The next morning, we needed to wake up at 4.30am. Wonder what we’re up to that early?
We’re going to have a ride in a hot air balloon! Woohoo!!!
Cappadocia is one of the most famous hot air ballooning spots in the world so how could I miss that special experience.
We were picked up at 5am from the hotel and brought to an open space somewhere in Urgup. Urgup is around 10km from Cappadocia. I was so sleepy but as soon as I saw the balloons, my eyes woke up!
We got to see the whole process, right from the balloon in its flat condition to the filling in of the helium gas.
After the balloon was ready, it was time to get into the basket.
The basket can fit in around 10 persons.
The pilot briefed us some safety procedure and we're up.
Up up and away...
As we went up, I could see so many balloons around the area..
The balloon moved slowly and relaxingly, so much so that we barely noticed that we reached altitudes of almost 3,000m above the ground.
We gotta watch the sunrise!
As we passed the cliffs and the valley, the sun started to shine in its full glory, casting bright rays upon the landscape below us. It was really beautiful!
Our pilot navigated the balloon towards the hills and the rock cones.
our pilot
At times, I was afraid we would crash onto the cones but worry not; the pilots are all good (I hope so!).
Sometimes our pilot would lower down the balloon for us to enjoy the beautiful rock formations and the valley. Sometimes he drove us closer to other balloons. And then, he would take us higher and higher. For us the passengers, it was like a little competition among the balloons, all wanting to be higher than the rest.
Finally, it’s time to go down. We went down slowly, and I could see that there were a lot of pickup trucks on the roads.
As we were nearer to the ground, I saw a truck following us. Then the pilot informed us that the truck actually would be our landing base.
Anddd... we landed safely!
The balloon tour lasted for 1 hour and a half. We then had a little gathering; where we had a toast and were presented with a certificate of achievement from the captain.
For 90 Euro, it was really an unforgettable experience. I definitely will return for another ride.
4 comments:
i dont mind spending 90euro for experience like that. one word to summerize all...AWESOME! :)
all the photos are great. the balloons and the backdrop are awesome!
fatt, mula2 i thought macam mahal.. but then bila lagi nak merasa kan? so bayar je lah! but 90 euro tu among the cheapest i rasa.. sebab i asked around mostly more than 100 euro tau.
mun, aku baca balik turkey trip kau ni (rindu).. pastu sedar, eh aku pun naik urgup balloons! hehe.. tapi dah naik 20euro harga dia..
@mas: oh dah naik? tapi other operator memang semua more than 100 euro pon masa tu. not sure if we got discount ke apa. hehe
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