Thursday, June 30, 2011

Turkish Pide and a Hot Air Balloon Ride

in front of the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul.








The following day I arrived at the launch pad before sunrise.


It quickly turned into rush hour on the 405.

Luckily they were more courteous drivers than in LA.


Some monks have more passionate priestly pursuits than others.

After an hour, we were spent like next month's rent.





  1. I remember a flat bread in Turkey called "ekmek." The manager of our hotel wouldn't let guests bring in outside bread, so we called him "anti-ekmek."

  2. Fedex me some of those pizza bread things next time you go there, they look great!

  3. Goodness, you have the best adventures!!!!!!

  4. I would have been scared to death to up in one of those balloons. What if a big wind came and blew you away... how would you get back? Just saying.

  5. I love Istanbul. Your pictures brought back great travel memories. I loved experiencing your hot air balloon ride here. Funny and fantastic!

  6. Such a beautiful country and wonderful food! Thank you for sharing your pide! Did you bring back the recipe, I need some pide.

  7. Great travel pics. Thanks for taking us on the journey. Very interesting natural topography. They remind me of stalagmites in caves, but on a much larger scale. Tried the caving thing a few times, it's not my thing.

  8. So what happens if one balloon rear-ended another one, 405-style? Would y'all fall down?

    I'm not a fan of those phallic rocks. They look like they'd hurt if you didn't hit it right.


    P.S. Lovely photos! Definitely a part of the world I've never been.