Balloon over White Mountain
High up in the Andes mountains of Peru, there is a little town called San Jerónimo, and not far from there is Montaña Blanca (the locals call it: Huaytapallana). Here lived a family and a ten-year-old boy named Daniel. What he wanted most for Christmas was to fly over White Mountain. Well, this was a bit difficult, but when the family got together and talked about it, they felt it could be done: Uncle Dennis from America was visiting during this time, he was involved in finding the necessary strings for the balloon , and so if Aunt Rosita, Dennis’s wife, was involved, she had to watch Dennis to make sure he didn’t get tangled up in the ropes (or felt he had to); and Aunt Nancy, her job was to find a camera, and prepare the film for the expedition, and the mother and father, Mini and Enrique, got the rest of the necessary equipment, which I explain below:
in a week they put together a balloon, tied to an old wooden bathtub, one they had stored in the back of their old restaurant: a large one, one might say, somewhat modified. Strings were tied to the sides of the balloon (the balloon was given to the mayor of the city); As I was saying, they tied the ropes to the balloon and to the sides of the wooden tub, and put some sandbags on the sides so that it wouldn’t fly out. They then built a fire on a platform that was tied below the opening of the balloon, this would fill the balloon with hot air as needed.
On Christmas day, they took little Daniel to City Hall, whose name turned out to be Jesus, where they kept the balloon in the back of the building, and that’s where they surprised him, uncovering it–at full size it was bigger than the mayor’s building
Daniel was overwhelmed, to say the least, and thus his adventure was about to begin; everyone jumped into the old wooden bathtub, and Papa Enrique took the helm. At one point, the mayor said goodbye to the small group, as he climbed over the small town of San Jerónimo, some 10,500 feet high in the Andes. They climbed to 16,000 feet; right on top of White Mountain (I should explain: even though it’s called White Mountain, there are several mountains huddled together and White Mountain is in the middle above the rest of the mountains).
It was a dream come true for little Daniel, he could even see the little mountain town of Acopalca, leading into the mountains, where they were eating a winter fish fry. There, warm and friendly people greeted him as they played ball and ate his trout. The balloon was all purple, and everyone could see it from afar and up close.
Right after they passed that mountain town, the winds started picking up and moving the adventurous crew back and forth, up and down, like a yo-yo, and Uncle Dennis was dangling from the ropes to make sure they didn’t get caught. broke, and put out of the fire. Aunt Nancy was taking pictures of the whole adventure, and Aunt Rosita was making sure Uncle Dennis didn’t overexert himself, he wasn’t in the best of health; and Captain Papa Enrique guided the balloon in circles, around the top of the mountain, while little Daniel looked all over the mountainous area, almost wanting to jump to the glaciers on each side of the mountain (but he didn’t) .
aka! Things don’t always go as planned, right? They were planning to land on the summit, weather permitting, on top of the mountain peak, but the wind was too strong, if they tried this, surely the balloon and they in it would end up falling into the small lake. that was nestled among the mountains below them: there were three lakes below them, but the one closest to them was similar to a large pond.
Then, suddenly, a giant condor came, a big, big, very big bird, with eyes of ice, and a wingspan (perhaps) of twenty-five meters: from tip to tip (so I remember, and looking at the photos). Yes indeed, it was bigger than the giant tub: it was huge like a whale in the air.
Nancy couldn’t help it, she kept taking photos of the big bird, she was fascinated with it; and her wings began to create a wind storm around the balloon, that made Uncle Dennis pull harder on the ropes so that the balloon wouldn’t get out of control and the Captain could steer it properly; the Captain, being of course, Papa Enrique, who was now directing the balloon towards the lake, if the bird burst the balloon at least they would land on something softer than granite.
The Condor got closer and closer to little Daniel, and then, when his head was almost in the tub, looking at the group of people in the area, Daniel did something strange: he plucked a feather from the bird’s neck, Uncle Dennis saw this . and he said to himself, ‘Wow, this says disaster for all of us (because it really pissed the bird off)’ and then noticed that the bird began to attack the balloon, narrowly escaping the fire below it. Then Uncle Dennis had an idea, and he let the rope fly up, out of his hands, then the fire rushed at the bird’s wings, setting them on fire, and like a rocket, the condor whizzed down into the lake to put out the fire. fire. fire out – Splash! He left, and when he came out from under the water, he couldn’t fly anymore, and he wasn’t a happy bird.
Unfortunate as it was, it was a happy ending, thought Papa Enrique and the rest of the crew, as they sailed the balloon back to San Jerónimo, where the mayor, his friend, awaited them all: and upon arrival, the entire town. he came out to applaud them for his bravery on White Mountain.
Note to unbelievers: if you don’t believe this story is true, just write to the mayor, he will tell you the truth or maybe little Daniel could.
Spanish version
By Rosa Penaloza
A Peruvian Christmas Story:
Balloon over the White Mountain
On top of the Andes mountains of Peru, there is a small town called San Jeronimo, and not far from it is a White Mountain (locals call it: Huaytapallana). A family passed here, and a little ten-year-old boy named Daniel. What he wanted most for Christmas was to fly down the White Mountain.
Well, this was somewhat difficult, but as his family got together and soberly discussed this, they felt that this could be accomplished: Uncle Dennis from America was visiting during this time, he would be involved in finding the necessary ropes for the balloon, and Aunt Rosita, Dennis’s wife, would be involved as well, she would have to take care of Dennis to make sure he didn’t get tangled up in the ropes (or that’s what she feared); and Aunt Nancy, whose job it would be to find a camera, and get the film ready for the expedition, and the mom and dad, Mini and Enrique, would get the other necessary equipment, which I’ll explain now:
In a week they assembled a balloon, attached to a life-wood bathtub, which they had kept behind their old restaurant: a large one, I might say, somewhat modified.
They tied ropes to the sides of the balloon (the balloon they got from the Mayor of the city), as I was saying, they tied the ropes to the balloon and to the sides of the wooden tub, and put a few sandbags on it. the sides to prevent it from flying off. They then set fire to a platform that was tied under the opening of the balloon, this would fill the balloon with hot air when needed.
On Christmas Day, they took little Daniel to the Mayor’s Office, whose name turned out to be Jesus, where behind the building they kept the balloon, and that’s where they surprised him, uncovering it–the full-size balloon was more bigger than the Mayor’s building.
Daniel was overwhelmed–to say the least, and so his adventure was about to begin; They all jumped into the old wooden bathtub, and Papa Enrique took the helm. Within moments, the Mayor was waving to the small group goodbye! while it rose above the small town of San Jerónimo, approximately 10,500 magpies above the Andes. They suffered about 16,000 feet, directly above White Mountain (I should explain: even though they call it White Mountain, there are several mountains hugged together and White Mountain is kind of in the middle towering over the rest of the others).
This was a dream come true for little Daniel, he even called he could see the little town of Acopalca–the one that leads to the mountains, where they were having winter fish fry. There the kind and gentle people greeted him, while they played ball, and ate his trout. The balloon was all purple, and everyone could see it everywhere.
Then just as we were done passing the little town, the strong Venuses started charging the Will Venture crew back and forth, up and down, like a yo-yo, and the guy put out the fire. Aunt Nancy was taking pictures of the entire adventure, and Aunt Rosita made sure that Uncle Dennis didn’t make too much of an effort on his own, he wasn’t in the best of health; and Pope Captain Henry was driving the balloon in circles, around the top of the mountain, while little Daniel was looking around the whole mountain, the whole area, as if wanting to jump on the glaciers on each side of the mountain (but he didn’t). made).
Poor me! Things don’t always go the way they were planned right?
They had planned to land on the summit–weather permitting, on the very peak of the mountaintop, but the wind was too strong–if they tried this, they would surely blow up the balloon and end up falling into the small lake below. It was in the middle of the mountains below them: there were three lakes below them, but the nearest one was similar to a large pond.
Then all of a sudden there came a gigantic condor, a big, big, very big bird with icy eyes, and with wings as big as (maybe) eighty feet in length: tip to tip (yes, I remember looking at the photos) . Yes indeed, it will be bigger than the gigantic bathtub: it will be huge like a ball in the air.
Nancy couldn’t help it, she just kept taking pictures of the big bird, she was fascinated with it, and its wings started to create a storm around the balloon, which made Uncle Dennis pull the ropes harder so the balloon wouldn’t fly away. of command, so the Captain could direct it correctly; The Captain who was of course Pope Henry, who now turned the globe towards the lake, in case the bird broke the globe at least they would land on something softer than granite.
The Condor got closer and closer to little Daniel, and then when his head was almost above the tub, surveying the group of people in the area, Daniel did a strange thing: he plucked a feather from the bird’s neck, the Condor! Uncle Dennis saw this and said to himself, “Woops, this spells disaster for all of us (because this really got the bird mad),” and then he noticed that the bird started attacking the balloon, almost pushing the fire away. below this. Then Uncle Dennis had an idea, he let the rope fly over–out of his hands, then the fire caught up quickly to the bird’s wings, setting them on fire, and like a rocket the condor dove into the lake to put out the fire. fire–!splash! this one went, and when he emerged into the water, this one couldn’t fly anymore–and he wasn’t a happy bird.
Unfortunate as it was, this had a happy ending, thought Papa Enrique and the rest of the crew, while they directed the balloon back to the town of San Jeronimo, where the Mayor, their friend, was waiting for them: and on their , the entire town came out to applaud them for their valor on White Mountain.
Note to un-believers: if you don’t believe this story is true, just write to the Mayor, he’ll tell you the truth, or maybe little Daniel might.