9 . I always think how lucky I am that my work as a travel writer introduces me to extraordinary locations, experiences and people. However, my recent hot air balloon _______ over the breathtaking ancient temples of Bagan has proved the most impressive. Without _______ it will stay with me forever, and years later I can still smile at the fond _______.

There are over 2200 temples and pagodas (宝塔) on the plains of Bagan, _______ the 11th and13th century. For me, Bagan is the place where one makes the travel _______ a reality.

The sunrise hot air balloon experiences are popular so it’s best to book _______. My husband Ryan Wright and I were picked up at 5:10 am. After picking up some additional guests, we made our way to the _______ field. The pilots (飞行员) introduced themselves and _______ the basics of ballooning. They were warm, friendly and funny and set my nerves _______.

Then, before I even realized what had happened, we were ________ the ground. The earth just seemed to drop away from the hot air balloon. ________, I felt nothing when the ropes were ________ and we started to fly into the sky. Graeme suggested some of the best sights and photo ________ , starting with the sunrise.

Once the sun was up, the temples and pagodas were even more beautiful. Ranging from ________ groups of buildings to tiny structures, Graeme was keen to point out some of his personal favorites, as well as those buildings ________ restoration (修复) work. Who knew that bamboo scaffolding (脚手架) could be so beautiful ________ the sunrise?

With the end of our flight approaching, Graeme ________ us of safe landing procedures. I really ________ that he was so clear and focused on ________! We were soon back on solid land. A circle of chairs had been ________ for us to enjoy a light breakfast.

This hot air balloon journey was the most wonderful travel experience of my life.