51 ~ "Up, Up and Away" in my beautiful balloon : Jaipur

Both alarms were set for 4.45am / 04:45 with a 5.15am / 05:15 pick up. Another couple from the hotel had also booked this hot air balloon trip so the 3 of us were taken 60 minutes through Jaipur streets still fast asleep and out north towards town of Chandwaji.

"Up, Up and Away" is a 1967 song written by Jimmy Webb and recorded by the 5th Dimension was certainly in my mind as I waited for lift off.
“Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon
Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon
We could float among the stars together, you and I
For we can fly we can fly
Up, up and away”

This scheduled one hour balloon ride was not cheap but was to be my luxury treat for this trip. NZ$425 / US$290 / just over 20,000 rupees.

http://www.skywaltz.com/

It was my second hot air balloon experience having done a low level one in Cambodia back in 2012.

http://v2.travelark.org/travel-blog-entry/bruceontour/9/1356219664

Three balloons today and I was in the smallest one with just 8 passengers. The largest one took just over 20 people in its wicker basket. Having sent a few days earlier my weight for load distribution, it was liftoff in the Chomu Sub-District at 7.10am / 07:10.

Being out in the open I was prepared for the cold with beanie, silk scarf, 3 layers of short and long sleeve merino tops, sleeveless fleece vest and an outer wind shell jacket. Yes, it was 5C / 40 F but I certainly did not feel the cold at all.

Yes ... lots of photos / videos ...

Soon it was time to come down and our Spanish Captain Arturo spotted a field and at 8.17am / 08:17 touch down.

Unfortunately, it had no vehicle access so with the many children and adults surrounding the balloon it was lift off again. We had over 2 hours of gas so no problems here.

So, at 8.28am / 08:28 lift off and with the children madly running down the roads and across the fields trying to follow the balloon, it was a real unexpected bonus to spend more time above the countryside.

Second touchdown at 8.50am / 08:50 and landed in the Shahpura Sub-District.

No issues with access for the support vehicles who were closely following us.

Certificates handed out and a group photo before being taken back to Jaipur late!

Was initially told that we would be back at 9.30am / 09:30.

Twenty minutes later leaving at 9.09am / 09:09, thankfully the traffic wasn’t that bad as we headed back into Jaipur.