I have heard a lot of contradictive opinions about ballooning here. Some people say it’s great, others think it is boring and not worth it. Only in one point they agree: it is expensive. We started very early in the morning in a vlei between the dunes. We rose up to 1000m and saw the sun rising over the misty mountains on the other side. Then the mist cleared up and we could see quite far over the dune sea. We travelled very quietly, watching the dunes pass and animals moving on the ground. Where we landed, in the middle of nowhere, the team had prepared a table for us with Champagne breakfast. This was the i-point of this marvellous start of the day. Then we were driven back in a 4x4 to our starting place.
It was a long way to our next lodge, but it was a beautiful drive. Sometimes the now green landscape reminded me of Scotland! However, we saw secretary birds on the way, zebra, ostrich and oryx which you certainly would not find there. On the farm there was a oryx-family with a very small one. While walking around in a dry river bed I found the skin of a snake, easily 3m long. I asked the owners of the farm and they think it was either a cobra or black mamba. I am glad the snake was not there anymore! We enjoyed our stay at the lodge in this beautiful surrounding. The meals were taken together with the owners in a tastefully decorated hall. This was a good opportunity to find out more about the area and farm life.
