Join Me in 2022

HOT AIR BALLOON EXPERIENCE IN RONDA:  TOTALLY UNFORGETTABLE!

The silence was palpable.  Both eerie and peaceful.  We were floating like a bird with the picturesque landscape stretching out below us as though we were in a real Google Satellite image.

The silence was broken with the hot and deafening roar of the burners, giving us a blast of hot air to take us even higher.

I was filled with awe.  And the realisation that I never, ever believed that this day would happen.  

Yet - here I was!

Years ago, when I first filled out a list of all the things I wanted to do in my life (Bucket List wasn't even an expression back then!), Hot Air Ballooning was one of the things that appeared on that list. 

But, as I got older and developed an extreme fear of heights, I dismissed this idea as something that I would never, ever - never in a million years - be able to do.

I pictured myself in a balloon - sitting on the bottom of the basket, freaking out and feeling sick with fear.  After all, I couldn't even look over the edge of a four storey balcony without feeling sick.  

But, being sick of missing out on things I'd always wanted to do, I took steps to overcome my fear and when this opportunity came up, I jumped at the chance and booked myself in. 

And I'm so very glad I did overcome my fears - this really was one of the most special experiences of my life and even better than I had ever imagined. 

I flew (the correct terminology for balloon travel) with a company called Gloventusur and they were brilliant! The trip was organised by the wonderful Random Fun Adventures, who I highly recommend for anyone in the Cadiz/Malaga provinces of Andalusia. I've had so many great adventures with them and look forward to many more!

The night before the trip, I couldn't sleep.  Not at all.  Zero.  Zilch! 

I was way too excited - and, I confess, a little nervous.  Although not terrified as I would have been in the bad old fearful days. 

I think part of the nerves were simply knowing I had to get up at 5am!

I drove the short distance to my pick-up point and it was pitch black, with the exception of the brilliant full moon which seemed fitting for Halloween - it was 31st October.

I'm not going to lie - I really don't like the journey to Ronda.  The roads are exceptionally winding and I had to focus on my breathing not to become very travel sick - not easy when you're wearing a mask!  

It was beautiful though to watch the sunrise over the sea until we left the coast behind and drove into the hills.

We arrived a little before 8am and I was glad for my layers of clothing as it was a crisp, chilly morning.  I was also glad of the flask of coffee I'd prepared.  

We watched in wonder as the balloons inflated in front of us.  I couldn't believe how MASSIVE they were!  Much, much bigger than I had imagined. 

This is how I was feeling before we began:

Before we knew it, we were climbing into our basket.  I was in a balloon for 12 passengers.  We were divided into two groups of six with the pilot in the middle, so were compliant as far as the rules of 6 people being together in a group.  Well - almost!  

The balloon was sectioned, so we were 3 people to a section, keeping it balanced and ensuring that we wouldn't fall on top of each other.  I'm not sure if that was disconcerting or comforting! 

It was easy to climb into the balloon as there were little foot holes in the side of the basket.  

Once we were all in, the pilot, Filipe, started blasting on the air burners.  Man, they provided some heat - and they were deafening.  It all added to the excitement of the experience. 

It was incredible to look up and see that huge flame reaching into the vast canopy of the balloon.  

The basket suddenly lifted, straining against the ropes.  The ground crew released the ropes, Filipe gave another couple of blasts and we were off!

I couldn't believe how quickly we rose!  In no time at all, the crew vehicles looked a long way away and the landscape started to unfold before our eyes.

At this point, the sun rose over the mountain giving us a wonderful light and simply added to the experience, making the early start very worth while. 

The conditions were perfect for ballooning, a clear, bright morning, with only the smallest breeze.  

We rarely felt the wind, as we were mostly going along with it - only when we turned did we feel the slight breeze on our faces. 

I also couldn't believe how calm I felt as we rose ever higher.

Here I was peeking over the edge and looking straight down at the disappearing ground in front of us.  And I was absolutely fine!  I was more scared of dropping my phone as I took my photos!

There was just ONE moment when I was focusing on how I felt and began to imagine how the 'old me' would have been feeling.  And then those wobbles started to appear.  The old me imagined suddenly being catapulted out of the basket and plummeting towards the trees far below.  WTF?  Why on earth would I even think that?!!

So I quickly changed back to the 'new me' and the wobbles disappeared as if by magic!  It just goes to show that how we feel is 1,000% about the stories we tell ourselves in our head.  Instead, I focused on the amazing views, the feeling of floating on the breeze and achieving something I'd wanted to do for years. 

A much, much better feeling! 

And the view really was spectacular.  We rose to 715m and the entire town of Ronda just looked like a tiny, white cluster of buildings.  

As we rose, we first crossed the stadium, then the new part of the town and finally we could see the old town, the oldest bull ring in Spain, the city walls and the famous bridge crossing the gorge.  

At times, there was lots of noise - the burners, the chatting and the laughter as we experienced the thrill.  

At other times, the whole basked was in silence, enjoying the peaceful calm and tranquility of this special space in the sky. 

Eventually, after about an hour and a half of flying, we began to descend. 

We were treated to the wonderful sight of a black horse galloping below us.  He was fascinated by the massive shadow being cast by our balloon and wanted to investigate. 

Prior to the trip, the one thing I wasn't looking forward to was the landing!  I had heard stories of the landing being rough and bumpy and hard on the legs and knees.  I had pictures of us coming down rapidly with a massive jolt - or several jolts and had been prepared to hang on and brace myself.

I needn't have worried.  It couldn't possibly have been more gentle. 

We came down so slowly, we barely knew we were landing and the balloon softly kissed the ground and we were back on terra firma.  My knees never noticed and my hands barely moved as I recorded the landing on my phone. 

A perfect ending to a perfect flight! 

We clambered out of the basket and I was once again glad that I'd brought a flask of coffee as we had a bit of a wait while the crew deflated the balloon and packed it away so we could be driven to the restaurant for breakfast.  

At this point, I was so happy that after so many years, I had dealt with my fears allowing me to have such a wonderful experience.

If you've ever wanted to have a Hot Air Balloon experience, I can't recommend it enough. 

If it's something that's been on your bucket list forever and somehow never got around to it - then stop procrastinating and get a trip planned as soon as you can. 

And, if you've always fancied it but haven't got the confidence - then get in touch with me and let me help you to banish those fears so you can enjoy an experience that will form some of the best memories of your life. 

Go on!  Life is for Living

Dare Yourself!

#Atrévete!

Big hugs
Tina xxx