Location: 1000ft above turkey
Status: Rich in other ways
Author: Captin Simon
Lessons: Comfort and the sins cost. Don't pull the red cord
Money and budget features heavly in our lives and has done since we
started saving about one year ago. For example we moved from two large
rooms in a wondeful house in the centre of greenwich to a small room
in a friends flat in Morden (the end of the earth) just to save money.
Dispite our best efforts we left England with less than expected, this
is due in part to the large pre-departure costs that we had not
expected.
Bag £100
Injections £360 (better be worth it)
Camera £170
Itouch £110
Custom Earplugs £67 (worth it already)
visas £680
But off set with planning for a year are birthday and Christmas
presents in the form of:
Pacsafe
Thermals
Travel pillow
We also worked hard on all loyalty points with enough air mile to fly
hong kong to vancouver and Vancouver to Perth in oz.
Nectar points to purchase essentials before flying.
Hotel points for a night post trans Siberian in china
Still daily budget is on my mind 24/7.
And we really messed it up today with a sunrise hot-airballoon which
was about 4 days money in 45mins.
But it was worth evey penny.
Awoken by the call to pray at 5.24, quick cold shower then collected
by minibus and taken to the launch site. I was expecting a few
balloons but there were loads, I counted 31, each one could hold 20-25
people. It was really exciting to watch the teams set up and inflate
the massive balloons. We all jump in, then quick safty talk which was
basically not to get to out of the basket or to pull the red cord.
Then off!
With so many balloons in such a small space it was quite impressive
and scary. We fly into a valley, very close to the rocks and sure to
hit the wall on the other side. Then up, over the region and to the
landing site. Our pilot, John, landed the basket perfectly on the back
of the truck. As soon as we were down out came the souvner hats,
fleases and photos. From getting in the basket where our photo was
taken to landing the best of the pics were printed off, given to the
correct groud crew and the displayed. Of course we had to get the one
of us!
It was a wonderful experience that showed beautifully the area of
cappdioca off.
I have to say that most of davinas flight was paid for by her friends
for her resent birthday. Very greatful to them for this.
*note added by editor.
The following day I got up before sunrise and went for a little run to
the launch site. I was not there in time to see them all depart but
saw them all floating off. An amazing sight After 10mins or so just
as they were all dipping in and out of the valley I noticed that one
of the balloons had landed in the valley. This must have been by
accident as there was not space to roll the balloon up. I assume that
it hit the valley wall and came down. There was still alot of air in
the balloon so must have glided gentally to earth. Sure no one was hurt.
About 50km from where we are staying are some man cut caves that were
dug to house and hide a whole community. About 10000 people lived
undergound for months at a time as all they required was there with
them, kitchen, stables, church, school and wine press. Air was
supplyed by hidden chimnies. The whole complex was impressive, all the
way down to 50m.
Getting there was no fun for us and here we learnt why comfort comes
at a cost. There was a nice easy bus tour that would pick us up, show
us the caves, give us lunch and return us home. But at a price. So we
go it alone on public transport. We totaled about 3.5 hours waiting
for busses and only had crips for lunch but at 25% of the tour cost.
We are very aware of money and that eveything costs. We have to have a
bed, that's ok. But we are able to cut costs everywhere else.
Sitting down costs as your normally need to purchase something. I had
in mind that many hours would be spent drink coffee on the balcony of
a cafe, reading, watching the world go by, maybe even penning some
prose. There will be no prose as coffee costs. There will be no crazy
party stories as beer costs.
There will be no action pictures as white water rafting costs.
So by cutting out comfort, evils (coffee beer and some time washing)
and adventure/fun we can stick to budget.
Pondering this sad state of affairs brings to mind the poem by the
wonderful Tim Minchin where he discribes as conversation he had with a
banker about how the successful money man thought that Tim,
struggeling artist, was, in fact, richer than he. But in a spirtual
way. And the banker would give up all his riches for what Tim has. I
am not sure what this musing is called, search it on YouTube, I can't
as the Internet costs.
Sent from my iPhone
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