Tanzania 2015 - Serengeti, Day 3

Balloon Ride - Friday, 7 August 2015

We were picked up at 5:10 am this morning for an hour drive to the hot-air balloon launching site. Drivers need a special license to drive in the dark. We surprised several animals on our drive, but none of us had our cameras out, since they had to be stowed in bags for the balloon. A leopard walked in front of the vehicle. The driver turned a little off the road into the grass to see the leopard in the full headlights. Next, we scared a hyena, then a porcupine. The poor porcupine was so scared, he had all his quills out and his little feet were moving so fast. Finally, we drew up beside him, so he turned around and went the other way. We saw a rabbit with a big tail.

The basket held sixteen passengers and the pilot. The basket was laid on its side, like an egg carton. Two people crawled into each slot and waited like astronauts. As the balloon filled, the basket was dragged along the ground. Slowly, the basket became more upright as we dragged along the ground, until finally we were aloft.

In the distance, the other balloon is having difficulty getting aloft. It was a little chilly, but warm by the flame, reflected in Bobbi's glasses.

I thought we would ascend quickly, but it was all very slow. We floated along the ground at about 15 feet. At one point, we flew higher to get past another balloon. At another point we stayed low as another balloon flew over us.

The sun rose just after we took off. The other balloons were flying near us.

It was so peaceful, floating over the Serengeti at dawn, except when the flame was burning.

The balloons do not have a lot of control. Sometimes one passed over us, other times we passed over others.

We saw gazelles, elephants, hippos, hyennas, jackals, warthogs from the air. It was difficult to get good shots, as the balloon was moving and the sound of the flame scared the animals.

Some of the shots from the air were unique. We were over a pool of hippos and a band of gazelles. A soaring Ruppell's griffon vulture was below us, and we were above the perch of the griffon vulture and a lappet-faced vulture.

It was easy to spot the wild life trails through the grass. The trail of the hippo leaves a median of grass, as the hippos shuffle along.

Zebras and gazelles and a vast plain.

The landing was smooth, but we did drag along the ground for a bit. We landed upright.

The tradition is to drink champagne upon landing. The tradition arose from the first balloon pilots,  who would land in farmer's fields. To calm the farmer, the pilots would share champagne. Champagne could only be distributed from the king, so the farmers knew the pilots were alright. The first balloon pilot was named Pilâtre. 

After champagne, we headed to a breakfast spot that was about a half an hour away. We saw another pride of lions along with gazelles and a lappet-faced vulture.

We had a delicious English breakfast under a big acacia tree. A white-headed buffalo weaver over head looked threatening. The bathrooms were called "a loo with a view".

After breakfast, we met Nasoro (and David), who drove us to meet Ombeni. We saw some hippos on the way, then saw a leopard cub in a tree. After waiting a while, we saw the mother drag a kill into the tree.

We headed back to camp for lunch. On the way we saw a baby zebra and a herd of elephants crossing the road.

Afternoon Game Drive

Just after leaving the camp, we saw a bushbuck and a fish eagle.

We saw more Egyptian geese, Ruppell's griffon vulture, hippos and giraffes. We drove along a stream looking for rhinos, but had no luck. At the end of the day, we drove to a lake and saw greater and lesser flamingo.

In the same lake were numerous other shore birds: Kittlitz's plover, blank-winged stilt, cape teal, Egyptian goose.

We saw another giraffe as we approached camp. By now we pass by giraffes, gazelles, zebras, cape buffalo, fish eagle and more without much notice. Another beautiful sunset awaited us from the front door of our tent.