We arrived at the launch site bright and early wearing warm clothing that we immediately stripped off. Apparently there had been some sort of miscommunication on the phone. It gets pretty hot standing directly beneath a giant flame. Actually, really hot.
We watched our balloon fill up and I tried not to squirm too much. I was nervous.
You might think that once we gained elevation and began to drift that I might relax a little, but nope! I stayed nervous the whole time and tried not to get motion sickness. I don’t know how the people hanging their arms over the sides of the basket managed it.
I looked like this the whole time. That’s a scared of heights + searing heat on my scalp combo.
We floated over the desert and enjoyed the beige scenery. I’m not sure if Abu Dhabi is the most scenic place to hot air balloon, but it was still interesting to see the desert from above.
My favorite part of the ride was landing. Well, the actual touch down was a little rough… but the location was perfect. We landed in a camel race track! There were camels all over the place! I can imagine the handlers were a little surprised to see a giant balloon descending towards them.
We enjoyed a few drinks and photo opportunities before the cars came and brought us back to the launch site.
I think it was a pretty good celebration. Definitely worth it.
xo, jill
Can’t think of a better way to celebrate a monumental birthday! I’ve been seeing a lot of posts on hot air ballooning recently, and I am trying to convince Tony—who also has a fear of heights—that this is something we need to do on our trip… really seems like a once in a lifetime experience!
I’m not a big fan of heights either. I had that same expression on my face when I climbed the top of St. Paul’s cathedral in London and then proceeded to walk around the exterior of the dome. But I definitely would try hot air-ballooning! 😀
This is so cool. I can’t wait to try it when I get to Abu dhabi.
Wow! I somehow missed this one over the summer. I’m so thankful for the ways you have been by my side all through the ups (literally!) and downs of 28! I love you dear friend!!!!