On our first morning in Bagan my entire group had opted to participate in Balloons over Bagan – hot air balloon ride over the temple-littered plains of ancient Bagan. I know I sometimes overuse the word, but WOW! It was one of those indelible lifetime travel memories one never forgets.
Upon landing we were quite simply giddy with delight. A magnificent experience! We departed pre-dawn from our New Bagan hotel and were bused to the flight field. We were served coffee/tea and briefed on the flight. Then they began to inflate the great balloons – probably 7-8 at our site.
Once the crimson colored spheres filled with sufficient hot air they pulled the 16-passenger baskets upright and we scrambled in. Our captain, Christophe from Belgium, was courteous, informative, and personable.
We gently lifted off and as soon as we cleared the tree line were treated to a perfect sunrise and dozens of other balloons drifting silently along. Christophe steered us over the plains and temples as the light filled the sky and illuminated our temple-studded view. He occasionally snapped shots of us with a guide-wire mountedcamera. 
The air was crisp but not cold, the light sublime, the company perfect, and the view magnificent! An absolutely perfect morning! I could go on trying to describe the emotions and spirit, but I would fail utterly to capture our experience. So I’m simply going to let the images articulate their 1000+ words each. Enjoy. And join us next time.
