Around the World in 80 Days
Day 68: 1 December

We have to ascend at this ungodly hour before the land warms up and starts giving off thermals which disturb the air current. Hot air balloons do not, it appears, like hot air.
I feel rather silly standing in this little basket on the ground, like a piece of forgotten shopping, whilst each flame of propane swells the shroud above my head.
Then, quite suddenly, without a lot of fuss and bother, we're rising majestically above the car park, above the hotel, above the neat, clean-as-a-new-pin streets, above the substantial Victorian bulk of Wheeler Opera House, above the Aspen Fresh Fish Co. and The Great Divide Music Store and the eye-catching old bandstand in Paepcke Park. Over Highway 82 and Hyman Avenue and Pepi's Hideaway and suddenly the town is in miniature and there are shouts from the occupants of the other balloon for me to stand up and be photographed and I'm not sure if my knees will support me.
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PALIN'S GUIDES
- Series: Around the World in 80 Days
- Day: 68
- Date: 1 December
- Country/sea: USA
- Place: Aspen - Colorado
- Book page no: 224
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RELATED LINKS
- USA
- Introduction
- Full Circle
- Introduction
- Hemingway Adventure
- Day 1
- Full Circle
- Miscellaneous
- Day 51
- Full Circle
- Day 117
- Pole to Pole
- Day 95: Dibrugah
- Himalaya