The annual Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in Clark, Pampanga
I was wide eyed when I woke up about 2:45 in Sunday morning. Pulling myself out of bed was effort enough but I have to get up if we were to catch the annual Hot Air Ballon Fiesta in Clark, Pampanga in time. It was the first time for me to attend this spectacle of an event and with free complimentary tickets to boot. It was an event not to miss, lest I have to wait again another year.
Fire it up! Propane burners fill the balloons with hot air to fly.
We arrived in Clark by 5:45am after our meet up in Makati around 4am. The propane burners were lit up in the twilight sky and signaled the start of the event. Gradually the deflated balloons started filling up and the myriad gargantuan colors of these balloons started rising up from slumber and ready to take flight.
Ready for take off! It’s true, Dogs do go to heaven.
By break of light, the balloons started to fly one by one. It was so fast, the sky was filled with Hot Air Ballons. It was a spectacular sight with the rising sun greeting those giant airships in the sky going east of the skylights.
Who said only dogs can fly? This cat will touch the sky.
Looking at them in the sky it seems so easy to just fly off in a balloon. Little did I know that Ballooning was a skill that had to be learned and mastered. Balloonist had to be an amateur meteorologist who can read both topographical and road maps and predict the change of wind patterns. These wind riders control their balloons by either putting more hot air to raise altitude or releasing them or cooling their balloons to lower altitude. They change speed and directions by riding on different air currents at varying altitudes.
Their flight was too close for comfort. I thought this balloon was gonna hit us.
It was a great start of the festival. And the start of a long and exciting day ahead.
ei bro! we went on saturday kasi we know it will be mayhem come sunday. di bale, next time, hanapin kita. thanks for the kind comment. i concentrated on the seldom-seen shots like the inside of the balloon or the propane burners kasi without a decent camera, it’s hard to capture distant objects. btw, hanep yung aklan feature mo. more than the boracay post, i found that much more interesting. see ya around!
very true! you still feel sleepy at the start of the activity but you’ll be so amazed when they start firing up the balloons. we went last year, i remember there was this couple who were kissing non-stop while they were firing up one of the balloons and everybody was staring at them
the balloons this year seem to be more interesting, with the flying cats and dogs hehehe! thanks for sharing the pictures. i hope there are more
ay nagpunta ka rin dyan? nabalitaan ko yan, dami kong ka blog na nakapunta din… kaso may lakad ako.. tsk tsk..
ang gaganda ng kulay ng balloons pati na composition mo…
great event…i never been to the balloon festival…kinda fun and excited to be on the balloon….colors and shapes of the ballon r fantastic:-) great capture
sayang may pasok ako non….
pwede rin palang paliparin ang ibang shape? galing nong sa Dog balloon…
Definitely too early ! I had to wake up at 2am
((
But I agree it was well worth the effort! An exciting & colorful event. I even saw a plane crashing in front of me (no joke !)
wooow. di pa ako nakakakita niyan in person. hehe. aliiw. ang gaganda.
the balloons are so nice
wow!
uyy, someday sana i can witness that event
galeng naman! ang gaganda ng balloons… sumakay ka din?
i’ll link u up. hope its ok
hmm. inadd kita sa links ko.
heya! ano ba sinabi ng template ng blog ko sa mga template at photos nya. … in other words… literally ang ganda ng blog!
wooow ang sarap lumipad
[...] Kids are always fun to watch, especially when they are at play. They are so absorbed at what they are doing, the seem to be living in another world. Saw this kid playing at the Hot Air Balloon Festival. [...]
[...] event is now on its 11th year. I really had plans on going back here once again since I enjoyed last year’s spectacle. At first I wasn’t sure if I could make this trip since a friend of mine who originally [...]
they were so artistic! i like the dog-shaped hot air balloon!!! and it will be more exciting to rideon it! whew!!! =)
i stumbled into your site today and i’m so happy that i did. you document all the beauty of our country for people like me who never knew places like these existed! thank you!
btw, do you know when the next balloon fiesta is?