Up in the air I fly
I hadn’t planned too much in advance for Rio as I just wanted to see what caught my eye when I got there as many of the main sights were covered in my tour that I was taking from Rio to Argentina in a few days time. I sent a few e-mails out before leaving Peru and was very happy to know I was already booked in to go… hang gliding. Yes peeps, you heard it. Me the blonde who is scared of heights was going hang gliding.
Oops, am I covered?
For some reason I was not concerned (however I did check my travel insurance, but when you sign your life away with someone else’s T&C´s that’s about as far as insurance goes) so I thought that if I’m going to die it’s best to go out doing something fantastic with amazing views over Rio than being hit by a car… which if ever you have been to South America, is highly likely. So off I went!
I basically got picked up from the hotel and taken to a beach further down past Impanema, past a couple of Favella’s on the way (they are like the shanty towns of Rio, but mostly built on hills with great views) and I had to wait for my instructor to land from a previous flight before we would go up and jump off a cliff… literally.
So the instructor arrived and pointed me to a car which was a run down version of a mini moke with the now folded up glider attached to the 2 x bars across the car. Looking at this thing, I wasn’t feeling terribly safe at this point but I notice that other people are getting into cars and vans of all sorts with rolled up gliders attached to their roofs so I must be going ok. Maybe I should have read my insurance policy a little closer!!
Up a very steep hill in mostly 2nd gear, the ‘car’ lurches forward at each turn. Up, up, up we go into the hills till we reach checkpoint where a park ranger ticks off that my instructor has come up for his third flight for the day (they are only allowed to do 4 per day) and we continue. We screech into a car park next to another very classy vehicle and the driver says to me: ‘OK, you get out’. Sure ok. Thanks.
I follow him to the top of the hill where he suggests that a toilet stop may be convenient right now. I accept thinking full well that I may just pee my pants doing this, so best to empty the bottle just in case. I’ll see if I need a nappy change when I get to the bottom!
Can we just get on with it?
When I return a friend is helping my instructor set up the glider (I have no idea what the right name for this contraption is by the way, sorry to those who do) and then my instructor comes over with a rather non-fashionable get up that I need to put on. So I do and there I stand, feeling totally sexy right now. So if I do die, I will do so more likely with wet pants and a ridiculous get up attached to my body…… moving on.
Everything needs to be spot on
Before we put everything on, we practice running together as that needs to be absolutely right for take off and landing. For take off, the instructor has complete hold of the glider bar and I have complete hold of him. I am to his right but have to place my left arm over his left shoulder and hold onto a rope attached to him with my right hand. Got it? Basically, he is holding the glider and I am holding on for dear life to him.
So when we practice running it has to be in sync as we have to run together off the jump in tandem, and it needs to be good. When we land it also needs to be in tandem as when he says ‘now’ my feet have to go down so we can run and pull up together.
Then he straps me to the glider and works out some stuff, then attaches himself and works out more stuff. One final check by a ranger for the 6 steps or ‘red flags’ that have to be signed off before you go and we´re done. OH&S is not a thing here, really. I don’t think the 6 steps were real, just something to to give someone a job I think.
So that’s it. That was all my instruction before I go take a flying leap. Here I am attached to this contraption ready to literally jump off a cliff and glide high over Rio de Janerio. Funnily enough, and despite what you may think given what I have written so far, I wasn’t nervous, I don´t think there was time to be nervous. I was excited more than anything. THis was going to be cool – and imagine the view.
And here we go… RUN….3…..2…..1…… JUMP!!!
Oh My GAAAAWWWDDDD.
After an initial and probably obligatory scream in this poor guys ear, he got us all controlled and then I felt like I was motionless, flying with the wind in my hair (that was thankfully held back by a gorgeous pink helmet). So flying with the wind over my helmet.
Once we got our balance, it was so smooth and serene. I thoroughly enjoyed the flight as my instructor pointed out different areas of Rio below and other landmarks that came into view. Sheer mountains on three sides, and the big blue ocean directly in front of me. Everywhere I looked was a picture postcard. So serene – what a view. After a while he left me to just soak it all in and enjoy this spectacular vista.
Don’t get too comfortable
It was really calm and we were quite relaxed. Then my instructor started playing with the video camera that is attached to the flying contraption when a gust of wind caught us off guard. We quickly dipped to one side and then the other, and I let out a rather loud scream. But within seconds we had regained control and were flying smoothly again. He even let me take the reigns for a while. You couldn’t wipe the grin off my face but then I realised that I had to stop the drool that inevitably came out of my mouth during this serene time from going into Beto´s hair and on his face! Oops
Only one more thing to do now
All we had to do now was land well and I´d be a pretty happy camper. I got a bit ahead of myself with the landing and started to put my feet down a little early and Beto had to tell me to lift my feet again till it was time. But then we did land…… aaaaaaand THUD, we were down. Safe and sound. How fabulous. What a moment, what an experience, what great fun!!
If this is Rio, sign me up for 7 more weeks of it because I love it. A great city, great weather, so much to do and this is just the start. Bring it on!
Travel is the best.
