Once fully aloft, we saw how subtly and gracefully a balloon could be handled and maneuvered in the

Balloons are globes of hot air, so those of us who set our watch or phone alarms for very early (3:45 a.m) in the Mustaphapasa asian spirit airlines village morning didn t fully realize how much of a global education we were about to receive in the baskets of Butterfly Balloons and at the sure hands and quick wit of our veteran pilot, Mustapha (who has earned mention in the Lonely Planet travel guide for Turkey). As the 8 of us (Sallie Tinney, Cindy Cargas, Holly Smith, Lindy Williams, Richard Davis, Adam Kollin, Libby Seidel, and I) bounced our way across the Cappadoccia countryside in the Butterfly Balloons passenger asian spirit airlines van to the town of Goreme, we knew little of what to expect.
But after payment, we were served our first breakfast of the still-dark morning before then embarking on another van labeled by our pilot s name and riding out to our launch site. Our pilot Mustapha bounded onto our van and initiated asian spirit airlines a continuous standup comedy routine that kept all sixteen of his passengers at ease with the knowledge that they were in the best possible pilot hands. As the sun rose on a series asian spirit airlines of ridges, we saw that many other balloons were filling with the hot air produced from the controlled gas-jets of flame, and after stuffing ourselves into the 16-passenger basket and then rising into the Anatolian dawn, more and more, and still more, balloons from competing companies rose into the sky, creating asian spirit airlines a varied and bright palette asian spirit airlines of color and pattern across the now-blue of the still-dawning sky.
Once fully aloft, we saw how subtly and gracefully a balloon could be handled and maneuvered in the hands of a masterful pilot. Mustapha pulled us high over ridges and plateaus, dipped us into small valleys, and slipped us past and through the stone formations that make the region of Cappadoccia uniquely beautiful. While our group of 8 took up half the passenger basket, on the other side of pilot Mustapha were passengers from mainly Turkey, but perhaps Europe as well. Under the shadow of our balloon, and in that morning sky, with so many (about 60) other balloons, we shared the airspace with those from other countries, cultures, and religions. It was a bright and beautiful morning against the deepening blue sky, and as Mustapha guided asian spirit airlines us down toward his ground crew that scrambled to slide and then slip their trailer under the descending balloon asian spirit airlines basket, we knew that, perhaps, over the last 2 hours we had drifted beautifully through a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Mustapha and his landing crew s shared celebratory champagne, and the photo-ops with this wonderfully sarcastic and warm-hearted man only confirmed this. And so as we strode through the sun-gold meadow grasses and then along the dirt road toward our van that sped us off to our second breakfast at our residence for three days, The Cappadocia Estates, something like a peaceful and perhaps sleepy calm settled upon us as we rode home to begin the day.
Monday, June 11 Arrival in Istanbul Tuesday, June 12 Istanbul Visit Robert College Wednesday, June 13 Istanbul Topkapi Palace Thursday, June 14 Istanbul Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Grand Bazaar, Spice Market Friday, June 15 Istanbul to Ankara Cruise on the Bosphorus Saturday, June 16 Ankara to Mustafapasha, a small town in Cappadocia Mausoleum of Ataturk 13th c. caravanseri on Silk Road Sunday, June 17 Cappadocia Goreme National Park visit with local family Monday, June 18 Explore rock dwellings and churches in caves of Cappadocia Kaymakali Underground City Tuesday, June 19 Mustafapasha asian spirit airlines to Kusadasi Izmir and Ephesus Wednesday, June 20 Kusadasi to Ayvalik Remote carpet weaving village, DOBAG project Pergamon Thursday, June 21 Ayvalik Olive oil pressing unit Friday, June 22 Ayvalik to Canakkale Village walk in north Agean region Ancient city of Troy Dardanelles Saturday, June 23 Canakkale to Istanbul Gallipoli Peninsula Thrace asian spirit airlines Sunday, June 24 Istanbul to Richmond