MASS ASCENSION- TO SEE IT IS TO BELIEVE IT

 Mass Ascension:

To see it is to believe it, it is so hard to describe, one can only try. It is a jaw dropping site beyond words. To see friends reaction to this spectacle is fun. Yes bring a roll of duck tape to hold your jaw up, seriously… it is totally A JAW DROPPING site to see.

Mass Ascension, a launch of all the participating balloons has been a feature of Balloon Fiesta since its earliest days and is the most spectacular display of sound and color in all of aviation. 

During mass ascensions, balloons launch in waves. Launch directors, also known as zebras because of their black-and-white-striped outfits, serve as traffic cops, coordinating the launch so balloons leave the field in a safe and coordinated manner. 

Weather permitting, balloons begin to launch at about 7:00 AM on mass ascension days, led by a balloon flying the American flag to the strains of The Star Spangled Banner.




 



RV AT FIESTA IS THE WAY TO GO!

              This is our camper set up for AIBF in the President's Compound

 

AIBF RV CAMPING:

RVing for me is one of the best ways to attend AIBF. Why? First is location, you are right there next to the event, no hassle of driving in congested traffic, parking etc. You can sit by your RV have some coffee as the balloons fly overhead. 



While there are a good number of onsite spaces they do sell out quick. I was talking to an AIBF board member and learned the presidents compound sold out in 1.5 minutes. The other larger lots took an hour or so to sell out. The waitlist was capped at 5000. 



Don’t let that discourage you as things happen and spaces do open up. 

We stay in the Presidents Compound because the locations perfect for us. Yes it is expensive camping but the location location location is worth it for us. 

 

 

 



Here is some RV info : 

TENT CAMPING: $35.00 per night (tent camping only)
STANDARD: $40.00 per night (dry camping in the South RV Lot)

BOX VIEW: $50.00 per night (dry camping in the South RV Lot)
PREMIUM: $95.00 per night (30Amp and water connection in the South RV Lot)

VIP West/East: $100.00 per night (dry camping, adjacent to the Launch Field with 2 general admission passes included valid during your stay)

 
VIP North: $100.00 per night (dry camping, adjacent to the Launch Field with 2 general admission passes included valid during your stay) Please note that this lot is in close proximity to the Fireworks and it will be loud.

PRESIDENT'S COMPOUND: $250.00 per night (Sites on a bluff overlooking the Launch Field with city water pressure and 30-50 Amp RV Hook-up, this site also includes 4 general admission passes to the Launch Field valid during your stay) 

This year the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center will be offering a limited number of exclusive dry dock RV camping sites. I don’t know if this will continue in future years. 

 

 


There are also many local hotels, apartments, VRBO lodging options available. Yes prices to get inflated for the event. Sorry no first hand knowledge of these. 



ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA 50th

 

 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta 50th

Yes, this year is the 50th year for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (AIBF). Yes, we are very excited as it will be a very very big event. Yes, bigger than years past. 

There will be about 650 hot air balloons, 120 of which will be special shapes. There will be flying competitions, mass ascensions, special shapes, balloon glows, dawn patrols and that is just the hot air balloons. 

This year will also be the 25th year for the America’s Challenge Gas Balloon Race. 

There will be fireworks, skydivers, chainsaw carving, car shows, entertainment etc etc etc.

Yes, I will be part of the AIBF Official Event Photo Team. This means long days of taking the photos, editing, submitting etc etc. My days will start about 0430 and end at 2200 ish. Hence my time to write the blog is basically non existent during the event. 

Maybe a bit of AIBF History is in order. 

From a small gathering of 13 balloons in 1972, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has grown to become the largest balloon event in the world. Held each year during the first week in October, the Balloon Fiesta now features about 600 balloons and 700 pilots.

The first gathering of 13 balloons in 1972 was held in the parking lot of Coronado Center Mall in Albuquerque. The following year, 13 countries took part in the "First World Hot Air Balloon Championship", the world's largest ballooning event, held at the New Mexico State Fairgrounds.

By 1978 Albuquerque was playing host to 273 entries. The number of balloons steadily increased, with 600 in 1988 and 903 balloons in 1999. The organizers of the Balloon Fiesta registered more than 1000 balloons in the year 2000. Due to shrinking landing site availability, the number of hot air balloons is now limited.

In 1972 there were about 10,000 guests that viewed the first Balloon Fiesta. Hundreds of thousands of guests visit Balloon Fiesta each year, and hundreds of thousands more fans watch the balloons from outlying areas and on TV.

In 2017, fans around the world can now watch the event online via Balloon Fiesta Live!, a professionally-produced live stream, with expert commentary, of all the flying events. To accommodate the increases in balloons and guests, the Balloon Fiesta’s home field has grown from a corner in a mall parking lot, to its present home, a permanent site that is more than 350 acres.

I should add that over the years AIBF has added enhancements to the event, glows and fireworks and more. 

If you have AIBF as a bucket list event start planning a year in advance. The Best place to start is with the AIBF website: https://balloonfiesta.com/






HOW TO BE ICELANDIC IN 60 MINUTES AND A WALKABOUT DAY

 HOW TO BECOME ICELANDIC IN 60 MINUTES:

During our many visits here to Reykjavik I had been hearing of this one man comedy show titled “How to Become Icelandic in 60 Minutes”. On our past trips it for various reasons we were not able to see this presentation. Kinda like seeing the aurora. Tonight we finally got to see “HOW TO BECOME ICELANDIC IN 60 MINUTES”.

We had purchased tickets on our day of arrival at the Harpa Box Office. The Harpa is the grand theater in Reykjavik and there are many small theaters there within. 

 
  After a day of walking about in the Troll Weather, we had made ourselves a simple dinner of soup, bread and cheese in the room before walking over to the HARPA.

There is a very nice restaurant inside the Harpa where we had drinks. I am not a foo foo fruity beer person but decided to try a local brewery’s seasonal beer. The Borg Brugghús has a mango beer and, much to my delight, it was excellent. Lynn had her ginger beer. 

 



Now to the show- Brilliant, Excellent, Informative, Hilarious, and not to be missed. For me, I think parts of the show were more funny as we have experienced Iceland and it’s people over the years. There were those “yes, so true, ahh ha” moments. 

I very much appreciated his condensing the Icelandic Sagas (History of Iceland) down to 60 seconds. Brilliant, and I have spent months reading them wishing I had a time line and name flow chart. 

For you Adventures by Disney (ABD) folks, they will not take you to see this as it is for a mature audience. Personally I took no offense. 



 

When we came out of the theater the clouds were breaking up and there was a very nice sunset over the harbor area. 

Amazingly our walk back to our room took us right past Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, yes a hot dog was procured. 

 



We had a very little glimpse of the sun on our arrival and we had not seen it again till the sunset this evening. The forecast is for partially cloudy skies and a temp in the low 50’s. I hope to have a nice Reykjavik Photo Walkabout. 

Walkabout Day

Today we awoke to clear skies and wind. It is nice to see the sun. 

After breakfast we are out the door and off to visit the Elf Stone. Here we asked to take more photos and are allowed to do so.

 

 

We then wound our way around to the pond by City Hall to see some of the local birds. 

 



Next we make our way to Hallgrimskirkja, the landmark church of Reykjavik. The inside was closed as it is Sunday morning and there is some work going on the exterior of the building. Should you visit this church and can go inside, do so.  The interior is simple yet beautiful and the views from the bell tour are quite nice. 


               Lief the Lucky as he is referred to in the Sagas

Across the street from the Hallgrimskirkja is the Einar Jónsson Museum. Einar Jónsson is one of Iceland’s most celebrated artists and is responsible for some groundbreaking sculptures. Many of his works are found all over Reykjavik. I am sure if you have been here you have seen his works. 

Behind the Museum one can find a garden with many of his works. A joy to walk about and visit and it seems never to be busy. 



                    Thor Wrestles With Old Age, I can relate

                                            A Prayer
 

Heading down hill, we had planned to catch a bus to Laugardalslaug, our pool and hot dog stand. 

Being Sunday, we were too early for the buses to be running so we walked to the Sólfar or Sun Voyager. 

The Sun Voyager is a sculpture by Jón Gunnar Árnason, located next to the Sæbraut road in Reykjavík, Iceland. Sun Voyager is described as a dreamboat, or an ode to the Sun. The artist intended it to convey the promise of undiscovered territory, a dream of hope, progress and freedom. 

 



Next stop was the Harpa concert hall. There are public restrooms in the basement. 

Now the Strætó busses are running. We had thought about visiting a bakery for some coffee, but decided to make our way to Laugardalslaug and visit the Reykjavik  Botanic Garden as there is a coffee shop there. 

Alas, we found the coffee shop to be closed so we enjoyed some of the snacks we carry and a bottle of water. 

Remember do not buy bottled water in Iceland as the tap water is the best in the world. 



We wandered along the paths in the garden taking some photos for a camera club project we have.

 

  

Back at our pool, it is time for a swim and a hot dog. We have decided to call the birds who hang out at the hot dog stand, “Hot Dog Stand Birds” , they are actually a Starling.



                                     There was a line

                                        Hot Dog Bird

                                     Waiting to Attack
 

We needed some fresh bread and more licorice to take home, so off to the Bonus Store in the Old Harbor Area. I should mention there is a rather good ice cream shop across from the Maritime Museum. Yes, we stopped for a small cone, Lynn had salted caramel and I had orange. 

                                     I like the Bonus Stores



We the went to Bonus and got our bread and licorice and walked back to the B&B. 

We will have some soup and bread and the maybe head out for the sunset.
 

 
   

THE TROLL WEATHER CONTINUES:

THE TROLL WEATHER CONTINUES: 

                                   An Elf Stone in Reykjavik 

                        A typical street in the area of our lodging.

            Here is the Treasure B&B we are very happy with this property and the location is great.


After breakfast we took a short walk to an Elf Stone. This is where Elves live. Many people in Iceland believe in the Huldifolk (hidden People) so here is about the Huldufolk.

Huldufolk translates to hidden people, and they usually live inside of rocks and in a parallel world invisible to our eyes. However, legend has it that children can see them right away. The Huldufolk have the ability or power to appear to whom they deem appropriate; that is why some adults declared having had encounters with them.

The origin of these folk creatures can be traced back to Viking Times. However, it is interesting to note that the tradition of the Huldufolk as such exists only in Iceland and the Faroe Islands, and few wonder why.

There are statistics from 2007 confirming that 62% of Icelanders believe in elves.

Decisions have been made to stop road construction, change the layout of roads, or move stones based on elves’ existence. But as the Road Administration of Iceland manager has expressed, the decision was made based on the respect of our tradition and culture, not on the belief of elves itself.

There are areas where, for some reason, machines always stop working, batteries run out, and phenomena that could be classified as paranormal occur. That is where many believe that it is an area inhabited by elves. A person is then authorized to speak with them, ask for permission, make agreements, or change plans. There is a street in Kopavogur, a municipality adjacent to Reykjavik,  with a street called Álfavegur or “Road of the elves” in English.

On the side of this road, there is an immense stone that was removed from the road after tough negotiations with the elves. The stone has its own street number. Now, if the elves still live there or not is something that we cannot confirm.



 

We headed out and made our way to the bus stop and took the #14 bus to the pool. Today the saltwater tub was open as they were cleaning it yesterday. SOOOOOO RELAXING the pools are.

Today the hot dog place down town was a little busy as indicated by the line.

Here in Reykjavik the sidewalks are heated with the geothermal water, so no need to shovel in the winter. 



After our pool time it is Hot Dog Time. We then took the bus back to the city to go to Kolaportið. This is a flea market of sorts where many different items can be found. There are books, sweaters, jewelry, used clothes, odd antiques, t-shirts and some local food. 

We wandered among the stalls and nothing grabbed our need to have impulse.

 

We then wandered the streets past the city pond making our way back to the room. 



Tonight we will be going to The Harpa to see a one person comedy show called “How to be Icelandic in 60 Minutes”. This production has been around for a few years but we have never been able to catch it till now. All reviews are very positive and it is billed as educational and funny. Stand by for a review tomorrow.
.  
 

Troll Weather Morning and All Day

                       Troll Weather Morning and All Day

The skies were overcast and a steady rain fell. As such we  had a great breakfast here at Treasure B&B. Our breakfast was skyr (Icelandic yogurt), fruit, cold cuts and cheese, avocado, tomato, green pepper, hard boiled eggs, and a local brown multi grain bread with homemade jams. A perfect way to start the day. 



Back in the room, I laid down and had a very nice long nap. Waking up, we decided to head out for a swim and hot dog. OK, OK, OK, we are creatures of habit. 

                                    

Yes Troll Weather for in Iceland there is no Bad Weather, Just Poor Clothes

Walking to the bus stop we ran into a Reykjavik City Walks Tour. It was being lead by Martin who is the founder of Reykjavik City Walks. He looked at me and I looked at him, we pointed and said hi again. He asked if we had bought a house here in Iceland. We said no and he offered to help us find one. Well it is an idea. It is fun to see people we have interacted with over the years here in Iceland. We parted wishing each other well till next time. FYI City Walks Reykjavik is a great way to get an introduction to Iceland, and I highly recommend their offerings. The owner and founder is Martin, a History Scholar here in Reykjavik. 



 We dropped off a post card to be sent to the states and I am sure we will beat it home.

We took the #14 bus to our pool and had a hot dog before swimming. There was a break in business at the hot dog stand so we had a nice chat with the lady on duty. 



  

 

 

          There are waterfalls everywhere in Iceland, even at the pool

Then a swim, sadly today they were cleaning the salt water pool so most of our soaking was in the 40C and 42C tubs. Almost too relaxing. 



We then took the bus back to the shopping area on Skolavorousugur Street. Our destination was Reykjavik Street Food. 



 

                    Hallgrímskirkja a notable Reykjavik Landmark

                                Kjötsúpa and Plokkfiskur, 

 

                                Nice Seating Area Upstairs
 

At Reykjavik Street Food you will find many local dishes. I had the Kjötsúpa, which  is a simple Icelandic lamb soup made from braising cuts of lamb or mutton and root vegetables. 

Lynn had the Icelandic Fish Stew, a traditional dish made by mixing mashed fish, béchamel sauce, and potatoes. Called Plokkfiskur, it is a popular dish for cold weather, and is an awesome way to try the flavors of Iceland. 

Should we return there the fish and chips look rather nice. This is a great place for hearty food at a reasonable price. 



In the Old Harbor are of Reykjavik there is a bakery called Brikk. We learned the owner of Brikk had opened a new location called BakaBaka. We found it and it is located on Bankastræti. The building used to be an upscale Icelandic restaurant ( we had dined there when visiting with Nat Geo). Their baked goods looked great and we bought some Kleinur (Icelandic doughnuts). These were really good and had a hint of citrus. The staff was very friendly and they recommended their pizza. This location has only been open a few months. 

 

We next walked back toward our B&B looking for an item to make a Christmas ornament to commemorate this trip. Thus far nothing has jumped out inspiring us.

 

We then stopped at The Drunk Rabbit Irish Pub. This seems to be our local when here and they have a good happy hour from 1200 to 1900. They do offer food that we have yet to try. Fish and chips for about 3000 ISK, as well as pizza for the same price. 

 

 



Always a friendly crowd there and one usually strikes up a conversation with other patrons. It seems to be a place for many expats from the EU.

The weather forecast is for overcast skies and continued rain. This may be breaking up tomorrow. 

Back to our room for some bread and cheese and maybe some Skyr, before calling it a night. 



When this constant rain stops I will get the good camera out for some photos. We will definitely make it to the Botanical Gardens and visit an elf stone.