Hot Air Balloons Everywhere
I pictured at most maybe a few hot air balloons. Cappadocia had hundreds. Ours alone held thirty people across nine compartments, and by mid morning the sky over a single field was so crowded with balloons it hardly looked real. Somehow the highlight of the day was a lady making a carpet.
So, I had no idea what we were in for. I was picturing this one-off hot air balloon experience. Maybe there'd be a couple? I didn't realize that Cappadocia was famous for its hot air balloon insanity. Literally hundreds of them, and of a surprising number of shapes and sizes.
We left the hotel around 4am, heading out into the middle of nowhere. We were treated to a table filled with tea, coffee and breads of various shapes and sizes. Turks eat a lot of bread. I guess I should just be happy it wasn't donuts. Still, can we not standardize on working some protein into these breakfasts??
While we stuffed our faces with poor breakfast options, we watched as they inflated the balloon and secured this massive basket to it. I don't know exactly what I was expecting, but this "basket" has eight passenger compartments, plus a central compartment for a couple pilots – sufficient for around thirty people in the balloon.
