Monthly Archives: June 2014

Nature, Turkey

Floating, again.

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Paragliding over the Blue Lagoon was incredible, but I need a better word to describe the feeling you get when you’re floating in a hot air balloon at 5am, watching the sunrise glow across fairy chimneys in Capadocia.

As my basketful of co-passengers silently stared in awe at our surroundings, the perfect soundtrack queued. I was honoured to hear a famous Canadian artist’s voice emerge from the balloon’s cockpit. Not Bieber, nor Shania. It was Celine. My Heart Will Go On. The pilot introduced himself as Leonardo DiCaprio and asked “where is my Rose?”

After an hour of floating, rising and falling, we landed precisely on a trailer that’s as wide as the basket and just a foot longer.  Then we partied! There was music, champagne, cake, and a group photo.

If you can’t decide which of the 28 hot air balloon agencies to use when you’re in Capadocia, Turkey, I highly recommend Atmosfer! They provide a perfectly orchestrated customer experience from pickup to party, and you’ll be back in bed at 7am, dreaming of fairy chimneys.

This adventure’s pics are on Flickr:
Amyleajacobs’ Capadocia Photos on Flickr

 

 

Nature, Turkey

Floating this way and that.

I was ready to run off the cliff when a gust of wind pushed me backwards then picked me up! Suddenly I was flying, slowly soaring over Ölüdeniz and the Blue Lagoon. It felt like how I imaging riding a park bench in the sky feels like…

Paragliding is awesome.

 

 

Turkey

I threw my camera…

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I was on a horse, holding my camera up in one hand, waiting for the perfect frame to capture the magnificent Ghost Town near Oludeniz in southern Turkey. Then a big green bug started gnawing on my ankle. I screamed and tried to “brush” it off, but instead I accidentally threw my camera over my head as if I was luring the bug away with bait. My horse kept walking like nothing happened and the bug didn’t take the bait, it just kept biting me. With my newly free hand I brushed the bug off – for real this time – then I looked back for my camera. It landed 15 feet away in the middle of the road, in direct line of an approaching car…

I’d like to endorse the durability of the Panasonic ZS30. With it’s 20x zoom fully extended, this camera remarkably survived a tumble across pavement, and dodged a car.

This adventure’s pictures are on Flickr:
Amyleajacobs’ Fethiye Photos on Flickr

 

 

Architecture, Dubai

Aiyaiyai Dubai!

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Look up! Look back! Look again! it’s…

  • The tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. Picture the CN Tower, now picture its observatory deck reaching only half-way up the Burj Khalifa.
  • The largest water fountain show, the fountains at the Mall of Dubai. Imagine Bellagio, but bigger, and better.
  • Sharks, stingrays, and all that cool aquatic life in a HUGE indoor aquarium, across from an enormous candy store, in a giant mall.
  • A ski hill, in the mall. At the Mall of Emirates.
  • A man-made palm-shaped island with tunnels, trains, bridges and huge luxury hotels.
  • A dozen Maseratis, a couple Rolls-Royces, hundreds of Porches, a bunch of Bentleys, Lamborghinis and Ferraris, and thousands of Audis, Mercedes, and BMWs.  Every day.
  • Tim Hortons! I couldn’t believe my eyes. Tim Hortons is in Dubai!

I quickly noticed a trend in Dubai… there wasn’t just Canada’s favourite coffee shop in the mall, there were the world’s favourite restaurants and stores from all around the world. There’s no need to go anywhere else in the world if you want the best food and clothing, cause they all party together in Dubai! On my last day I indulged in a New York Shake Shack Burger, and shopped at my favourite European retailers, Zara and BCBG.

So that’s Dubai! Like a modern art museum, it’s a skillfully curated and carefully laid-out collection of modern architecture, fast cars, and fresh & famous food.

I also had the privilege of staying with Sachin, an incredibly nice local who showed me around town and treated me like family.  Thank you!

This adventure’s pics are on Flickr:
Amyleajacobs’ Dubai photos on Flickr.