Flying

I hate flying. A post I read recently reminded me how much I love my husband.

Again. I hate flying. I am one of those people who get on a plane sweating from all pores despite being medicated to the teeth.

Despite this very real phobia, I have - gone on a helicopter ride ( at my nephews school fete) - this was a mistake I still wake up in cold sweats about. The pilot seeing my discomfort decided to have fun with me.
He put me in the co pilots seat and took great pleasure in my saucer shaped eyed. I say this because once we had taken off, he turned to me in innocence and showed me a thumbs up, when I reciprocated, he flipped the helicopter and showed me all the reasons I really hate flying. That I got out of there with my pants semi dry is beyond me. (I did make a hasty b line for the loo I must say), but hey, my dignity was intact.
There after I was co erst into a flight on the Hewie, a Vietnam helicopter (still flying - yeah really) in Cape Town. This one I actually enjoyed. We were flying low and the pilot played "The Doors " full blast, the worst that coulda happened was that I dive bombed out of the side (it was open - no doors - just like the war) and landed up the the Milnerton sand dunes).
For my 40th birthday my loving husband decided that I needed to see the East. The East is great. If you can drive. I hated the 11 hour flights.

Hanging on to my arm rests for that amount of time gave my fingers a serious work out.

I downed all the vodka they would give me. But the flights were still hair raising.
Landing in Singapore was "interesting " too. Despite that fact that we had circled for an hour and there were emergency vehicles lining the runway, my husband was his usual calm self (damn him). I on the other hand was a wreck. Hair soaked and standing on end, I am the dream travelling companion.
Luckily I had stocked up on tabs to see me through, so I was semi ok.
At each stop (there were four) I was relieved and jubilant, then a day before I knew we had to get back on that thing, I went into survival mode.
Just breathe.
And breathe
And it'll be over, just breathe.
The worst was yet to come.
In my ultimate wisdom I decided that ballooning was the thing that would impress hubby most for his birthday.
I booked the weekend.
It was a surprise.
All was good, I had mentally blocked the fact that we were to leave tera firma.
At 5 in the morning we got up and all was well (I lie I lie)
I am not a morning person and this probably saved me. If I was more awake I probably would have run screaming when I saw that balloon inflating.
We were all aboard before I was thinking clearly. When we started ascending I was finished. If you have ever seen a terrified person, that was me. I clung onto the side for dear life, refusing to look down, what was more unfortunate was that my position gave me full view of the thingie that tracked our height. How I managed to stay standing is beyond me.
Hubby and our friends kept asked me to "look here" "face here".....not gonna happen. Needless to say there are not many photos of me on this trip.
Lastly I hate flying