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Albuquerque - Day 2 - FIESTA

It's fiesta day and I'm ready to crew a balloon! (link)

I was up at 3:30 to be ready for my 4:30 Uber ride.  I wasn't able to use Lyft this morning because they won't allow scheduling of rides that early.  But Uber did and sure enough they picked me up on time!  Yes!  The Uber app is almost identical to Lyft.  One of my favorite features is how they give you a play by play of where your driver is.  So helpful to know that you have 10 minutes to be out front, then 9 minutes, then 8....

I meet up with Marc B. at a local shopping center and then several of us rode together to the Fiesta grounds.  This is a massive field that is marked off into "squares" for each of the crews to use.  We had plenty of time to walk around the vendor tents and get some breakfast.  The crowd was large but not shoulder to shoulder as Marc said it was on Saturday.

Unfortunately there was a little wind and the Fiesta officials delayed launch until after the sun was up to see if  the wind would lay.  So, we stood around and chatted and waited and waited and waited.  Finally the officials gave the green light to launch and my pilot...kept waiting.  He was watching the other balloons inflate and attempt to take off.  He must not have liked what he saw because he (and several others) decided to not fly today.  Bummer!

So I said goodbye to the crew and Marc and went out onto the field where I was able to watch several balloons inflate and take off.  Ballooning is different in that the spectators are right there on the field with the crew.  At one balloon I saw several people going up to touch the balloon as it was being inflated.  But, it was so cool that once a balloon actually launches how the crowd will clap and cheer and everyone is so excited and joyful!  In several cases I think the pilot was happier than anyone else!  Lots of work to get launched and then the fun begins.

Very, very cool experience and I'm so glad I was able to be here to see some of the balloons go up.  There weren't many of the shape balloons today because it was way too windy for them.  I'm here on a Wednesday, and I'm told that weekend is probably a better time if you want to see more balloons (and more spectators).  If I ever make it back here, I'll plan to be at the Fiesta at least 2 days.  You just never know what the weather will do.

I really enjoyed getting to hang with the crew.  I learned so much about ballooning.  It was so funny overhearing one conversation between pilots. "You know the best balloons I ever say were (blank), you just don't see ones like those anymore."  Cracked me up - sounded like a bunch of car guys talking about muscle cars.  Who knew!

Near the Fiesta grounds is the International Balloon Museum (link).  I had received quite a balloon lesson earlier in the day, but the Museum really helped me understand everything Marc had shared with me.  Good stop!

I then headed back to my Airbnb to rest, write some blog posts and plan the rest of my day.  Tomorrow I get my rental car and head to Santa Fe!


 Marc and I sending a picture to Jeff T.
Flag for the National Athem


The officials are called Zebras and they have some awesome costumes!





 


 New Mexico Flag Balloon
This is the balloon that I was to crew.  The pilots are given cards by the Fiesta to hand out to kids...of course I needed one! 

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