Hot Air Balloon

A friend and her siblings arranged a ride as a present for her parents 40th anniversary. They never went as her dad refused.
I'd have to go alone as it would never take off with any weight other than mine and the pilot !!

Thoughts are with the families of those that died.

What a sensible chap!

Yes - dreadful. But 1000s die everyday in car crashes which are not much fun either.

About 10 years ago, I got quite a large tax refund and for once, decided to spend it on something very very special to share with DH. We went on Safari in Tanzania and treated ourselves to an early morning balloon ride over the Masai Mara- it's the most amazing and beautiful thing we've ever done- seeing all the animals from the sky and yet so close, in a way that did NOT disturb them at all (I was disgusted by the behaviour of tour minibuses and jeeps on the other hand- abuse being cause by the very poor pay for guides who therefore break all the rules to get more tips- and I would never go again)- it was just so fabulous and I never felt at risk at all.

They fly over our house quite regularly throughout the summer. One made an emergency landing in the stubble field next to us a couple of years ago. Everyone was fine and we made them all a cup of tea while they waited for the follow up truck to collect them.

You wouldn't get me in one though.

Out Tanzania balloon was very large- made up of 9 sections, 4 on each side, each for 2 people and a central one for pilot and assistants. We had to hold to lie in the alveolas before take off and hold on to straps and keep our head down in the basket,on take off and landing, and then pilot said- you can come up now- and WOW. I'd do it again tomorrow. Mind you 2 years ago we did tandem parapenting jumps too- and that was amazing as well.

Being driven by a careless and not very good driver frightens me 1000s more (perhaps because it landed me in hospital for 9 months one and 2 years to learn to walk again)- statistically cars are much much more dangerous.