Well we flew it was fast with nowhere to land but we lived. The flight will actually be the first in the film even though its the last to be shot. The magic of television. We now have a problem with the landrover so we will film us getting it sorted. Writting this adventure up properly is going to be a mission.

I am going to try and embed a video clip that Sebastian took of the landing.  If it does not work heres the YouTube URL for it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv68mQj9H9k

We had slowed down dramatically and a miracle space popped up!! Just the perfect fit for the balloon and probably the greenest smoothest bit of ground for the entire trip.

With any luck, a map will appear below and that will show where we have been.

This is being sorted from the back of a Landrover so it might not work.

Ah it does not work so for now  a button link.

So fueled up but alas no coffee. This fact is causing a minor mutiny, especially from Mr Vynne.

Sunday mornings anywhere in the world are quiet but small towns in rural South Africa are especially slow.

Having left the domine (vicar) behind at the garage topping up with fuel prior to his busy day we have joined the N11 and are winding towards, Groblersdal. Out of driveways appear cars full of people in their sunday best going to listen to the domine.

I did'nt say what we are doing, we are going to make TV magic (a producers words not mine) with a hot air balloon over the Venda tribe near Louis Trichardt in Limpopo Province. Lets make this blog entry the catch, story so far entry.

Its a TV documentary about tribes, this week we are filming up north and next week we return home to KwaZulu Natal to film with Zulu's.

I think the plan is to fly tribe members over special sites for their tribe. One of the tasks is to fly near what is said to be the oldest living thing, a 3000 year old Baobab tree. I'm looking forward to seeing that. We will also fly from next to a sacred lake in which a snake of fertility lives. More of what is going to happen when we are there and meet the French Film crew. There already have been a couple of heated discussions. The most recent based around our arrival date. The dates were confirmed last month and on their arrival everything was bought a day forward. Impossible for us to change our schedule. Important to write impressions of the crew before we get there because the instant we meet them our opinions will change. So many of these jobs are setup over the phone and you never actually meet the dudes until you get there, creating all sorts of false impressions. I should imagine they think I'm a pretty difficult dude, oh yes I am thats right. I believe the program is called Sky and Earth.

Anyhow

Tims doing his best to keep the Landrover straight at the minute but the road is not helping, it has tracks made by heavy trucks.

Playing on the car CD player is a CD from the front cover of SL, Student Life magazine. Last year on a trip to make an advert in the Cape we also bought SL for the same reason and decided its now a roadtrip tradition.

Unfortunately this CD is not as good as the last as its all hip hop stuff, not really the thing for one person thought to be older than 55 and two nearly 40 year old chaps. Tim the baby at 23 might enjoy it though.

Back to catching up as we drop down into a very pretty valley near Loskop Game reserve.

We left Nottingham Road late yesterday and drove to Bethal where we stayed the night, all went well. The drive was enhanced by Seans clever luxury feature. A 50lt beer barrel with cooling device. There are photos which I will add later when I get to Tims camera. Unfortunately as I was driving I was not able to join the festive proceedings. So just like a Navy rum ration we have a beer ration, 2lts per person per day. The beer is from the Nottingham Road Brewery. (Just pulled over for a picture of Loskop Dam, Tim has declared South African tarmac to be spikey!!) The coal lorries on roads around Bethal have to be seen to be believed. Driving like maniacs ripping up roads all on the way to deliver coal to power stations.

Tim just announced 40km to coffee o'clock, I think that might be a little hopeful, not until everyones out of church will such things come alive.

We have given up on the CD and Sean has found a church service on the radio! They have just cut to a song that sounds much like the old HTV intro song, whatever happened to Gus Honeybun.

0830 and all is well Damwal.