If someone told me I’d be going on a Hot Air Balloon ride a month before the event day, you’d think I’d have some time to simmer down and get my bearings.
Nope.
I kept it in check though, like the lady that I am. I only showed the bare minimum.
It took us a while to get our plan sorted out since Lubao Pampanga wasn’t a familiar place to us and we wanted to find somewhere nice and close so we could go back and forth easily. It’s always a good idea to stay somewhere near so you can rest, freshen up and do whatever when you’re not at the event. Luckily a friend called me with news regarding accommodations and he set us up pretty good since the hotel (Prado Farms) is right across Pradera Verde where the event will be held and the hotel itself is beautiful.
I am going to make a separate entry for Prado Farms for future reference. If not that then just so y’all can see what I meant by it’s beauty. [I’ll post the link here when it’s done]
The event was scheduled to be on March 26-29 and I wanted us to be there on the 25th so we’re rested and not reeling from travelling and being on the road. We got the chance to also go around and explore what’s around Lubao Pampanga and it’s neighboring towns and we did try to get some sleep since chaos was to ensue the next day but I couldn’t. I was too amped up. So I lay in bed counting the minutes before I had to get ready and be there for the briefing.
4am
The gates were officially opened and the 1st day of the festival began. People were getting the final touches done, the food stalls which surrounded the event started prepping and everyone had a task they need to do and they all had somewhere to be.
It was beautiful. Behind the scenes is my thing.
After the briefing, the fun begins.
The Balloonists and their team (the chasers) went to their respective places to start setting things up. Now at this point, anything can happen. Mother Nature might decide to blow more winds our way and that won’t be good for a balloon festival. It’s also the pilot’s decision if he deems it safe or not to take flight. They want to give us a great show but we should also think about their safety first and not only our entertainment. 
ARE YOU READY?
It was quite an experience and two days seems like more than enough but it isn’t. I loved every exhausting minute of it and this is coming from someone who doesn’t usually stay out and walk around. It was amazing! and even though it’s all over now and it’ll be a full year till the next one, I’m still coming down from the high.
Which begs the question I’m sure a lot of you are asking…
Why should I go back next year?
Simple.
The balloon ride was epic, don’t get me wrong. It’s something everyone should experience once in their life. Put it on your bucket list!
But it’s not just that though.
All these people came together to make this event happen and a very successful one at that. We were able to talk to a bunch of people whom we wouldn’t have had the pleasure of knowing if it wasn’t for this event. We made new friends and now we share great memories.
I guess if there was one thing I loved most about this festival specifically is that everyone was together and your social standing didn’t matter, you were all there in the field basking in the sun while watching the colourful balloons fly and everyone was having fun.
If you had looked up the hashtag of the festival #LubaoIBF2015 #LubaoIBF #LIBF2015 #LIBF you’d see that after most of the balloons have flown, they open the gates for everyone to be able to walk in the field to take pictures or do whatever. And you don’t really need a pass to do it, you don’t need to pay extra for VIP treatment. All you have to do is be there and be a part of it.
I just have to say this though because I really appreciate how the organizers of the event did their part well. They tried their best to make everyone happy. Like I said earlier, when Mother Nature interferes there’s nothing you can do about it. BUT if you were there you’d see that there wasn’t anyone leaving sad or disappointed. They got to see a great show and the organizers made sure of that.
And that’s what I want to come back to next year.
I want to feel that high again. To come back and spend time with the friends that we made and to make new ones. Create new memories with your family, friends and loved ones because those are the things that matter most and you can never really have enough of them.
If you get a chance to come out and see the festival next year, you definitely should! I loved it so much and I can’t believe I have to wait a whole year for the next one. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us and I’m betting it’s gonna be great.
My heart goes out to everybody who made all this possible. C&S and their team for being sooo fun to be around and for letting us hang out. Dave, who’s very accommodating and who always thinks of everything. He made sure we were taken care of. Awesome!
And of course Ralle, ever so supportive, for coming with me yet again on one of my grand adventures, and for being the one to actually go around the entire field to take pictures for me. YOU the bomb. I’m already thinking of how to convince you to come with me to the next one.
See you next year!
The Adventures 
