back and recap

In the last posts I left you with a snapshot of Greece and a butthead balloon driver.  Since those times, we've returned to India, and a hot house full of dust and cockroaches.  So, I am pleased to go back, mentally at least, to our great vacation. 

Let's start (again) with Cappadocia:
THE thing to do in Cappadocia is go on a hot air balloon ride.  So, that's what we did.  It cost a fortune, no joke, but we figured, what the hell.  I mean we're going to be absolutely broke anyway, so what's the harm?  In all, it was pretty worth the price, though my trip was nearly ruined by this jerk:

This picture was taken at the moment of the "captain" scolding me for taking pictures.  Apparently, I can't take pictures and listen at the same time.  I just don't have those capabilities.

Getting scolded on that morning confirmed what I've always known about myself: I hate getting in trouble.  Really, I do.  It gives me a kind of sinking feeling in the stomach and brain.  And I had a hard time getting over it.  So, I started rolling my eyes at everything the captain said.  Very mature, I know.  But he really was a jerk.  It made me feel better when he started being a jerk to other people too.  He was even a jerk to Brad and that just made me feel pissed off, which is better than feeling ashamed, so that was OK.     

Anyway, it's hard to stay mad or sad looking at all this:

We had a 45 minute ride over all sorts of funky rocks.  It was crazy to see all the other balloons zooming around us.  We bumped into one at one point and got really close to some rocks.  But altogether, it was not frightening.  We did almost have a bad landing, but the ground crew hooked us just before we all toppled over.  I guess it's pretty common for a balloon to take a spill on landing.  I knew this going in because once, when I was younger, my mom got off the phone and said, "Your grandma fell out of a hot air balloon."

And it was only after some major panic, picturing my poor grandma plummeting to the earth, that I found out she fell out of a basket ON THE GROUND.  I felt relieved then, but now I can see how that would have really hurt.

This is the guy who hooked us, looks the part, doesn't he?

So, despite the bad beginnings and a nearly bad ending, it was a good trip.  They promised a champagne toast on landing, which turned out to be a splash of champagne mixed with cherry juice.  They called it a "local custom".  I call it being cheap.  But once everyone started heading to the van, Brad and I found the remaining champagne and had a little toast to ourselves.  For being awesome.

Next up: Kos, Greece.