To The Moon And Back

A hot air balloon gives an elevated perspective on the central Turkish region’s lunar landscapes

- James Draven

Sunrise; sunset. Sunrise; sunset. Time is a matter of perspective. Mere seconds, not days, are passing. It’s a frosty 6am and the sun is peeping over the mountainous horizon. Just as its warming rays bloom against the skyline, our aircra sinks below the edge of its launch pad — a sliver of canyon precipice — and the sun disappears behind the peaks again. This is the first time I’ve ever descended at take-o­ .

This is also the first time the pilot has freely admitted to me that he has no idea where we’re going and that a gentle crash landing is a distinct possibility. We’re literally going where the wind takes us.