Floating over vineyards, wineries and the hills of the Napa Valley can be an exhilarating experience - but picture yourself gliding in a hot air balloon over ancient Indian palaces and walled fortresses. "Imagine doing a balloon glow just after dusk on the parapets of a 12th-century fortress overlooking the blue city of Jodhpur," said Joyce Anna Bowen, recently back from her third trip to India as a guest of the Government of Rajasthan, reports the Napa Valley Register.

One of the Napa Valley's premier hot air balloonists, Bowen was one of 18 pilots from around the world sponsored and supported by Rajasthan's Department of Tourism. And she'll be going back. While there, she entered a competition as the only female pilot and took the top prize, a $4,000 travel package to Goa, India. "I'm known in other places around the world," Bowen said with pride, considering herself something of a cultural ambassador.

Bowen also considers herself a role model for young women. " India is a country where women are often subjugated," she said.

Bowen called India a land of contrasts, with a developing middle class.

"It's a real in-your-face country," she said. "It's clean, and it's dirty. They are beautiful people, and it's very crowded."

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( http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2006/06/27/news/local_top_story/iq_3485012.txt )