When I think of life experience, Make a dream is a very influential phase of my life.
My very first hot air balloon ride was also like this it was spectacular, I can’t tell you how amazing and it was a magical experience. A big thanks to the Sri Lanka Ballooning Company especially Samy Chief Pilot of Srilanka Balloon for being so friendly.
If you live or visit in Sri Lanka,
You should check them out!
Because they have so many success stories to share with you.
Early in the morning the balloon pilots assessed the wind speed. Balloon flights can be a little fickle. That is, you can schedule something and then it might be canceled due to poor wind conditions.
Fortunately, the wind was very calm on Sunday morning, and we were able to embark on our journey. Our Chief Pilot was Samy, a wonderful Turkish pilot with high qualified and owned the Turkish Air Balloon company as well.
The Core Pilot and his professional crew prepared the balloon and watched with anticipation we departed shortly before 05:00 AM
I’m smiling here, but really I’m sort of … freaking out. I’m afraid of heights, for one. And then I kept thinking about all these silly things: What if my camera falls? What if I faint? What if I … fall out of the basket But I thought,
Yes, I can do this. Our balloon was up..
And then it was time to climb in! At first I was calm… And then, not so much…
Here’s a shot my husband took of our balloon sailing up into the air so gorgeous!
The views below were amazing!
I kept thinking about how different the world looks from the perspective.
I kept thinking about how different the world looks from the perspective.
It’s beyond Gorgeous.
Sunrise in the air above this breathtaking scenery is hardly to describe!
There was fully of fabulous views of mountains (Specially Sigiriya and Pidurangala) I just can suggest that you go on your own ride to make this stunning experience.
We got really close to the Kandalama Lake to he got us close enough that I could see the pebbles in the water.
Our Chief Pilot Samy talked with fisher men in Sinhala (Ayubowan) asking about the prices of the fish it was one of the favorite parts of my journey.
I was very jittery about the landing, but it ended up being as smooth as silk.
We made it!
We got the champagne after landing.. Then I asked why we celebrate the landing.. Samy's answer is It’s customary when you land to toast a hot air balloon flight with a glass of champagne. This is a long tradition, and history as this.
"The first hot air balloon flights were started in the 1780s in France. The passengers were the French aristocracy, who were not very popular with the poor – especially the farmers, who did not like the balloons landing on their fields. They would often attack a balloon with pitchforks.
The aristocracy could not conceive that the farmers found them unpopular. They thought that the farmers were afraid of the balloons, thinking that, with their burners, they believed they were some kind of strange fire-breathing dragon.
The passengers carried champagne to drink in the flight but decided that they could give the farmers a bottle as a gesture of goodwill. This would show them that, far from being a part of a fierce dragon, they were simply friendly aristocrats.
It’s unlikely relationships between aristocrats and farmers were repaired there and then, but the champagne was gratefully received and was seen as a suitable payment for landing rights."
The tradition of drinking champagne after a hot air balloon flight is still alive today and certificates as a back to the ground and welcome.
This was amazing adventure I will never forget my ride in the hot air balloon.
If you do, here’s my advice,
Work with a company with experienced and perfect safety record, like The Sri Lanka Ballooning
Be flexible. Because of wind conditions that are constantly changing, you may have to try two or three different days before finally getting up. 🎈
Don’t give up! It’s so worth it.