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Hot Air Balloon Ride

Cappadocia is one of the best places in the world for hot-air ballooning because of its unusual landscape and favorable weather condition from April to Octobor. Kapadokya Balloons is the most reputable operator in the area. It is made up by a husband and wife team from Europe with local boys helping out on the ground. This is a side itinerary I arranged on my own. I got picked up at the hotel at 4:45am. It was a fantastic ride, but the rest of my day was ruined due to sleep deprivation.
The basket
The basket		 Some of the passengers on this flight
Some of the passengers on this flight		 Fire Up
Fire Up		 Liftoff
Liftoff
Ground crew is cleaning up the pieces and set out to pick us up later
Ground crew is cleaning up the pieces and set out to pick us up later		 Approaching Goreme
Approaching Goreme		 I can feel the heat from the sun, or is it from the fire above my head?!
I can feel the heat from the sun, or is it from the fire above my head?!		 Cave houses
Cave houses
Everyone has a first class window seat
Everyone has a first class window seat		 Hanging low over the valley
Hanging low over the valley		 The village is still at sleep
The village is still at sleep		 We are right above the other balloon
We are right above the other balloon
The fire occasionally breaks up the mostly silent ride
The fire occasionally breaks up the mostly silent ride		 There is no traffic on the streets yet
There is no traffic on the streets yet		 The world I see seems in the color of sepia
The world I see seems in the color of sepia		 Other balloons are flying high in the distance
Other balloons are flying high in the distance
Pilot Lars
Pilot Lars		 Slowly and surely...
Slowly and surely...		 u47/faerie_39/medium/30541607.IMG_1414.jpg u47/faerie_39/medium/30541608.IMG_1417.jpg
u47/faerie_39/medium/30541609.IMG_1420.jpg u47/faerie_39/medium/30541611.IMG_1421.jpg u47/faerie_39/medium/30541612.IMG_1422.jpg Our ride is about 90 minutes long
Our ride is about 90 minutes long
u47/faerie_39/medium/30541614.IMG_1426.jpg Our balloon has the capacity to carry twice as many people as it currently does
Our balloon has the capacity to carry twice as many people as it currently does		 We are never very far apart from each other
We are never very far apart from each other		 Sometimes the tip of trees would scrape the bottom of our basket
Sometimes the tip of trees would scrape the bottom of our basket
u47/faerie_39/medium/30541618.IMG_1441.jpg The balloon seems illuminating in the morning sun
The balloon seems illuminating in the morning sun		 The so-called Love Valley
The so-called Love Valley		 Am I on a different planet?
Am I on a different planet?
Landing can be tricky especially on a windy day like ours
Landing can be tricky especially on a windy day like ours		 Squeeze out every bit of air
Squeeze out every bit of air		 Wife Kaili celebrates the ride with a traditional champagne toast
Wife Kaili celebrates the ride with a traditional champagne toast

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