Hot, high and fun

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: the ground was untied, MacKinnon fed fire into the beast’s belly and we went up and away. Soon, we were high enough to peer over Samode village rooftops.

I will now try and describe the experience. Hot air ballooning is somewhat similar to taking a walk in the clouds. One ambles along at one’s own pace instead of whizzing past like one does in a plane. You can even touch the tree tops and pick that tempting flower and also go closer to that little speck on the ground that could be an abandoned fort or a secret hiding place. The point is that one can take one’s time, float and breathe easy as the worries seem far behind and the air free.

It was time to come down. We landed without a hitch under MacKinnon’s care. There had been a crowd of local villagers and children following us through the flight. They now gathered round and started asking us all sorts of questions. They thought I was a Bollywood actress and I, bloating with hot air, played to the audience answering their questions about how the balloon flew, how much did it cost for a ride and myriad other questions. I wondered if it would be possible for the villagers to take a ride one day. The Rs 14,000 price does seem a little steep for an average day traveller.