The View From Up There

I took one of them new-fangled balloon rides on the Boston Common with a friend. I was hoping that it would be transcendental. It was somewhat.

The two hour wait almost killed us but it was worth it. We went up at night.

The balloon, which was owned by Aeroballoon, is white. The ride lasts about 10 minutes and the balloon basically hovers over the spot that it ascends from.

Boston at night is a photographer's dream. I took some photos with my speak-and-spell camera but a real camera was needed for this task. The sky changed from blue to black. You could see the people on the ground. They were looking up at the balloon. The skyline was dotted with lights and everything seemed cleaned and fresh and limitless.

Best of all, it was so very quiet. It makes one wonder if birds experience the same thing.

I was only unnerved a little in the basket. I had to keep it together because the person that I was with was not keen on going and I knew that if I freaked out, he would too. However, there came a point where I let go and I felt free.