5C's Que Pasa

Oct 09, 2018

Sunday, Oct. 7 ~ Day 2 of the Balloon Fest

It was windy all night so we knew that there was a very good possibility that the balloons would not fly Sunday morning, so we slept in. About 6:30AM we read on the ABQ Balloon FB page that there was no flying but that there would be a static balloon display. They would be inflated but remain tethered to the ground. We were on the field by 7:20AM. It certainly pays to be staying right on site. Traffic is so bad that it takes some folks up to three hours to get here to the grounds. Park and Rides are taking just over 2 hours we have heard.

There were thousands of people there and it was fascinating, all the colors and the energy. Some balloons were already inflated and many more were rising by the minute. It was so wonderful to be right in the midst of it all. What a great solution to not being able to fly. The pilots and crew were so open to answering questions. Some even allowed children into their basket to have their photos taken by proud parents. It was a remarkable morning, so very different than the previous day. Eventually the balloons began to deflate and pack up. We were back to the RV by 9:30AM. It was still very windy and rain showers were in the forecast. It did not look good for the evening event.

Meanwhile lets start with some photos of our great morning. Apparently comments were turned to ‘off’ for some strange reason re yesterdays post, comments are now open. We would love to hear your comments about the Balloon Fiesta. There are many other photos that have not been published here and we will share them in the days ( weeks ) to come here and there.

Albuquerque ‘Change Your Perspective’

Can you see me front and center?

Now that is a huge balloon. Airabelle, as she is called, stands 80 feet tall and 120 feet long.

People are everywhere on the field, there are no restrictions whatsoever. Even when launching you can be next to the balloon.

Such detail in this balloon. Hmm two ears here!

Panoramic stitch created from six photos. We were at the far end of the field on a slight rise.

This is Colin’s favorite.

The crowd was very thick in this area. I had a wee panic attack as people pressed in and no one was moving. With a lot of forceful excuse me’s and some gentle prodding we got out and back on the field before I actually started screaming. It was truly horrific. I felt like I was being smothered and got very warm and faint. Phew, won’t go near these two balloons again 🙂

A new balloon this year.

This one was being deflated. Quite the tangle of ropes to deal with. Amazing that these balloons are made of cloth and rope.

A mound of color as the air escapes.

La Belle Province de Quebec.

Such creativity.

Colin’s dog balloon with his bone in the back pocket.

With constant strong wind and showers through the day, it did not bode well for the evening event. Finally this was posted.

Based on this we decided to not head to the field for the evening. But oh my, the NM Philharmonic 🙁 I had no idea they were to perform. Such a disappointment. We stayed in and had a very nice dinner with much vino and as we finished we heard the sound of fireworks. We were able to watch most of them ( the high ones ) from the comfort of our coach. The weather has not been our friend this trip. In past years, many of our friends who have been here on the balloon RV grounds, had to worry about heat and needing to run their generators for A/C . Not this year 😥 However we are totally enjoying what we are seeing and are creating very special memories.

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Oct 08, 2018

Saturday, Oct. 6 ~ Day 1 of the Balloon Fest

We were up before dawn at 4:30AM and on the field by 5:15AM. We took the shuttle as we knew we would be walking for several hours ( turned out to be 5 hours ). It was still dark when we arrived and the initial balloons involved in the Dawn Patrol Show were getting organized. It was very cool out. I had on long pants and three upper layers, two of which included fleece, plus a scarf, gloves and ears muffs. I even wore socks inside my opened toed walking sandals. We met up with Rochelle and Micheal unexpectedly and chatted for a bit. It wasn’t long before we got separated, swallowed up in the crowds. It was all I could do to keep up with Colin as he quickly moved to whatever caught his eye. My only problem was that as we walked along the grassy field my socks got wet as did my shoes and my feet were cold. Had we stayed on the paved perimeters this would not have happened nor would we have got the shots we did. After about 90 minutes I realized that the tips of all my fingers were numb but when the sun came up, it all changed. The different light really made the balloons pop 🙄

It turned out to be the perfect day. There was barely a breeze and the launched balloons hovered above our heads rather than moving away and out of sight. Some balloons were able to take advantage of the air currents and do a loop around the field. Later several of them would eventually land back onto the field, a rare event.

The first few shots are of the Dawn Patrol Show.

You can see the moon upper right.

As part of the opening ceremonies two balloons ascended as the National Anthem is sung. Both of the balloons had the flag hanging from the baskets. Once the anthem was finished, all of the other balloons and those yet not inflated ( center and right ) blasted their burners in salute. The colors in the foreground are of a balloon waiting to be inflated.

The ascension begins.

I used to collect penguins. When we got married Colin said he thought I walked like a penguin. Then the penguin gifts arrived from him, friends and my parents. My gloves were now off and I had traded my ear muffs for my sunhat.

Do pigs fly?

This big puppy was so cute. His tail is touching his back pocket which has a white bone sticking out of it. Note how tiny the basket is, room only for the pilot and one passenger.

Lifting out of a cushion of balloons. Where am I?

The popular Wells Fargo ‘Cent’r Stage’ on the left. It weighs 1,445 pounds, uses 128,000 cubic feet of air, is 100 feet from wheel to wheel and is 90 feet tall. It has the capacity of one rider and the pilot but requires a crew of 25 people. Neither the Wells stagecoach nor the policeman on the right lifted off as the winds had shifted slightly and there would be no place for them to land in that direction.

Yoda was the only one of the two who got to fly that day.

Vincent van Gogh, from the Netherlands.

Once we got back to the RV just after 10AM, we ate and rested a bit ( my back was sore ). We decided that we needed to carry a fold up chair with us to watch the evening events including the fireworks so we headed out and found some for $5.97 at Walmart. A good price for something we would not normally use. We also picked up some Italian wine and a few groceries. Back to the RV to work on the blog I posted yesterday.

The evening festivities were to start with the Twilight Twinkle Glow at 6PM which baffled me as sunset was not until 6:45PM and it was not dark until after 7PM. Perhaps they were to start inflating the balloons at 6PM 😕 A Laser Light Show was to start at 7:45 followed by the AfterGlow Fireworks Show at 8PM. However all balloons had to be off the field before the fireworks could start.

Definitely windy.

However it was extremely windy and it took forever for the powers that be to decide that there would not be a Twilight Twinkle Glow, but that there would still be the laser and fireworks shows. Micheal called us from the field ( they had gone in early to check out the vendors ) and they were heading back to their RV as nothing was happening. We waited until 7PM and with no further cancellations headed to the area behind the Balloon Museum where we would be somewhat sheltered from the wind and have a view of the entire field and the entertainment.

Sitting bundled up in our new chairs waiting and waiting.

Finally about 8:20PM the show started. The Laser Show had been cancelled as well as some sky divers that we knew nothing about.

We had been told that these were New Mexico’s most impressive fireworks. They were okay but no oohs and ahhs from the audience nor from me. It was a very short show.

Back to the RV, showers and bed as we had to do it all again the next day.

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Oct 07, 2018

A surprise morning and afternoon

Wow! Colin, get up, now!

The Balloon Fiesta only starts on Saturday, October 6th. We arrived on Thursday the 4th in order to secure a good location to park the RV. For some reason I woke up early on Friday morning and looked out our big front window.

One after another they just kept coming.

Many of these were local companies charging clients to ride in their balloons.

But of course! Love the gold. Did you catch the firing of the burner?

The roof of the RV is bottom left.

We spent a full two hours at the Balloon Museum which is free the first Friday of the month and on Sunday’s from 9AM – 1 PM. So many fascinating facts, at least they were to us. The World Changed Forever. In 1783 man freed himself from the confines of gravity with the intervention of flight. In that year both hot air and gas balloons were invented near Paris, France.

I took this photo so that you could get some information on the first balloons. Be sure to read the bottom line re the heat source.

Replicas of the first balloons flown. The one on the right is often copied.

There are hundreds of displays with so much knowledge. One is a large board with a tiny blue balloon showing when each country first flew a balloon.

For my childhood friend Ena who is Latvian.

Mexico, my second home.

They were late getting into ballooning.

Aerial camera, c. 1910. This camera would have been mounted to the wall or the floor of a balloon to take photos of the landscape below.

I was so fascinated by this museum that I stopped taking photos after 30 minutes. It holds actual balloons of past flights, the differences between the types of balloons, information on round the world balloon circumnavigation, how balloons were used in war, how ballooning was the prelude to today’s astronaut program. We also enjoyed the short 4D movie that made us feel like we were in a balloon. I surprised Colin with a balloon ride for his 40th birthday so we have no desire to do it again. Click here for more information on the museum.

This is how the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta came to be.

We will have some pretty special photos to share, hopefully tomorrow. Between attending the events and editing photos ( both of us ) and writing the blog we are going full tilt. But we are ever so happy 😎

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Oct 06, 2018

We are at the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque

The last two days have been a rush of activity. But we are here and settled into our spot for seven days. Sadly the weather is not cooperating and as of an hour ago we might only have a go on one event tomorrow morning at 5:30AM and then nothing until Wednesday. Both wind and rain are involved. Fingers crossed.

Our site at the KOA Park was huge. You could easily park two 40′ RV’s in it as well as two toads.

A very well run park. They have both one and two bedroom cabins for rent. Each site as well as cabin comes with a patch of artificially turf.

We each did a number of to do’s on our list including Colin changing out our dining room light.

Some relaxation was involved.

A pretty neat sunset that we almost missed.

Now that it was dark I could get a photo of the new light.

This wine was called the Naked Grape and I got it at Safeway. Hopefully you can make out the words on the back of this bottle. If you can’t make them out let me know.

We got to bed early Wednesday night as Thursday was going to be busy and it was. Fortunately the RV park offered propane starting at 7:30AM. It did take a while for them to find the key and get us filled but they did get it done, seems we were the first customers of the day. Is $2.95 per gallon a normal price in the US? Seems on the high side to me.

We drove separately with me in the lead. My hands were clenching the steering wheel. I don’t think I have ever driven on a US interstate. The merging bit was a tad stressful. Anyway once Colin got behind in the RV I felt protected. But I had to slow down to 50 until he caught up to me. I finally relaxed enough to take in the view and some balloons were right there. I know, I should not have taken a photo ( one handed and not very good ) but I just had to, my first balloons here in Albuquerque 🙂

Already at 8:20AM there was a line to get to the Fiesta. Little did I know that around the next corner and the corner after that,the line was even longer! Shortest drive ever at 11.3 miles.

It took us until 9:30 to be parked and settled. When it was our turn they took us right to the back of the grounds 🙁 I asked why when there was so much space closer to the entrance area. I figured that by checking in a day earlier that we would be closer to the front ( less walking distance to the field ). If you booked in November why should we be way in the back just because they wanted to start filling in that area. So I politely vocalized my thoughts and asked if we could be moved closer to the front. The fellow parking us left us and went to check. He came back, said follow me and we were led to a piece of dirt about six rows from the entrance 😉 We were now happy campers. So we set up and headed out to do some shopping at Lowe’s, Costco and Trader Joe’s. Friday is the big parking day ( major traffic and line ups ) and we do not plan to leave here until at least Monday afternoon after the busy first weekend ( even more traffic ). Just before heading to Trader Joe’s we stopped for a late lunch/early dinner as we were both very hungry. On the way back to the RV we dropped in to see blog readers whom are now friends and are also parked here in their RV ( it was amazing that we found them in the midst of hundreds of RV’s ). We visited for a bit but had to get back to the RV to put things in the fridge and freezer.

Rochelle and Micheal came over on their bikes for happy hour and to catch up on the que pasa in all of our lives. We haven’t actually seen them since they visited us on the Isla in December 2015.

The sunset Thursday evening.

And just behind the actual sunset was a glorious reflective sight. I could not believe the color in the sky and mountains.

As it was getting dark quickly we said adios to our friends who still had to peddle home. We were not at all hungry for dinner so just had a wee snack. We were tired, had our showers and were in bed just before 10PM. Good thing as we caught some unexpected balloon activity this morning. Nope, no previews until the next post.

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Oct 05, 2018

Arches National Park, Day 2

So right after our scenic drive up and back down Hwy 128 we headed over to Aches National Park. We arrived at 4:10PM and once again we did not have to pay an entrance fee. Had it not been raining Monday morning we would have gladly payed the $30.00 entrance fee. By now the clouds had cleared and there was more blue in the sky and we were going to head on back to the last 50% of the park that we had miss the previous day.

Heading into the park Colin had to stop and retake some shots as the light was different. Back in the day of film he would still take hundreds and hundreds of photos. Both times we went to India he had a huge camera case just for his film. Digital is so much cheaper. However Colin believes that the colors in film were so much richer. Digital photos are viewed on a computer and each computer is set differently and the richness just is not the same as back in the day when you looked at a printed photo.

Such an interesting place with a fascinating history. John Wolfe settled here in the late 1800’s until 1910.

We were able to see inside the very small single room cabin. How could he live here with his son, daughter, her husband and two children? I can’t imagine going by wagon over 25 miles to buy food and supplies in the heat of the summer nor the cold of the winter. A true story of an American pioneer.

Very early petroglyphs in the area.

Delicate Arch. I did not do the three mile hike ( we did not have 3 hours to waste ) but I did do the next level down which included a lot of puffing and height. I climbed 20 stories high in a very short distance. Honestly I could not have done it without Colin’s arm to hang onto so that I did not fall. I am still so scared about falling yet again and spitting open my head.

I assume that it is called Delicate Arch as there is nothing around it, it stands alone. This photo was taken from the same location but zoomed in.

Fiery Furnace. Note the bird in the cloud.

We had only done 50% of the park the day prior so to arrive here at Fiery Furnace as the sun was lowering in the sky was perfect timing.

This location was one of our highlights. We could easily spend a week in Moab. Thanks to Al and others who have suggested different areas close to Moab to visit. For certain we will be back. But is early to mid October too late in the season to visit?

Can you tell that Colin quite liked this area? It was difficult to pull him away.

Sand Dune Arch. We hiked right up to the Arch and the changing light was fantastic. We were running out of time before the sun went behind the mountains. We needed more than two very late two afternoons we had allotted to this park. It obviously required much more time.

We finally got to the far end of Arches NP and the Devils Garden trail head. Because the sun was setting and it would be dark in 35 minutes we could not check out Landscape Arch. Serious incentive to come back. Sadly it was time to turn back and do the thirty minute drive to the exit.