Yesterday was the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque. We had decided to go - in fact, this was one of the main reasons we decided to come down here - so made the commitment to get up before dawn and catch the train down to the big city.
Four o'clock comes pretty early, and dark and cold. But we got up, got our togs on, put some food into our stomachs, and walked off to the rail station. New Mexico has this new commuter train called the RoadRunner, which is very popular. It is usually a commuter run, but they had put on a special run for the Fiesta. It was amazing to see about four hundred people lined up and pretty happy that early in the morning, waiting for the train. It was a crowd of families, couples, and solo people, all heading in the same direction.
Th train let us off at Albuquerque, we got herded into shuttle buses, and were off to the balloon grounds. This event has been going on for over thirty years, so they have a dedicated place, complete with a Balloon Museum, in town. What was spectacular about this yesterday, was that, as we drove into the grounds, there were some balloons in the air, checking out the winds, and so on. When they turned on their burners, to heat the air, it lit up the entire balloon. So the sky was dark, with the lit balloons in the air. Wow!
As the sky lightened, about 6:30 here, we were on the ground by a balloon getting ready to launch. Now try to imagine what it is like to have in the order of six hundred balloons that you want to launch. Logistically very difficult. They would let a bunch of about 25 launch at a time, then move onto another bunch. So there were always some that were partly inflated, others mostly inflated, others about to take off, an others launching, until there was no balloon left on the ground. the sky was full of them, or so it seemed. Most were the usual balloon shape, but some were more streamlined (more like a vertical oval) for racing, and others were just fun. There was a Nemo balloon, a Smoky the Bear, a Cow, a pop can, and so on. And the weather cooperated, with light winds and a mostly clear sky. Thousands of spectators were there to watch. And of course, the tents selling everything from breakfast to beer to tailgate chairs.
It was great fun, and wonderful to see. By 10:00, it was pretty well done, although there were other fair-type event through the day, and a night-time rising as well. But we were going to try and catch the 11:30 train back home.
We got back to the train station with lots of time, but then noticed an announcement that there was to be a delay, of uncertain length. We found out that the train had had a collision with a car, and there was no clear indication of when it would be cleared. We waited for two hours for the first train back home. But I met an older man, and had a pleasant talk with him. He was 84, had been a union organizer for asbestos workers in New Mexico, and was now on a trip with his grand-kids, who he was helping to get through university. We talked abut asbestos (and Quebec, although the mines he knew were in Texas), the struggle to get proper compensation for the union men. We talked about the state of medicare, education, wars. He was a WW2 vet, very opposed to the current wars, and in favour of Obama. Nice to see, and a pleasure to talk with. So the time went fast, and we were back off home.
The day ended at home, with an at-home supper and early to bed.
Sunday (today), we are up early, and off to get a breakfast at a cafe, before Darlene heads off to look at art galleries on Canyon Road, then to Quakers; I am going to the Palace of the Governors (the oldest public building in the US), for a tour of their History Museum.
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