Kenya and Tanzania - Day 14
Who knew there was a 4:15 am. Well, we were up at 4:15 am and in our Jeep by 5:00 am. We need an early start for our Maasai Mara balloon safari. It was a little over an hour ride on the usual washboard roads to get to the balloon launch area. We arrived at the launch area before dawn. Just like sailing, wind is a big factor in ballooning. There can be too much wind or wind from the wrong direction. Wind from the wrong direction could send us over the Tanzanian boarder without a visa or into a mountain. Today the winds are light and from a favorable direction.
Trans World Balloon Safari is our vendor. The price for a one hour balloon ride followed by a champagne brunch once we are back on the ground is $450 per person. With our group of 28 that is a $12,600 cash register ring. We will be divided into two groups. Each balloon is designed to hold 16 passengers.
The balloons are deflated and laying on the ground. We are the ballast.
The basket is lying on its side and we have to climb in sideways with our backs towards the ground. It is a bit bizarre.
This is the view inside the balloon. Once the ballast is in place, two large fans blow air into the balloon until it is wide open enough for the pilot to activate the burner. The burner blows forced hot air into the balloon until it starts to rise. As the balloon rises it flips the basket upright and we are no longer lying down. The pilot blasts more hot air and we are up, up and away in our beautiful balloon.
Our pilot is Mehmet from Turkey. He has been a balloon pilot for 16 - 22 months depending on who asks him. He advises he trained for six months to obtain his balloon pilots license.
There’s a rhino by the tree. We floated noiselessly above the savanna except for the occasional roar of the burner. The pilot adjusts the height of the balloon off the ground by the volume of hot air he introduces. He has four large propane burners in the center of the basket. The heat from the burners is so intense I can feel it on the top of my head.
Zebras on the run below us. It was a beautiful sight of the savanna and its many animals. We saw zebras, wildebeest, giraffes, rhinos and hippos as well as the many gazelles and impalas. We stayed low so we could have a good view. We also flew over many Maasai huts and tiny villages. The Maasai were out tending their flocks at dawn.
It was fun to see the other balloon in our group nearby. Just like sailing when two balloons are in the same sky are they racing?
Looking down on a Maasai village. Mehmet made it fun by lowering us to tree top level and saying if you jump out and land in a tree you can have free balloon rides for life. No takers.
The balloonists - John and Priscilla
We floated a long distance and saw our Jeeps on the road below us. Mehmet put us down just a nice as you please with a soft landing that we could all walk away from.
Our Jeeps took us to the location for the champagne brunch.
The joyful passengers from our balloon ride. Safely on the ground. We all fit in that little basket.
It is 8:00 am. The area was nicely set with two long tables with table cloths and cloth napkins. Mehmet gave a champagne toast saluting our safe journey and landing. The buffet line had an egg station and an extensive food selection.
They even had two portable bush toilets set up for which the ladies were particularly grateful.
As a special treat there was a trinkets and trash area filled with Maasai hags demanding prices many times higher than the hotel gift shop. I gave it a wide berth. Several of our group that did brave the gauntlet of hags looked shell shocked as they sought the shelter of the Jeeps.
It was a long bumpy ride back to the hotel but well worth the experience. We had perfect weather for our balloon flight and the bush brunch was delightful. Well done Mehmet and crew.
After a rest in our tent during a torrential rain storm, I went on the final game drive of this trip. Only 5 out of 28 attended. Our driver Joseph put us on the animals. We saw a new species.
The eland can weigh over 1,000 pounds and is bigger and faster than a moose.
We then came across giraffes and the usual species such as zebra, wildebeest and gazelle. It gets to a point when you have so many pictures of the same animal that you just don’t need any more. But I took some anyway. Do you remember yesterday’s blog? What do you call a giraffe that is laying down?
The highlight was a pride of lions with three males, two females and two cubs. It was a worthy last game drive.
One thing I wanted to share was the sausage tree. We saw this tree earlier on our trip. Jimmy Buffett sings about the sausage tree in his song Far Side of the World.
A sunset framed by lightning bolts burns a lasting memory
And a string of tiny twinkling lights adorn the sausage tree
While the embers from the log fire, they flicker, fly, and twirl
Then drift off toward the cosmos from the far side of the world
The Maasai make a liquor from the sausage tree fruit through fermentation. I was advised it is quite potent.
The earths circumference is 24,901 miles. We are 7,914 miles from Chicago so we are not quite half way around the world.
Back at the Mara Selena Club tent hotel on the far side of the world we had our departure briefing. I hate to break this to you but our safari has ended. It’s sad but it’s true. It has been a lovely safari. I had fun, how about you?
The safari is over but the adventure continues. Tomorrow we will fly to Nairobi and spend the night before departing for Chicago
A giraffe lying down is a kaleidoscope.