Saturday October 3rd 2015 was certainly up, up and away. We got up at 3.45 am, a bit earlier than planned because of the thunder and lightning, but just as well as it turned out. We had checked with the parking division in the Railyard area about parking in the underground car park near the station and had been told that all we had to do was press the button and take a ticket, even that early in the morning. We pressed the button but no ticket appeared. We continued down to the car park to discover the gates closed and no means of entry. That necessitated a rather complicated bit of turning tbe car to get back out again. The next try was an on ground parking meter park nearby. Plenty of space but the parking meter would not acept our cards. So nothing else for it but to chance parking at the public parking that we use when going to the market. The system there involves giving 5 dollars to the man at the entrance. But the man was sleeping soundly in his bed as most sensible people should have been! We parked our car, locked it and crosed our fingers.
There were a few people at the train station before us. I congratulated myself on bringing sufficient tissues to dry a seat and proceeded to wait. Shortly after, a couple, from New Jersey as it turned out, arrived and I thought to myself that they were not really dressed for the weather which threatened, and did produce while we were waiting, rain. The man, around 40, came over to sit down on a seat beside me but I warned him it was wet. He jokingly asked if I would get up so he could sit down. Not a chance I replied but he could sit on my knee if he liked. He said he liked that one and approached me with his fist extended. It took me a little while to understand that my response was to make a fist and hit his, not a gesture that I have ever indulged in before but which suited the situation seemingly. He then asked in a loud voice if everyone at the station had tickets. Everyone had, except him and his partner! He wondered if it was necessary to prebook, which it was. He threatened to lie down in front of the train so none of us could go unless someone sorted them out. Then the panic started as they both, with new cell phones, attempted to book tickets. It was a hilarious scene and I could understand if they were teenagers but they were well past that and should have known better. They involved practically everyone, including me, in their predicament.
When we finally got on the train they sat across the aisle from us and continued trying to get their phones to work and have a copy of the tickets available to show the ticket collector. All this while loudly proclaiming to all the progress, or lack of progress. There was a lot of banter so the almost 2 hour journey passed with lots of laughter.
Another cause of enjoyment was that the train, Railrunner, had replaced the usual beep beep of doors closing and opening with the Roadrunner's meep meep from the cartoon. We would have been in Albuquerque faster if they had called the train the Coyote!
At one of the train stops a couple from Missouri got on and sat opposite us and engaged us in conversation first establishing where we were from. The woman thought Ireland was in New Mexico! Your man acrosd the way said it was near New Jersey. However, we clarified the situation and we ended up getting a potted history of their lives and a certain amount of probing of ours.
Conclusion: Americans are very friendly and very curious verging on nosey, and some are very very loud.
As we got close to the station some balloons, part of the Dawn Patrol could be seen, lit up in the still dark sky. The excitement in the train was palpable.
On arrival at Los Ranchos train station just outside Albuquerque, lots of school buses, comandeered for the day, were there as shuttles to the Balloon Park. It took over half an hour to get there because the traffic was so heavy. By the time we entered the park the mass ascension of balloons had started and day had dawned. Thousands of people were already there, some from as early as 4.00 am I overheard. There were lots of stalls with souvenirs etc. and lots of food stalls.
We made our way to an area where balloon material was still lying on the ground waiting to be inflated. All around balloons were in different stages of readiness and some were already launched and others on their way.
There was a white and yellow a d black material just in front of where we were standing and the team around it had Moo on their sweatshirts. I didn't pay a lot of attention to it at that stage.
To the right of the cow there was another huge balloon with Wells Fargo on it. When it was inflated it was an enormous stagecoach but I don't know if it was launched as we left around 9am to get the shuttle back to the train.
The whole thing was very colourful but the novelty balloon were the best.
Yes, pigs can fly!
There was even a kiwi.
Kissing bumblebees!
There were more than 500 balloons today in the mass ascension. It must take a massive organisation!
The train, shuttle and entrance fee cost us only 16 dollars each. I think it was really good valuel
We got back to the car park at 11.15 am and, thankfully, the car was still there and not clamped.
In the afternoon we decided to go see the Kasha Katuwe tent rocks about 40 miles from Santa Fe on the Pajarito Plateau. The cone-shaped tent rock formstions are the product of volcanic eruptions that happened 6,000 or 7,000 years ago. Just as we entered the park the skies looked ominous and then lightning started and then thunder. We managed to get dome photos as the rain started. We thought it would pass and we would get a walk but it simple became torrentual so we had no choice but to return home. But at least we had seen them.
These rocks are called hoodoos. Some have boulder caps thst protect the soft pumice and tuff below. Some have lost their caps and are disintegrating.
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