Up In A Balloon

I am up before the wake-up call. It is cold cold. It is dark. The van picks us up soon, and the driver hands us a sandwich. We are half awake. The diver tells us it is a perfect day for ballooning after several days of bad ones. It is still freaking cold, and I loved it.

The Cappadocia region of Turkey is one of the capitals of ballooning. The rugged, flat landscape makes it a perfect place for going up. They only go up when the conditions are ideal, with enough wind and clear skies. We were lucky to be at the perfect time but we need to be up before the sun.

The van bumps and winds through the narrow roads of Göreme, the main tourist town in Cappadocia, Turkey. We learn most of the cave-like homes in the town are now hotels or cafes. Most of the residents live on the outskirts in modern houses.

The van drops us off at the top of a hill. The sun is coming up, making things warmer, but it is still cold. We stay inside inside the van as they put up the balloons. It is January, and it is cold. There aren’t as many tourists and people wanting to go. The busiest time is during the summer.

This area became famous for ballooning in 1991 with the pioneers Lars-Eric More and Kaili Kinder. More than 25 companies are operating over 200 balloons per day.

Once in, the operator lights the fire, and we lift off the ground and into the air. They are well-trained and need to go through rigorous training.  The ones driving the balloons have apprenticed from people who have been doing it for years. He mentions that our pilot had been doing it for 8 years. The government licences and certifies the operators to ensure safety. There have been accidents in the past, with the last one happening in 2013.

Our flight lasted an hour, and we could see we reached over 3,000 feet. The cost is not cheap at around $100 US (higher in the summertime), but it is worth it. When we landed, we celebrate with some sparkling juice and then drive back to town.