After all the excitement of the wedding day we awoke refreshed and happy and went down for breakfast. Today's fare was mushroom omelette with feta cheese, and the usual fruit, and also some toast and jam.
We went off to meet up with Richard to spend some time with him before he jetted off to San Francisco for 8 days. He is staying with friends he met 5 years ago in Cambridge (where he lives) and they have promised to show him the sights and sounds of the city.
After he left there was just enough time for us to check our emails and My Space etc before setting off for a hot air balloon ride! We had pre-arranged this before leaving England and after ringing the company 3 times to check the flight was on (unsettled weather had prevented them operating for the past 3 days) we were told it was all systems to go and were given directions where to meet in Del Mar - a coastal resort about 10 miles north of La Jolla. Neither of us had done a hot air balloon flight before and so we were both excited and a little apprehensive as we made our way to the rendezvous. We arrived a little early and so took advantage of the nearby McDonald's where we each had a milk shake (yummy) before meeting with Panorama Balloons.
The other six participants turned up and we all jumped into the van and drove to the take-off point. It was great fun watching the balloon and basket being prepared and once the balloon was inflated it was a mad and ungainly scramble as we all had to clamber into the basket quickly before it took off without us! The rope holding us to the ground was untied and then we were up and slowly rising into the sky - it was wonderful and so serene.
Apart from the occasional sound of the burner (we had to keep swapping places in the basket as our ears and head were becoming very warm - in fact Jimmy's ears were burned a bit), it was incredibly peaceful and serene. We sailed and soared over fields and houses and even talked to people on the ground as they waved to us as we passed by. And then all too soon (but it had been a 45-minutes flight) it was time to land. We had been warned by our pilot that the landing might be bumpy and he had explained to us how we had to turn our backs to the direction of travel, hold on to the ropes in the basket, bend our knees and brace ourselves. But, when it came to it, the landing itself was smooth (although he did manage to clip the top of a fence) and immediately 4 faces appeared over the rim of the basket as burly men desperately held it down as the balloon was keen to go up up and away again. Eventually the basket tipped over on its side and we we had to hold on really tight with no support for our heads. Photos were quickly taken by the pilot and then we were allowed to struggle and squirm our way out.
Time for a little champagne before being driven back to the meeting point.
By now it was nearly 9 pm and so we ate our first McDonalds burgers since arriving in the USA - great stuff.
Then it was back to the hotel to pack - tomorrow we head off for the next part of our adventure... a 5 day drive up the west coast to Tacoma, Seattle.
260 photos today
Links
jiva website
jiva MySpace
We went off to meet up with Richard to spend some time with him before he jetted off to San Francisco for 8 days. He is staying with friends he met 5 years ago in Cambridge (where he lives) and they have promised to show him the sights and sounds of the city.
After he left there was just enough time for us to check our emails and My Space etc before setting off for a hot air balloon ride! We had pre-arranged this before leaving England and after ringing the company 3 times to check the flight was on (unsettled weather had prevented them operating for the past 3 days) we were told it was all systems to go and were given directions where to meet in Del Mar - a coastal resort about 10 miles north of La Jolla. Neither of us had done a hot air balloon flight before and so we were both excited and a little apprehensive as we made our way to the rendezvous. We arrived a little early and so took advantage of the nearby McDonald's where we each had a milk shake (yummy) before meeting with Panorama Balloons.
The other six participants turned up and we all jumped into the van and drove to the take-off point. It was great fun watching the balloon and basket being prepared and once the balloon was inflated it was a mad and ungainly scramble as we all had to clamber into the basket quickly before it took off without us! The rope holding us to the ground was untied and then we were up and slowly rising into the sky - it was wonderful and so serene.
Apart from the occasional sound of the burner (we had to keep swapping places in the basket as our ears and head were becoming very warm - in fact Jimmy's ears were burned a bit), it was incredibly peaceful and serene. We sailed and soared over fields and houses and even talked to people on the ground as they waved to us as we passed by. And then all too soon (but it had been a 45-minutes flight) it was time to land. We had been warned by our pilot that the landing might be bumpy and he had explained to us how we had to turn our backs to the direction of travel, hold on to the ropes in the basket, bend our knees and brace ourselves. But, when it came to it, the landing itself was smooth (although he did manage to clip the top of a fence) and immediately 4 faces appeared over the rim of the basket as burly men desperately held it down as the balloon was keen to go up up and away again. Eventually the basket tipped over on its side and we we had to hold on really tight with no support for our heads. Photos were quickly taken by the pilot and then we were allowed to struggle and squirm our way out.
Time for a little champagne before being driven back to the meeting point.
By now it was nearly 9 pm and so we ate our first McDonalds burgers since arriving in the USA - great stuff.
Then it was back to the hotel to pack - tomorrow we head off for the next part of our adventure... a 5 day drive up the west coast to Tacoma, Seattle.
260 photos today
Links
jiva website
jiva MySpace
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