Up Up and Away
By DianneN
@DianneN (247186)
United States
January 20, 2016 8:16am CST
On our recent visit to Turkey, one of the highlights was Cappadocia, a historical region in Central Anatolia.
We stayed in a cave hotel. Imagine that! It was quite lovely.
We were picked up very early in the morning for a sunrise hot air balloon ride. The landscape was beautiful, especially the fairy chimney rock formations.
The company we used was reputable, certified, and professional. Our flyer trained for two years, made over 1000 balloon flights, and was also a pilot. He landed the balloon, with us in its big wicker basket, perfectly on the flatbed of a truck.
A champagne breakfast followed.
I would do it again.
Have you ever been in a hot air balloon?
17 people like this
16 responses
@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
20 Jan 16
OH yes in Egypt over the Nile. We had to get up at 03:30 have coffee and leave by four so we could be in the balloons as the sun rose. It was amazing and absolutely stunning to see the Nile from above and all the ancient monuments down below.
I loved Cappadocia it is a beautiful area of Turkey.
4 people like this
@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
20 Jan 16
@DianneN It is such a beautiful country. I loved Istanbul thought Troy was a waste of time but enjoyed everything else. Pamukkale was stunning but I agreed that Cappadocia is probably the most interesting for me especially the cave paintings in the underground churches.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
20 Jan 16
@garymarsh6 We enjoyed the history behind Troy and even got to see the Trojan horse donated from Brad Pitt's movie. We loved Pamukkale, where I took the waters, and Ephesus. Seeing the Dardenelles was a dream come true, as was cruising on the Bosporus. Ankara had a wonderful museum and tomb to visit, but otherwise didn't care for it. Our favorite meal was in Konya where we sat beneath the olive trees and beside a bubbling brook with a waterfall, while eating clementines off the trees for dessert. I got claustrophobic in that underground cave!!!
My husband and I always have fun wherever we go, and have the same likings for many things.
@Juliaacv (51458)
• Canada
20 Jan 16
The cave setting sounds unique, I saw a documentary on places such as this.
I've been in a hot air balloon, but it was summertime and with the heat from the burner for the balloon I found it too hot for me to feel comfortable. Others didn't mind it though, and I am sure that you had a spectacular ride.
2 people like this
@Juliaacv (51458)
• Canada
20 Jan 16
@DianneN It was quite a number of years ago since I've been in a hotair balloon and they may have changed the way machinery used to blow that hot air. I felt that there was quite a down draft of the hot air and I was about six months pregnant at the time too, so hot on my own accord.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
20 Jan 16
Yes, the hotel was very unique, but lovely. It was chilly early in the morning, but the flames did little to warm me up. Once the sun came out, I was more comfortable. I stayed toward the outside of the basket in case I needed to jump out!
2 people like this
@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
20 Jan 16
No I have never been in a balloon and would not be able to as I am a person with vertigo and afraid of heights.
It sounds like a lovely unusual experience tho Dianne, and one you will not forget.
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
20 Jan 16
@DianneN This is the kind of vertigo that is mental not physical..yeah there is sometimes the imbalance in the ear crystals which can be treated by doing a certain manuevre but that is not the kind I have.
I start to fall over anytime I am high up.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
20 Jan 16
@TiarasOceanView I am so sorry. That is just awful!!!
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@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
20 Jan 16
@DianneN Well thanks Dianne, but I never go up anywhere anymore..I know my limits.
1 person likes this
@just4him (317249)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
20 Jan 16
I don't know if I could handle a hot air balloon. I'm scared of heights. Your trip sounds wonderful, and your picture is great. Did you take that from the balloon? It looks like it's not only looking across at the balloons but down at the landscape.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
22 Jan 16
Funny you should ask, I went on a press trip to the Albuquerque Balloon Fest, got up at 4 am every morning to go out to the field for our ride and nope, I have never been up, the weather just wouldn't cooperate.
1 person likes this
@PatZAnthony (14749)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
20 Jan 16
It sounds like great fun.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40316)
• Laguna Woods, California
21 Jan 16
I have not been on a hot air balloon ride, although I would love to go on one someday. When we were younger, my husband had his private pilot's license and we owned a small plane. We flew all over California and parts of Mexico. I loved it!
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
20 Jan 16
Glad we did it while we were young enough to hoist ourselves into that bucket. I was so bundled up, that after three tries, a man just picked me up and put me in. I had no problem getting out. I think it was my mind telling my body that I was scared. Now I have a tale to tell.
@Ladypeace (2028)
• Singapore
21 Jan 16
Everything you have said in this are goals.
1 person likes this
