BALLOONS OVER THE NILE

Balloon Trips over the Nile

December 2006 - November 2007 - January 2009

Balloons on the West Bank in the early dawn light

   The crowning glory of a visit to Upper Egypt is a balloon trip over the Nile to watch the early morning sun rise up over the Eastern Mountains.

   These trips have been available from when we first went to Egypt but in those early days there was only one balloon and the price was over £150 a head, which was about £500 in today's money. I waited until there were more balloons and more competition, and after 8 in 2006 and 15 in 2009, the price had dropped to a more respectable £50, but with a bit of haggling I can usually manage to hitch a ride for £30, so it's every year now, and worth every penny.

    The day starts with an early call at 4.45am, waiting in the hotel for a 5.00am pick up by a coach that does the rounds of the other hotels until all 15 passengers are deposited on the landing stage of the Corniche for a motor launch trip across the river.

    It's still dark, and cold on the river crossing, and those with thick coats are glad that they brought them. A cup of hot coffee and a bag of chocolate buns brings a little comfort. A company photographer is busy taking videos for anyone who wants a record of the adventure. It's then off the boat onto the West Bank and into small taxis for the trip through the sugar cane fields to where the balloons are being prepared.

    The air is full of the noise of Butane burners roaring their hot gases into the ever expanding balloons, making people jump with the sudden explosion of sound and to flinch away from the sudden heat on their exposed skin.

Nearly ready for take off

     Then with no warning we realise that we have lifted gently off the ground and we are floating silently and effortlessly up into the pale dawn light, skimming the tops of the sugar cane as the red glow of the new dawn gets brighter and brighter until, suddenly, the sun rises over the Eastern Mountains and we eagerly anticipate more daylight, so we can start taking pictures of the ground, now far, far below.

      The balloons are at the mercy of the winds to decide just where we will go, and my pictures are from 3 year's flights. Once over the Colossi of Memnon

and the Ramesseum, another up to Deir El-Bahri and the Tombs of the Nobles,
with the magnificent pyramid mountain of El-Qurn looming over everything.

Click this thumbnail for a view of the mountain paths.

And one time we went down by the river to land on the banks of the Nile. As a matter of interest one balloon did an emergency landing in the car park at Karnak Temple on the east bank of the river and in the interests of security all the tourist's video and camera footage was confiscated. A flight too far.

The Balloon Picture Show

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This is a multiple image projector. If it does not work on your system, click on the thumbnails listed below.

And all too soon we were coming in to land. We assumed the crash position, crouching down in the basket with our backs to the direction of travel, and the landing was so gentle the first we knew of it was when the faces of our ground crew appeared over the edge of the basket as they all jumped on board to hold the balloon down with their extra weight. And, as on any aircraft, we had to stay in the basket until the captain had shed enough hot air to ensure that we did not take off again. After we had disembarked the crew were loading new butane bottles for the next party.
The crew did a drum dance and entertained us until the taxi arrived to take us back to the hotel and a well deserved breakfast, and en route we received our Certificates, tee shirt and peaked cap.

A few more thumbnails and then we have to carry on with the journey.

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