Were staying in France until monday, and so far life has been very easy. Hot air ballooning is like a more travellery version of a lads holiday so far. Im staying in a small chateux in Eastern France with six other lads who are working as ground grew for the next month - three other brits, two americans and an aussie. They`re all very well travelled and a couple havent been home for more than a few weeks in years, so they`ve got some good stories! It must be a decent job as well as all but two of us have been here before.
Since I got here yesterday morning we havent done much work- mainly just checking on the kit ready to take out to Switzerland. In our spare time we`ve all been lounging around watching films, playing poker and getting the americans to teach us american football (its almost as bad to play as it is to watch!).
I was trying to pretend today wasnt my birthday, and got away with it until one of the guys added me on facebook and found me out, so weve been having a mini party this evening as well. The `house drink` is `smurfnoff` (haribo stuffed in a bottle of vodka), which is lethal but suprisingly nice tasting. The beers have been flowing pretty freely too so i think its going to be a lot of fun. Its definately a good thing that a crate of 24 bottles out here is about 4 quid, otherwise id be coming home with less money then i arrived with.
Yesterday i was let loose in the big Toyotas they use to drive around the passangers - they`re far bigger than anything ive ever driven before, and automatic, and im on the wrong side of the road, so i feel a bit like im learning to drive all over again. Its a little bit strange but im getting used to it, theres a four litre pick up truck we have to drive as well so im looking forward to being let loose on that later in the week.
Ive been learning a little about ballooning- how were going to be doing insane stuff like flying balloons low enough to pass bottles of champagne to the pilots as they go past, how a car always ends up in a ditch by the end of the week and various other disasters that have happened over the last few years. It sounds great fun, I can def see myself coming back in the future already. It sounds like ive got a fairly good chance of getting to go up at some stage too. It feels so good to be back on the road for more than a week at the time, I cant wait to get going. Im off for another beer, love to you all! James x
Funny link: http://www.bombardsociety.org/chaselounge/