A break in the regularly scheduled wedding photos to bring you some more fun travel images! I shared the first part of my birthday Turkey trip a month or so ago.
On my last day in Istanbul, I had a few places I wanted to see. First was this wonderful ancient cistern. I had seen something similar on a previous trip to Morocco and wanted to see if this one would also make for awesome photos. Success! I love this kind of places.
I then took the tram over to the other side of town to explore the area near Taksim Square. (Yes, where the most recent protests have been occuring.) I also climbed to the top of the Galata Tower for to get a few images of the city from above. While the view is cool from the tower, I got the nearly the same view from a cafe down the block where I stopped for a drink and a snack.
Finally, I knew I HAD to catch a sunset near the Galata Bridge. I wasn’t disappointed. The sky was incredible.
After enjoying the sunset, I headed back to my hostel to get up bright and early to catch my flight to Cappadocia. Why Cappadocia? This region of Turkey is one of the main reasons I’d had my heart set on going to Turkey for so long. It has one of the most interesting landscapes in the world. Hundreds of “fairy chimneys” sprout up from the ground giving it a crazy lunar feel.
I had a great time hiking through the rock formations, but the primary reason to come?
To fly in a hot air balloon! 
I stayed in Göreme, one of the main places to catch a hot air balloon. I went with Kapadokya Balloons , one of the most experienced ballooners in town and had an incredible time, though things started out with a hiccup. Normally, all the balloons are launched at dawn. (Which as a photogrpaher, I was THRILLED about. Golden hour light? Hot Air Balloons? Win. ) However, what I didn’t realize was that November was also the one month where they are often socked in with fog, making the launch impossible. I got up on the morning of my flight only to realize I couldn’t see anything outside. Not even across the street. Shoot. However, luckily they decided to try for a rare launch later in the day, and by 3pm, we were in the air!
Flying in a hot air balloon over this landscape was far and away one of the most incredible things I’ve ever done. It’s almost surreal. As the balloon ascends, you feel as if you’re floating and it’s completely silent after the gas is released.
If you’re ever in Turkey, this is a once in a lifetime kind of MUST do.
Now the question is, who wants to get married in a hot air balloon?? 🙂
Cheers to new adventures!
PS. I’m also working on updating/getting more images up for sale in my etsy shop! If you like these images, feel free to check it out!
De Nueva Etsy Shop
