Home away in Cappadocia Rox Cappadocia boutique-hotel is a place you fall in love with, get attached to, and want to visit again and again. Its stunning location, nestled right under the Gruyere cheese-like Uchisar fortress, makes for breathtaking views of the gorges and villages surrounding it, with snow-capped Mount Erciyes, a dormant volcano, in the background. At sunrise from its terrace, the spectacle of hundreds of hot air balloons rising slowly to fill the sky with bright colors while others are suspended above the “fairy chimneys”, in Pigeons valley, Love valley or Rose valley, is an experience in itself. Wrapped in a blanket and holding a cup of tea to beat the morning chill, you can hear the silence and smell the dew. It is mesmerizing. The house, a three-level traditional structure with stone arches, narrow stairs, and hidden nooks surrounding outside small seating areas, has only six 6 rooms: the cozy cave suites do not feel claustrophobic, and the one room with a view is booked months in advance. The young and energetic owner Arda, a compulsive antiques collector has filled the entire place with handpicked objects, and has a story for each of his finds. He even designs and crafts himself some of the light structures- the iron lamp in the cave room- and kitchenware- the jam box at the breakfast table- from repurposed items found in the small shops of Cappadocia. Everyday, there is a new flowerpot here, another old looking brass jug there. Richie, the tri-colored big dog and mascot of the place, un-fussed by all these small treasures, slaloms expertly amidst all. Arda works very hard to make your stay unforgettable. While his “Queen of the Kitchen” prepares eggs, philo dough with cheese or cakes for breakfast, Arda sits with every guest to suggest a personalized day’s program based on preferences; the best restaurant to eat tandoor; the cheapest driver to visit Selime cathedral; the most unique pottery workshop to get your hands dirty with clay. One day he took us shopping for carpets and played the translator role with the dealer, and we spent a rainy afternoon chatting about politics and his never- ending projects nibbling home made sweets and sipping Turkish coffee, graciously offered by the house. At Arda’s place, we didn’t feel the need to lock the door to our room. Rox Cappadocia just feels like home.
