Feedback on Hot Air Balloon Experience

Five of us packed into one car and left my house at 6.10am (yes, you read that correct, AM).

We reached the Fiesta in Putrajaya at about 6.45am and got into the queue which already had about 70 people in it.




By the time we got the tickets it was past 8am. Then we had to queue up AGAIN



for the actual ride...

which...

we...

finally...

got...

on...

at....




11.20am!! Yep, it was about 4 and a half hours of waiting. So in the meantime, we could only stand and stare at the other balloons..








The other balloons from around the world did a fly-across-the-lake-and-back demo which was all over in less than an hour. There were supposed to be another 18 balloons but I don't recall seeing that many.



The most outstanding ones were the Darth Vader (yes, he did turn up)




and the pair of Levi's jeans:




and the Orange balloon




An awestruck child.

We should never lose that...looking at the world in wonder..at least, that's what I think.



But the five balloons used for rides were shaped in the form of...well...
balloons. sigh.


First, they blow air into the balloon using a large fan.




Then they burn propane gas into the balloon and it starts to lift..






Each balloon could carry two or three persons and the balloonist (info: larger balloons can actually carry as many as 12 persons).




Two balloonists and two balloonies - can you tell one pair from the other?

hint: The balloonies are bug-eyed and grin like nincompoops.




Even a tethered ride can excite some people...can you see the three other balloonies?




View as we were going up... up...






and un-away.



Hey, how come it's time to come down already? Quick - cut the ropes! (whaddaya mean you didn't bring your blade knife cleaver shears axe sword scissors penknife??)

I think we only went as high as a double-storey house. Ok, maybe a little higher. It was all over in 3 minutes. (What did you expect for Ringgit Malaysian 10.00?)




Did I mention they were TETHERED rides? Remember that word. It means "tied down". I can think of other rides I am on where I feel tied down. But we're not going there, are we? hee hee.


Tethered.



Another awestruck kid.



If you ask me, the man who was selling these battery-operated bubble-blowers was making more money than the balloonists. In the three minutes we were with him, he had already sold two of these at RM15 each!



Was it worth the 4 and a half hour wait? Well, if it's on your list of things to do at least once in a lifetime, yes! I mean I don't wanna go to my grave just dreaming of hot air balloons..




And I don't think my husband will approve of me painting our half-done bedroom walls like this..




And since it took two days for my bones to recover from that trip...maybe next time I should just settle on making this.



P/S

The writer would have you know that she is good at painting walls (and probably coffins, too). Quilt-making she will consider when she is old :)