Hot Air Balloon

This is the last report which I had promised myself to write about our Turkey trip. It is more than a year since I visited Turkey, but the experience is so green in my memory. As I have some notes which I wrote in my diary, and my memory is helping me write this.
We were in Capadocia which is a very lovely place in May 2009.
After the lovely experience of belly dancing the night before we had to get up very early in the morning of May 28th to go up in the air in the Hot Air Balloons. We had booked our seats (or is it place to stand ) in the Balloon, from KL while making our arrangements for our Turkey trip by paying the cost which was extra apart from the whole tour cost.

Nine of us from our group had opted for this and we had to start at 4 a.m. I was very excited as it was one of my dreams to go up in the Hot Air Balloon.

We were taken to a big open ground and were treated with coffee and biscuits before we climbed on to big baskets tied under the balloons. There were lots of colourful baloons all around us some of them already in the air.
The height of the basket was quite high and I found it a little difficult to climb onto it. 16 of us were accomadated in one Basket . There were four sections, which accommodated four persons in each . All of us had to stand inside the balloon.
The Balloons were blown and were ready to climb up.

The driver or Pilot was standing in the middle. After some basic instrucions from the pilot the balloon started to slowly glide up.

The place is full of small hillocks formed by the volcanic ash . The weather was quite chill and the climb was smooth.

wow, what a lovley ride , gliding up slowly. We went up to 1000 meters , the view was excellent. If there is any other better word to describe this I would rather use it.

We climbed down a little bit and were going in between those hillocks and we could see many colorful ballons in different heights around us. We climbed up again and when we reached the maximum height (I do not remember the exact height, I think it was around 1500 meters) 'Champagne' was opened and served to all of us. It is a lifetime experience to be in such a height in an open basket.
We came down and Balloon was closed and basket was tied to a van now and we were brought to the landing place. We were served champagne again and were given a certificate. haha.

After break fast in the hotel, we were taken to dwellings under the ground. There were about 8 levels and we went upto level 4.
In this place, between 4th Century to 12th Century, Christians were prosecuted. To hide from the enemies they built dwellings under the ground. Since it is easy to carve out the volcanic ash they did it easily. Once it is exposed to air it hardens and so the dwellings were quite strong.

Whole families lived there and stored their grains etc. They worked in the fields and lived on the ground and the moment the enemies attacked them , they went into hiding some times hiding up to 6months at a stretch. They had a place to bury their dead in these dwellings, in case some one died while in hiding . A place to process wine from grapes and store food etc were also there. The entrance was kept as a secret and camouflaged and the enemy could never find the entrance. The place was built in such a way that even if the enemy stumbled upon the entrance and came inside there were weapons which could be used to attack them.
During the period of Sulaiman the great who ruled Turkey, the prosecution was stopped and the underground dwellings were abandoned some where in 12th century or so.

During Road construction in 1965, the underground dwellings were stumbled upon accidentally. It took the government 30 to 35 years to clean up, and open it for public to view the dwellings. Only up to level 4 , are open for tourists and they say there are 4 more levels down. Even now we have to follow the guide carefully and not walk away on our own. It is quite claustrophobic inside.

After lunch we visited another place which is also carved out of volcanic hillocks. There is a church called Santa Barbara church and until 1920s people were living in these hillock houses carving out houses for them inside the volcanic cave. Then the Government urged them to leave it and start living in the city. Now it is an Open Air Cultural Museum which is a World Heritage Center. We could see some old frescoes of Jesus and Mary in the Church on the walls.
We visited some shopping place, bought some precious gems, and potteries .

The next day early morning we started back our long (600kms) journey back to Istanbul via the capital Ankara . There is a beautiful mausoleum of Ataturk Kemal who is the Father of Turkey who modernized Turkey and the first President of Turkish Republic who declared the 90 % Muslim populated country as a Secular Country.

We entered European side of Istanbul amidst heavy traffic jam via the Bridge on the Bosporus.

Next day after some hurried shopping in the (great ) spice market of Istanbul (we should have bought more things which we felt after returning to KL), and thanking our great and nice guide Mr. Ali, we returned to Kl via Dubai and Singapore.
Turkey is one great place to visit.

A Surprise which sprang from the Swimming Pool

Well this is holiday time for Tejas. I was in Coimbatore for almost three months, overseeing the wood work being done there by Carpenter Selvam's people. At the end of the work my husband, Anu and Tejas joined me . The work has come out very well and I felt elated having completed my dream project.

All the four of us returned together to KL. Earlier Vinu had called to tell me that he will be coming at around the same time to the LCCT Airport and I was to keep this info secret. So when Anu asked me, I said Vinu is coming the next day. After getting down at LCCT in the middle of the night, I got tensed that I may not find Vinu and started wondering where he would be. I tried to switch on my KL Cell Phone which refused to cooperate and was trying to see if I have any messages. We all proceeded to the prepaid taxi counter and in my confusion , I had to take hubby dear into confidence as we needed a bigger vehicle since Vinu would be there. So we all proceeded outside instead of standing in the queue for taxi and Anu started asking me what the matter was. I said we are looking for taxi and proceeded towards waiting area (instead of the taxi stand) where to my great relief I found Vinu sitting trying to look different with a headband and dark glasses . I started smiling sheepishly and walked towards him.

Anu immediately found out and asked me is Vinu here and spotted him thereby spoiling the whole Surprise and I got nice mouthfuls for one, smiling that stupid smile of mine, two, walking towards him.

All was forgiven and we got a bigger taxi and went home.

The next day evening Vinu was itching to go to pool and asking Tejas to join him. They both went to the pool . Anu wanted me to go for walk with her and invited her dad also who had just come back from office. He was surprised that he is called for walk for when we two go for walk it is only the two of us who go. He had other plans and decided to ask some technical doubts about Pancreas and Anu had to explain the function of Stomach in detail. But I did not notice her restlessness to be at home instead of going out.

When we went out at last, she detoured and wanted to go to the pool area. She explained saying we will go and see Tejas swimming. I who had seen Tejas swim many a time, went along without suspecting anything.

In the swimming pool I was looking at Vinu and Tejas doing some floating when suddenly I saw some one coming up to Tejas and talking to him in the pool. He had dark swimming glasses though it was late in the evening and an apology for a swim cap. (later I found out it was the use and throw Shower Cap which I keep in the bathroom which was given to him by Vinu). He just had a swimming trunks and bare upper body. I was wondering who it was as I had never seen strangers talking to Tejas in the pool and something was familiar about him and I was utterly confused. He started talking in an exaggerated accent and I was wondering which Country he belonged to. Now it was Tejas's turn to give my dear Anand away. He started replying in the same accent and a roar of laughter, which immediately made me shout ANAND.

He jumped out of pool and almost pulled me into the pool with his typical bear hug. How on earth I was to expect him to be in the swimming pool when he was supposed to be in the other end of the world called California, that too with a stupid cap and a glass.

I came to know it was planned well in advance by Anu, and Anand which was disclosed to Vinu and they all pulled out the surprise so well.

Now it was the turn of my hubby to fall for the Surprise trap. Anu went back to pick him up telling him to come and see Tejas swim. He also must have wondered ' what is so special in Tejas's swimming today' . She added saying we are all there , come and join us.

This time everybody was well prepared. Vinu introduced Anand as his friend Arun who did his Engineering from Pilani. Dad's response was ' oh hello' do u live here.' Vinu replied from the pool with a deadpan face that he had come there to visit his relatives who live in our Condominium.

Now it was Anand/Arun's turn. He suddenly put on this heavy accent and said ' uncle, can u find me some job, as I am jobless now' . Anu was roaring with laughter behind Dad, but he did not notice and was kind of taken aback by this conversation and started walking away from the pool. Arun continued shouting ' hello hello why are you walking back'. For this Dad who had not recognized Anand yet said with a serious face 'yeah I am in the hearing distance.' By then we were all laughing so much that he at last recognized his son and shouted oh my Anand. We all walked back with his luggage which was hidden near the pool, dripping as Anand hugged everybody.

Nizal Maiyam

I have been wanting to write about my Turkey trip and some how has not been able to do it for almost one year. I will come back to my Trips later and now I have something else to write about which has made me feel quite elated.

I am at present in Coimbatore in our Cheran Nagar house. The title of the Blog roughly can be translated as 'Shade Centre'. This is a kind of Service Organization which is doing its bit to save the environment.

We live in a gated access community where there are about forty independent houses.

Last week I was told that a NGO (Non Governmental Organisation) has agreed to come and plant trees in our colony.
Our road has already been lined with small trees which we had planted earlier and I did plant two more saplings this time in front of our house. There are quite a few places on the other roads where there are no tree saplings.

Today morning few youngsters came in the morning and said they do this as a service and they started digging holes to plant the trees. They had brought the tree saplings also. We all helped them plant the tree saplings happily.
When I asked them about the details they said they are all working people / students who do this in their spare time to make Coimbatore green where lots of existing trees are being cut to widen the roads. They are doing this work every Sunday .
Apart from this work they give food to orphanage every Sunday morning. They also help needy children by paying fees to school and also getting them books.

The man behind this organization is one Mr. Murugan who drives a call taxi and does this commendable work in his spare time. The volunteers are youngsters who work as Mechanics, computer professionals etc. There was this man who said he works in a Photo Studio and I could see few college students also who come and help these people on Sundays. The Students are from a nearby place called 'Annur' (which is around 30kms from the city) and the student was telling me that he comes and helps on all Sundays but not during his exam time.

I was quite impressed by this group and felt happy that such good work is being done without waiting for publicity.
I always have tremendous respect for this younger generation and this has made me feel more positive and happy about the future.

The email id of this organization is nizhalmaiyam1857@gmail.com