Kon Tiki West US Travelogue (06) - Riding a Hot Air Balloon in the Phoenix Desert

‌

It is the dawn of the 4th day of the Kon Tiki West US trip.
Those who signed up for the hot air balloon tour in Phoenix are told to gather at the launch site by 5:00 AM.
The cost for the hot air balloon ride is US$ 167.
It is quite a significant expense, but who knows when I'll ever get to ride a hot air balloon here again? I'm signing up regardless.

Even though everyone stayed up late playing last night, they gathered quite well for my time.
I rushed out wearing whatever I could find while still half-asleep, but seeing Maria's beaming face made it impossible not to wake up.

After a 30-minute drive from our Phoenix accommodation, we arrived at some unknown field.
The dawn is breaking in the distant sky as the sun slowly prepares to rise.

The sunrise is about to begin. I was setting up my camera diligently to capture the sunrise, but Maria stepped into the viewfinder right on cue.
She has a very excellent pose.
After acting as her photo shuttle for a while, she started calling me her "paparazzi." I mean, she's the one who ran into the frame...
Anyway, I'll be the paparazzi.
From then on, all the other friends started calling me "Papi" as well.

They should have finished preparing to launch the balloons before the sunrise, but they were a little late.
The balloon staff are working hard to catch up, but it's a shame we won't be able to see the sunrise from atop the balloon.

In the distance, the balloons of other guests who arrived early are being filled with air and look almost ready to take off.
Our balloon has just had the basket placed down; I'm getting anxious about when we'll take off.

While waiting for the balloon to be prepared, I take a look at the surrounding scenery.
True to the American desert, I can see very massive cacti.
They are cacti of an unimaginable size, reaching almost 3 to 4 meters.

They are using an air pump(?) to blow air into the balloon, but it doesn't balance well until it becomes a complete sphere. They are using powerful heat to make it increasingly inflated.
If there weren't ropes firmly anchored to the ground, there's no telling where it might roll.

The prepared balloons depart first!
The bright desert sky in the morning goes very well with the hot air balloons.


The hot air balloons have similar yet slightly different patterns.
A balloon with traditional Navajo patterns is also taking off.
I heard the Navajo are a representative tribe of Indians who have lived in the Southwestern United States.

Balloons are inflating all over the place, filling up the space.
There doesn't even seem to be room to fly!

After a long wait, the balloon we are to ride is finally ready for takeoff.
A total of 13 people, including the captain, will board that basket.
I'm a little worried if the basket might tear.

The heat from the desert sunlight is intense, but the heat from the flames blasting right above our heads is no joke either.
It feels like I can smell squid roasting from my head.

The hot air balloon floats up.
The ride is smoother than I expected. There is no shaking at all; it just feels like floating up.
Before boarding, the tour manager Dylan told us it would be very stable so there's no need to be afraid, but I didn't realize it would feel this comfortable.

We are gradually moving further away from the ground.
I thought our balloon was the last one, but there are still teams that haven't taken off yet.


Perhaps hot air balloons have set flight paths, as they are flying in a line like they are hanging on a clothesline.
The morning scenery of the Sonoran Desert is so peaceful.
It feels quite tragic that Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz couldn't fly home because she couldn't ride a hot air balloon.
When you can travel this comfortably....

I tried to take a group photo, thinking that since it was a wide-angle shot, everyone would be in it even if I took it casually, but the friends at the bottom were all cut off.
It doesn't matter much as long as Maria looks good, though....

I don't know why so many people live in this area when there doesn't seem to be much to do.
For us travelers, it's fun for a day or two, but it seems like a place that would be quite boring to live in.

A photo Maria said looks like "Google Earth"

They say the maximum height for the hot air balloon tour is 1.5km, but it doesn't seem like we went that high.
Maybe around 1km?
We spend about an hour on the course, enjoying the leisurely time while searching for a landing spot.

The captain also takes on the role of a guide from time to time.
Between not being able to hear the English well and being mesmerized by the scenery and taking photos, I don't remember much of what was said.
I was probably too preoccupied with thinking about taking photos of Maria.

Ash and Mel, a couple from Australia,
They were friends who helped me a lot with easy-to-understand expressions when I had trouble communicating with other Australians during the trip. I was so envious of them traveling as a couple...

As the flight comes to an end, the altitude is gradually decreasing. The landing spot isn't strictly fixed; it's up to the captain's discretion. Ben, the staff member, chased after our landing spot to set up the breakfast table.
It is quite a nice breakfast.

Commemorative photo after the flight.
I'll be the paparazzi, so you be my exclusive model.
Traveling with such a model and being able to capture photos with wonderful scenery makes photography even more enjoyable.