Luxor From Above

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Goooood Morning Luxor. The heat off the flame is keeping me warm as we all huddle together. Now is probably a good time to take up that last favour from Mary McKillop, I think she may be sick of hearing from me but I will try to squeeze one last favour from her.

Several men are holding grimly onto the basket, murmuring comforting words to us with encouraging smiles on their faces, all in Arabic of course. One last burst of flame and we are off. Slowly we ascend into the sky, not a sound except the occasional burst from the burner. Looking down it feels like you are floating in the air like a Autumn leaf, where you go is in the lap of the wind.

Underneath passes Hatshepsut Temple with the stark, orange cliffs of rock rising behind. A picture from Lonely Planet I’m sure. The sun has just peeped over the horizon as we glide across the fields of wheat, sugarcane and lucerne. The farmers are burning cane stubble and a haze of smoke hangs in the air with hardly a breath of wind to blow it away.

With another big burst of hot air to fill our balloon we climb to 500 metres. The ground now taking on small dimensions as we soar above. Then dropping down to the ground, skimming across Luxor’s West Bank. I nearly touch a date palm as we pass over houses, sleepy children staring up at us. Their parents already out in the field. A little awkward I feel, us wealthy tourists, in our balloon, invading their privacy. Something they could never afford as they toil away trying to etch out their existence.

Landing safely we are swarmed upon by the usual begging children. Where we are duly whisked off back to our five star hotels. Certificate in hand to verify our achievement???

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