The Hot Air Balloon

Over the past years, I’ve been lucky enough to travel in many different countries. When I
think of my travel experiences, so many things jump out at me. But only one stands above the rest.
It was the hot summer of 2016 and I was in Turkey, more precisely in Cappadocia with my
parents and some of our friends.
It was a magical sight and we felt lucky to be there. The smooth shapes of the valley walls
slowly came into focus, illuminated with the early morning sun, as the balloons which were already
in the air cut a silhouette against a very unusual backdrop. We stood there, taking it all in, listening
to the sounds the burners firing up, slowly filling our balloon with air.
The Hot Air Balloon was inflated and we were lifted into the upright position. With the take-
off preparations complete, our pilot released the ropes and waved us off. But, with grace and
poise, our little wicker basket slowly drifted away and then suddenly lost its control because there
was a technical problem so the balloon couldn’t keep its direction. It was frightening for us to see
that we were up in the sky without any control, we couldn’t continue the ride and we couldn’t land,
either. We made desperate signs with our hands and someone came to rescue us.
We were glad that everything turned out fine in the end and after four years we still
remember those days with a smile on our faces.