On one Sunday morning, around 5 AM, we had decided to go hot air ballooning. We travelled to Aero Adventures, which is located near Jakkur Aerodrome. We usually tend to wake up very late on Sundays but that day was special, and we were extremely excited!
I was surprised to see so many adventurous people like us arrive so early there, even before we did! We were around 10 people including me, my brother, my mom, and a few of my friends and their families. My brother had gone to register all our names and while he was at it, he also signed a few documents that stated that the management wasn’t responsible for any injuries or loss of lives due to any mishaps on the site (Usually, all adventure rides have procedures like these) My Mom was adorably furious that my brother did not consult her before signing something like that, so much that she did not want to go on the ride HAHA.
Some of us were chatting, while the others were on the brink of falling asleep (since it was early morning). We noticed the organizers walk away from us and discuss within themselves. We could sense the tension. A while later, it was announced that the ride may have to be cancelled due to poor weather! It was such a bummer! All our excitement, on-time preparations, waking up so early on a SUNDAY Morning, all gone in vain. HUH. 😏
Amidst all our sad faces, Mom was overjoyed because she was a little scared in the beginning. She quickly got up and said, “Get up, let’s leave”. I was a little upset about not being able to ride in the hot air balloon and we continued chatting. A while later, we heard another announcement that said the sky was no longer cloudy and that we’re all set for the ride. It was finally dawn, the sun had risen! I was lucky to have witnessed everything being assembled from scratch. Air was filled into the balloon and we were ready to take off. Woohoo!
We were divided into 3 groups because the basket couldn’t carry all of us together. My Mom had gone with other friends, and when she came down, I could see the joy on her face. She absolutely loved the experience. It was now my turn! I got onto the hot air balloon and it felt dreamlike. I felt as though I was flying. The view from the top was breathtaking. I could see the entire area! It was truly unforgettable!
When I was on the hot air balloon
The ride was being controlled by a former woman pilot who told us that her husband was in the army. At that time, apparently her, and her sister-in-law are the only women in the entire country who own a license to ride a hot air balloon across India. I was so amazed by her managerial skills, the way she was controlling the balloon, she instructed all her teammates. When we came down, the cylinder had become empty and she was setting up the cylinder all by herself.
All the friends I shared this wonderful experience with
I took off my mask to click some pictures, and people immediately recognized me. They all gathered where I was to click pictures with me. I took pictures with them and just when we were about to leave, we noticed other exciting rides but couldn’t experience them because we were all so terribly hungry. We quickly rushed to have Biryani at our favourite Biryani spot. It was undoubtedly one of my best experiences in Bangalore! You guys should definitely give this place a try!
This incident reminds me of my paragliding too, where I flew higher than this. Check out the video below on the BabeKnows YouTube page!
-Hariprriya
ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲು ಹಾಕಿ ಮೇಡಂ.