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Andrys Basten | profile | all galleries >> TURKEY Photos - Anatolia, 2004, with Canon Elph >> Cappadocia Balloon Ride Photos tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Flying to Istanbul - First views and photos | Istanbul - Sultanahmet photos | Photos: Istanbul Archaeological Museums: Alexander the Great | Istanbul's Bosphorus Cruise | Ankara , its museum, and Aksaray - photos | Cappadocia Balloon Ride Photos | Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Ride VIDEOclips (LOUD) | Cappadocia photos 2 | Cappadocia photos 3 | Photos: Goreme Open Air Museum frescos | Antakya and Mosaic Museum photos | Gaziantep photos, mosaics - Zeugma (Belkis) | Abraham's Pool & Harran - photos | Photos: Mt Nemrut heads, Perre-Perin, and Diyarbakir | Photos: Akdamar Island, Lake Van | Ishak Pasha Sarayi photos | Photos: In search of Noah's Ark - Mt. Ararat | Erzurum photos | Ephesus photos | Ephesus Museum and Selcuk photos | Pergamon acropolis ( Pergamum photos ) | Pergamon Asclepion - Pergamum Aesklepion | Aphrodisias site and museum - photos | Pamukkale photos ( Hierapolis ) | Dalyan photos - Turkey | Dalyan to Kaunos boat - photos | Lycian Telmessos | Kalkan - Kas photos | Photos: Kekova - Simena by Boat | Photos: St. Nicholas church. Old St. Nick origin | Myra, Antalya, Aspendos - photos | The Love Boat (Intro)

Cappadocia Balloon Ride Photos

These are pictures from our hot air balloon trip at Cappadocia
Cappadocia balloons are a really Great ride (!)
I tried to show what I saw while leaning over the basket.

Click on any thumbnail to get larger images.

Finally ADDED (noisy) VIDEOCLIPS of this air tour - Sept 15, 2006.


( For full Screen: If using a PC, press/toggle F11. If using a Mac, press/toggle apple/ctrl-F11 )

Looking for a hot air balloon pilot for next day (Semih found a GOOD one)
Looking for a hot air balloon pilot for next day (Semih found a GOOD one)		 Here's Semih (in red) who got us the slot nextmorning w/o prior reservations
Here's Semih (in red) who got us the slot next
morning w/o prior reservations		 Our room was right under the Restaurant sign.
Arrival at our fun cave hotel, Yusuf Pasa, in Urgup

Our room was right under the Restaurant sign.
I got the little alcove with the bell
I got the little alcove with the bell		 Loved the rug.
Loved the rug.		 First (outdoor) dinner at the excellent hotel
First (outdoor) dinner at the excellent hotel
Yilmaz (red tie) from Yusuf Pasa Hotel and his cousin from France
Yilmaz (red tie) from Yusuf Pasa Hotel and
his cousin from France		 The Yusuf Pasa Hotel was a great place, though not one of our budget hotels.
Closer up , Yilmaz and his cousin

The Yusuf Pasa Hotel was a great place, though not one of our budget hotels.

 Getting out of car and seeing first balloons
Getting out of car and seeing first balloons
A hint of odd Cappadocia rock formations
A hint of odd Cappadocia rock formations		 Not unlike a moonscape in the sun!
Not unlike a moonscape in the sun!		 Our pilot is landing the balloon we'll ride.
Our pilot is landing the balloon we'll ride.
Note the fire that provides the hot air.
Note the fire that provides the "hot air."		 Takeoff/Landings are from a flat area (when they can).
Takeoff/Landings are from
a flat area (when they can).		 The pilot gets ours ready.
The pilot gets ours ready.
That flame was pretty hot over our hair.
That flame was pretty hot over our hair.		 I made sure to catch the bottom of our basket in some of these by bending over the rim.
A crew member releases the balloon, and
we're off and up...

I made sure to catch the bottom of our basket in some of these by bending over the rim.

 That's the shadow of our balloon over the road.
That's the shadow of our balloon over the road.
It's strange to just float, almost gliding, with no engine sound but a roaring flame, and no whirring blades above.
Trying to catch the wind to get us higher.


It's strange to just float, almost gliding, with no engine sound but a roaring flame, and no whirring blades above.

 Another balloon nearby.
Another balloon nearby.		 Very Quiet except for intermittent roar of the fire above our hair.
Very Quiet except for intermittent roar of
the fire above our hair.
The odd Cappadocia mountain shapes
The odd Cappadocia mountain shapes		 More of same
More of same		 Our pilot says we can't get enough wind/current to get high enough.
Our pilot says we can't get enough
wind/current to get high enough.
We start a premature descent.
We start a premature descent.		 Closer to the ground again, to refuel
Closer to the ground again, to refuel		 Now we've caught the wind and are definitely high enough.
Now we've caught the wind and are
definitely high enough.
Fantastic in the real sense of that word.
Fantastic in the real sense of that word.		 I think he must be George Clooney's brother.
I think he must be George Clooney's brother.		 Mischievously he gets us close to walls,then shoots the balloon up, smiling.
Mischievously he gets us close to walls,
then shoots the balloon up, smiling.
So many different, and odd, shapes.
So many different, and odd, shapes.		 Trouble - we can't get to where we should land.
Trouble - we can't get to where we should land.		 He said to hold on tight. (Think we made it back safely?)
He said to hold on tight. (Think we made it back safely?)
When it's quiet, the ride is eerily peaceful andquite a wonder, but there was mild anxiety at this point.
When it's quiet, the ride is eerily peaceful and
quite a wonder, but there was mild anxiety at this point.		 We're looking for a place to land,since we can't make it to the right place.
We're looking for a place to land,
since we can't make it to the right place.		 Eventually, I saw crew members gathering at the road to help us land safely.
Eventually, I saw crew members gathering
at the road to help us land safely.
I hoped we wouldn't land right in the middle of the road :-)
I hoped we wouldn't land right in the
middle of the road :-)		 We finally landed, relieved, on a slight incline and they pushed us down to this point.
We finally landed, relieved, on a slight incline and
they pushed us down to this point.		 A crew member/driver who picked us up at the hotel, for the ride.
A crew member/driver who picked us up at
the hotel, for the ride.
Getting the basket on a cart.
Getting the basket on a cart.		 Also see an excellent description of the pull of this Cappadocia ride vs common sense, by journalist Alison Gardner
Collapsing the balloon

Also see an excellent description of the pull of this Cappadocia ride vs "common sense," by journalist Alison Gardner

 And here's a detailed account about the whole experience by Turgay Tuna.
The balloon's done for the day.

And here's a detailed account about the whole experience by Turgay Tuna.
Our pilot treated us to champagne anda colorful certificate for our flight.
Our pilot treated us to champagne and
a colorful certificate for our flight.

comment | share
Andrys Basten14-Jan-2008 01:33
mhcr, maybe someone reading here will take your advice. Travel won't be in the works
for me in the near future. We did spend some good time driving to Guzelyurt and Soganli
though. Seehttp://www.pbase.com/andrys/capp3
mhcr 12-Jan-2008 13:44
Nice trip and nice photos. I think you should visit Gulsehir,a city nearby Nevsehir, and you will find very good scenes. Gulsehir is the unknown Cappadocia. If you want to come, i can help you in many ways. Thank you for interest...
ronny haim 11-Jan-2006 07:32
we are going to visit cappadocia on april this year.
please tell me where can we find you,adress and telephon,as well as your flying time-table and duration.
thank you'
ronny.
Andrys Basten18-Oct-2005 01:46
Thanks to "Guest" who wrote privately "Fabulous, fabulous photos"
but who left no name or e-mail address. Am glad you enjoyed these.
We were just quietly thrilled up there to be seeing this, between the
intermittent roar of the flame bursting that quiet.
Franz Bauer05-Feb-2005 12:22
Andrys,I`ve seen some images of Cappadocia,but these are the first arial shots,enjoyed it a lot,thank for sharing.
Franz
Wendy O20-Nov-2004 04:38
Nice gallery...thanks for the ride!
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