HOT AIR BALLOON
SUNRISE OVER THE SAVANNAH
South Africa
Waterberg Biosphere, North Limpopo Province
When we learned there was an opportunity to see the South African Savannah from the air… Uh, yeah, we were totally all over it & said (actually more like squealed) count us in!
But, before the magical nature connection of balloon flight happened we had our concerns. Ballooning is completely at the mercy of the winds & we crossed our fingers, said a few prayers that the weather would be so kind as our hope of soaring above the Limpopo bushveld would be realized.
Earlier in the trip Mother Nature‘s 12 foot sea swells & 7 knot winds off the Cape had already put the kibosh on one of our top SA agenda items, Nat’s bucket list great white shark cage dive, and the potential sting of another big disappointment was real.
Reporting at 5 a.m. for transport without a solid confirmation that the flight was on is a true act of sleepy faith & vacay hope at its best! We climbed aboard a Land Cruiser with Mary and, after a significant commute over dirt roads, we arrived at the designated rendezvous point, a large picturesque clearing by the most lush huge fig tree I think I’ll ever see.
It was splendid, standing tall & alone looking pretty much just like that famous iconic party tree from Dr. Seuss 1960’s children’s classic, “Go Dog Go”. Had the balloon adventure been canceled, I had decided I was totally going to spend the morning checking out that marvelous tree!
The sun had peeked above the horizon for less than an hour bending the light into soft oranges & pinks while hiding behind a smear of lilac clouds as the balloon pilot…
…And his team had been conscientiously checking multiple weather forecasts throughout the morning, but the key simply was of course not to have the wind speed too intense & also to ensure the anticipated course of the balloon doesn’t end up in the next Province beyond the grasp of the crew to retrieve! We were relieved & thrilled when a decision was made after sunrise & the final okay given so the inflating process of the giant multicolored fabric balloon could begin.
The massive silk patchwork bag was spread out into the field & the attached heavy wicker basket was lying on its side. Inside the basket were three full 20 pound propane tanks which provided blasts of flames via pretty bad @*ss chunky hand held flame throwing mini cannons while 2 large fans helped direct the hot air into the balloon.
Eventually the balloon was full enough that it lifted off the grass floating ominously into the air which quickly pulled the basket right side up initiating a flurry of activity with the crew. (move to upright happens @ 1:50 into the video) The worker holding the rope at the top of the balloon had to sprint toward the basket attempting to wrestle the huge rising mass from getting too far out while a man jumped into the basket & another managed moving the 2 large fans then quickly securing the heavy mooring lines to keep the hot air from pulling the whole kit & caboodle free for a disastrous premature launch. The final test prior to getting underway was releasing a simple black helium balloon on sight to determine the direction & velocity of the wind.
It was determined we had a go, thumbs up & we were all invited to climb in!
Mark, our capable skipper, was in the basket cranking on the large stainless steel valves releasing the propane which blasted huge hot flames into the balloon cavity. Mark’s tall & thin, was pushing 60 years & had a friendly smile & a twinkle in his eye. His khaki shit, brown vest & long brimmed baseball cap gave him the quintessential look of a bush pilot & he coincidentally also had the exact sound one would expect… a soft slick lilting Afrikaan accent that emoted confidence. Somehow we had no doubt we were in capable experienced hands for certainly the guy at the helm was the perfect type cast for a South African aviator (we did learn he had been commanding balloon safaris for nearly 20 years!) His #2 man & heir apparent, Sean, was outside the basket managing the mooring lines with the help of Mambou. The ground crew let go of the mooring ropes, waved goodbye & the basket began to rise, and FAST!
We had lift off, launch! The balloon ascended quickly leaving the truck & Land Cruiser behind & passing right along side that spectacular tree. It was really pretty exciting & fascinating to gain altitude so fast without any forward thrust as you would in an airplane.
The flight began by skirting just above the trees & the first 15 minutes was an amazing low altitude sweep of the surrounding terrain. Eventually Mark made adjustments & continued to blast the inside of the balloon with propane from one of the three 20 pound propane tanks & we rose higher & higher, to several thousand feet, a breathtaking altitude providing an amazing 360 degree panoramic view of the grassland fields, the rustic carved hills to the north & the eastern beautiful blue mountains.
The morning dew shimmered on the green round tufted tree tops and, from our vantage point above, the colors & shapes were so vibrant it felt like stepping into a 3-D movie. Skimming close to the terrain was exhilarating.
To fly over yet feel connected to the earth, to nature, felt miraculous & the quiet allowed the sweet succinct chirp & trill of African birds to be heard while hanging out at their eye level.
And then, the most amazing of all, seeing a bird in flight from ABOVE … the beauty of the view overlooking the TOPS of the wings extended in a stretched glide. We had seen the black & white markings on a African Pied Wagtail earlier & it was striking from below, but from atop, wow, the contrast of color, the patterns were striking & God’s handiwork obvious & breathtaking. I felt as though I was peeking in on a secret that only heaven get to see. It never crossed my mind how different such a view would be & made me sad I most likely would never see a bird quite from this same angle again.
The sweet hush of balloon flight was only broke with an occasional blast of propane flame & Captain Mark’s gentle reassuring voice.
It seemed impossible to silently float above the the landscape, peaceful & calm, yet it was real… and so surreal to be in flight without the white noise of an engine or the forward thrust of speed.
In one of the pictorial fields dotted with green trees we caught sight of a herd of running zebras in an opening, just tiny specks from the high altitude. We also captured a glimpse of a giraffe from a distance, but the morning didn’t have many game sightings yet that didn’t bother us one bit for the landscape & unique motion of flight was enough to keep us entertained for hours.
The majesty of the 90 minute flight was thrilling & Mark’s demonstration of the techniques to ascend & gain ground was fascinating. Of course adding heated air would raise the passenger basket, but Mark had other tricks up his sleeve. There are vents strategically placed in one side of the balloon that can be opened by pulling ropes. When this is done & hot air is released, physics spins the aircraft completely around so the back of the basket becomes the front & visa versa creating a pretty exciting moment mid flight! Amazing that air alone can move something so swiftly & purposely.
We were told the most difficult aspect of ballooning is the landing…basically it is all about finding a wide open flat space & adjusting not only the height of the ship, but also attempting to slow the speed to enable as gentle a touch down as possible. Mark found our field and, with the exception of a large herd of antelope & a few thorn bushes, there weren’t any major obstacles to contend with.
The decent to landing altitude was slow, but the closer we got to the ground the faster the balloon seemed to be moving forward. We had been rehearsing the landing protocol since the first moments we entered the basket & it was time to implement the procedures (or else!). With a deep knee bend that ensured our heads were below the sides of the basket & a good strong hand hold in the hand hold openings in the basket sides, we were ready for impact. Landing chances are always good that the bottom of the basket can catch & the forward force of the balloon pull the basket over on its side dumping all of the passengers over & on top of one another. I was prepared for that moment…even anticipating it as a wild memorable adventurous climax… a fun conclusion to a grand voyage … but Mark’s landing was perfect. Well done, our good man!! No people spill today.… I was glad only just for knowing I wouldn’t be sore in the morning, but truth be told, I was a tad disappointed the trip didn’t end getting tossed out & thrown overboard!
Mark had radioed his team our location before setting down & they were racing toward us with the truck & trailer yet were still miles away when we landed.
In the meantime, once we were on the ground that big old balloon was losing air & would soon be vulnerable & lying on the ground. Mark enlisted volunteers, then instructed Dave & one of our fellow passengers on protocol to help manage things until the professionals arrive. So my Dave jumped out of the basket, took the large metal karabiner from Mark then grabbed hold of the connecting mooring line.
It took all he had to pull the line & attempt to manage pulling the monstrous balloon to the side with the goal to bring it down avoiding the thorns. It was quite a show and, in the end, I think Dave was secretly hoping for a job offer in South African ballooning as Captain Mark’s newest pilot intern!
Once the deflated balloon & basket were successfully loaded onto the trailer & the rest of the crew arrived, our final moments were spent with a champagne & juice toast to a successful flight!
We were given a certification following the flight – “A CITATION”. It read:
CITATION Ad Astra Per Ardua WHEREAS it is hereby confirmed that DAVID & NATALIE RICHARDSON had the COURAGE and FORTITUDE to ascend (as few other earthly mortals would dare) unto the aether, and thus joined the great and daring company of intrepid AERONAUT EXPLORERS who have been transported in an AEROSTAT floating on the gentle zephyrs over the vast continent of AFRICA.
Captain Mark also shared the beautiful Balloonist’s Prayer. Yes the loving arms of Mother Earth had welcomed us back!
More Wild Riding at Mabula Lodge
The lodge also offered 4-wheelers so we took in some off roading sloshing through marshes, slamming through rocky terrain & navigating thorny thickets. The tease of encountering animals on this adventure was rather a stretch considering the loud buzzing roar of the ATVs, but coming back covered in mud with a few scrapes as souvenirs had us plenty satisfied. We loaded up by the horse stable… here’s Dave, our new friend Cowboy Andy & Me!
TRIPPIN WITH NATALIE 
What a fantastic description of the ride! We took a balloon ride in Albuquerque about 3 years ago. You captured well the entire adventure! … and good thing Dave is big & strong; looks like he was needed to be.
And the 4-wheeling was a nice also-touch. I have not and probably will not see a shark cage adventure on my bucket list!!
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