which one they were in. Until out of the corner of my eye, over the hill and down into the valley came a Butterfly balloon...the company they were riding with. My heart fluttered...could I actually see them? It went behind fairy chimneys which are large enough to hide a hot air balloon, and then it magically appeared and started to drift straight towards me! And to my delight, I saw them each smiling and waving at me. They came right past me close enough to throw a stone, and said good morning. This was a gift. None of the other balloons came as low or as near me as theirs did. And the sun came beaming thru at this moment as well so I felt so exhilarated. And off they went , just like that!
Gorome is a very special place. We loved it and will gush about it always!