We started in the early morning, before the sun had risen above the horizon. It was cold, and we had been waiting for our ride to the launch area for far too long. We were finally taken to where we’d be taking off, were treated to warm coffee and some breakfast snacks, and then divided into groups.
When we loaded into the basket we had a vague idea of how many hot air balloons would be up in the sky, but it wasn’t until the sun broke through that we saw exactly how many were floating above the incredible landscape of Cappadocia. We flew over the valleys we’d hiked during previous days spent in the region. This particular area of Turkey is one of the most popular hot air ballooning locations in the world, and people travel to this spot purely to have this experience. I’d always wanted to do it, but had never been able to get excited enough about it in my home country. It was our one big treat for this trip and there was not doubt that it was an absolutely incredible experience.
The company we flew with was Anatonian Balloon and they were fantastic! I highly recommend this operator to anyone visiting Goreme and wanting to go on a hot air balloon flight. Our American pilot held a commercial license and was professional, safe, and pretty damn funny. You can visit their site here if you’re looking for more details.
a decent cup of tea 
AMAZING, best photos! I sooo wanna do this!!!
This brings back some great memories. Thank you for sharing.
The Damn Funny American Pilot