Day 96: Cappadocia (2)

I took a 55-minute flight from Istanbul at midnight, to catch another 55-minute flight the following morning. The first one, with airplane, modern means of transportation. The second one, hot air balloon ride, first successful human-carrying flight technology dating back to 18th century. Completely blown away by the second one.

Day 94: Cappadocia (1)

Have I told you that I’ve always been a HUGE fan of @dailyoverview account? (and several accounts that showcase stunning aerial photos taken with drones but @dailyoverview is no doubt the best). Check them out. Things are so different and fascinating from a perspective we don’t usually have chance to see.

Day 12: The Earth and a billiard ball

You might have heard about this urban legend: The Earth is actually smoother(*) than a billiard ball.

Sunrise over Cappadocia, Turkey. View from a hot air balloon ride.

Is it true? Yeah, quite. A standard billiard ball (American-style pool) must be 2.25″ in diameter (57.15 mm) and has a tolerance of 0.005 inches (0.127 mm). That’s pretty smooth: the ratio of the size of an allowable bump to the diameter is ~0.002.