Hot Air Ballooning

Written by Jadon

Many of our blog posts have been about places that we have been able to travel. But, not only have we had the chance to travel to many different cities throughout Europe, we have also had the opportunity to do many exciting things here in the Czech Republic. And one of those things was hot air ballooning.

Of course, you can take hot air balloon rides in the States as well, but floating above the Czech countryside was an added bonus. The fields were full of yellow wildflowers and a few deer. We started near a small castle atop a hill, and, for most of our flight, we could see the steeple of a church nestled among the once again green hills. And of course we had very pleasant weather, as one must for such an activity.

I (Jadon) also got the privilege of helping to unpack and repack the actual balloon, which is about like it sounds, though it is quite surprising how tightly the entire balloon (and basket) can be packed up. But along with that, I was also part of holding the deflated balloon open as the burners filled it up and lifted it into the air. That may not seem too exciting, but you probably haven’t stood within 3ft. of two 15ft. flamethrowers for 15 minutes trying to hold open a gigantic bag that just wants to drag you away…

 Maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it was more intense than I was initially expecting.

Actually riding in the hot air balloon, however, was so much fun! It really was like floating. I knew the moment we left the ground, but when I looked down a few seconds later, I was very surprised at how high we already were. It was so very smooth. And surprisingly it wasn’t scary. Despite being so exposed so high above the ground, it was actually very relaxing and perfectly peaceful. In fact, it draws pretty close to dogsledding, which is probably my favorite activity ever.

 We really did have a wonderful time—and a safe and smooth landing thanks to our skilled pilot—and I would highly recommend taking a hot air balloon ride if you get the chance.

In the balloon with our friend Emily, who organized the trip for us!

 To see more pictures from our hot air balloon trip: click here!