Hot air ballooning was only ever on the "wish list" of things to do when I get older, have the time, before I die, etc, or as it is now more popularly known, on my "bucket list". I suppose retirement falls into that category.
Well on Saturday the 18th December this dream became a reality, but , boy was there a lot of behind the scenes activity going on beforehand, which I only heard about after the event.It was supposed to be a surprise, which it was, however unlike booking a trip to the Kruger or to see the Big Five near Worcester, hot air balloons don't care about any of your own plans, it only cares about the weather and then only about perfect weather for flying. That means no fog, winds not too strong , not too late, not too wet and EARLY IN THE MORNING. So a challenge for a surprise outing!!Well Dick pulled it off, with many secretive phone calls,SMS's and some late night and very early morning calls from a mysterious person.
On the perfect morning we were up at 3-30 and off in the direction of Paarl where we had to meet our transport at 4.45 at the Grande Roche. Well the Combi with a big trailer behind it put the idea that it might be white river rafting to bed and I could relax on that one. The hosts for the outing was a bubbly German lady, Carmen and her husband Udo, whom we later found out was an experienced "balloon pilot". Off we went towards Malmesbury with another couple who had been on the list for months and one other lady who received the flight as a 70th birthday gift in March already. She had once before arrived for her flight, all the way from The Strand, however too much fog on that morning . On this day she struck it right.
Going on a Balloon flight is not a "sit back and wait" event. No ways, you are involved with off loading , laying the balloon down for inflating, unpacking and holding and once the balloon is fully inflated, to hold the basket down, else it might take off without the passengers. We received careful instructions on how what where and when, however before long we were in the balloon armed with cameras and ready to take off, just as the sun appeared over the mountains to say "good morning" and then we were in the air, just like magic!!No sound at all, just drifting like you were on a cloud. What a sensation!!!
Up and down and across you drift and you can take in the scenery at your leisure and Udo is a great guide who knows the landmarks from 1000m off the ground. Kasteelberg, Paarl Mountain, Perdeberg, Groot Winterberg, the Limietberg and all the mountains from Du Toitskloof as far back as the Hexriver and beyond appears systematically as you go higher or in a different direction. None of the stretching and straining of the neck to see something like when your are flying over in an aeroplane. There are also tit bits of information being passed on. The biggest Plum farm in the Southern Hemisphere is below us, Perdeberg has the best value wines, this farm is in the market and all the time we are taking pictures and wishing that this experience will continue forever. It is so carefree, silent and different. I think one could easily become addicted to this type of "escapism".
All too soon the flight is over. It was well more than an hour and suddenly we are on the ground on a freshly harvested wheatfield and we have to do some more work, because as we all know, what goes up must come down and what is inflated, has to be deflated and packed away and this all happens with happy banter and a sense of new found freedom. No cares left on this Saturday morning.
No job is done until the paperwork is completed, so we are all issued with a certificate to certify us all as "having defied the laws of gravity................" and then it was off to Grand Roche for a breakfast with some champagne of the region.This is a non negotiable. If you were to go on this outing you will hear the story from Udo!!
.....and we got the T-shirt!!!
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