My Great Escape: Ballooning Over The Valley Of The Kings

Our reader Carolyn Ross takes to the skies in Egypt

IT WAS STILL dark when we left our Nile cruiser, and the coffee served to us on the colourful craft that ferried us to the west bank was very welcome. Sunrise happens fast in that part of the world and, as we gunned our way across the river, the sky was paling. Already, we could see hot air balloons rising gracefully into the sky.

From the boat we transferred to a mini-bus, and soon found ourselves in a field surrounded by huge and colourful balloons in various stages of inflation. Teams of young men grabbed hold of dangling ropes, and with much excited shouting sent clouds of dust flying from their feet as they were dragged along by the balloons, now almost fully inflated and impatient to soar skywards.

I'm not hugely bothered by heights, but having never been in a hot air balloon before, I must confess to a twinge of apprehension, but I needn’t have worried. Our balloon was ready, and the huge basket that held up to 20 people felt comfortingly solid as I clambered inelegantly into it.