Early pick-up at 05:30 this morning and I was relieved when Passenger began singing his melodic lyrics. Today I was going on a special adventure and I had tossed and turned most of the night filled with excitement and a little bit of nervousness.

Today I was going on a balloon flight, to float 3,000 ft above the plains of the Atacama desert. The scenery was going to be spectacular but the thought of being suspended in a wee basket by a huge balloon kept up only by hot air was the disconcerting bit 😱

We set off in the dark as sunrise wasn’t until 06:45 and arrived at the rendezvous just as the morning sun began to rise above the horizon.

It looked as though the staff had already been there for hours preparing all the equipment and were just waiting on the arrival of the contents of the basket.

6 of us watched as the hot air was blown into the opening at the bottom and this flat piece of cloth billowed majestically into the air to become a magnificent colourful balloon.

Time to climb aboard and assume the brace position for lift off. For me, this maden flight certainly had the butterflies in my tummy doing somersaults!

I could hear the roar of the flames above my head as I sat rolled into a ball on the floor of the basket “You can get up now” I heard Pascall, the pilot say! Lift off was motionless and was still motionless! What a truly wonderful feeling of weightlessness as we glided up into the air. No-one spoke for a while, we just watched as the contours of the landscape unfolded.

As we all became more comfortable and confident we began shuffling around the basket to take photos

as the balloon floated and glided gently above the ground drifting with an intentional direction for what seemed like 20 mins but was actually over an hour. There were no animals to be seen in this arid desert but that certainly didn’t distract from the mesmerising experience, I was happy just to float! I asked the pilot so many questions – my daughter always gives me into trouble for asking so many questions as she says I know the answer and just like to talk.

Touchdown was imminent and once again we had to resume the brace position – a recollection of these daft YouTube videos where the basket and contents get dragged across the tundra for hundreds of metres flashed through my mind and those butterflies began to do backflips. But I needn’t have worried, landing was as smooth as taking off and unfortunately, all too soon, we were finally back on solid ground

After reluctantly climbing out of the basket we were treated to an unexpected breakfast. In the silence of the desert we watched the staff efficiently deflate the gargantuas balloon as we relaxed and drank orange juice, ate delicious cheese sandwiches, munched on fresh fruit and I had that all important cup of tea the leaves of which were grown locally (rica rica).

Arriving back at the hotel after a surreal experience I went straight for breakfast 🤣 🐷. All that weight I lost when I was in the jungle is piling back on quicker than I lost it and I’ve still over three weeks travelling to do.

Waddling back to my room after (2nd) breakfast I fell asleep on my bed till 12ish. Relaxing for the remainder of the day was definitely the better option so I took the instructions booklet for my camera and headed into the shade, ordered salmon sandwiches and a few beers (after all, it was after 12pm) and sat for hours and hours – it was so relaxing.

I know this is going to sound ridiculous but I had to book a time for dinner as the popular spots get bagged early. 8:30pm, that’ll do, enough time to give the food on my stomach to shift.

Tomorrow I’m going to the geysers and hot pool – bring your bathing costume and towel he said 😱. Whit!!! I’ve been travelling for 7 weeks and that means a painful preparation process and with being in the middle of no-where it means a DIY job. I had no choice, it had to be done!!!

Dinner was amazing

I don’t think I ever get tired of eating good food – definitely a chink in my perfect DNA.

A group of about 30 Germans have booked into the hotel but it transpires they are all musicians and everyone was treat to an impromptu concert the whole evening – a perfect end to the evening.

I’m sitting here alone in the restaurant as I have done for most of my travels and it hasn’t bothered me until now but tonight I feel quite melancholic and I am missing company to share my experiences with but that’s never going to happen, so I’ll slurp my wine and go out to look at the moon!

Nite