Flying in a balloon over the city of Luxor in Egypt. An unforgettable day.
Sunrise Luxor
At four o’clock in the morning the alarm clock rang, but I was already awake. I was struck by how quiet the night was. During the day the traffic noise sometimes stuns. A little bus picked me up at the hotel door and, after picking up several other tourists, it took us first to the Nile where we crossed in a boat to the west bank. From there another bus took us to an open field that would be the takeoff point. When we arrived several balloons were already floating above us.
Waiting to take off
We waited a few minutes while they finished inflating our balloon. We were asked us to pay attention to the brief safety talk, which mainly indicated the position to take inside the basket at the time of landing. Finally they invited us to go up and we all ten passengers were accommodated inside the basket. Even though we were standing there was enough room to be able to watch the view in all directions. The pilot lighted the burner a few more times and the balloon slowly began to rise as the sun rose.
Balloons in the sky
Moments later, we could see how the sun began to illuminate the funerary temple of Hatshepsut and the Valley of the Kings. We continued climbing for a long time drifting southward, always on the western side of the Nile. In the distance we were able to see the temples of Karnak and Luxor. We only heard the sound of the wind, feeling an extreme tranquility.
The funerary temple of Hatshepsut. Beyond thay, the Valley of the Kings
Almost 1000 meters above the mainland, the green stripes on both sides of the river were very evident, confirming the importance of the Nile for life in the region. It was already dawn and we began to feel the heat of the rays of the sun.
The clear boundary between the desert and the fertility of the Nile
Sunrise over the Nile
Landing
Luxor from the air
After 1 hour of flight we started descending. We saw other balloons landing in the distance in different palces, some even in the sands of the desert. We passed over several buildings and the pilot took us to a cultivated field, where a ground crew was waiting for us to secure the balloon. Already at 7 in the morning we returned our hotels.
Landing in Luxor