Paragliding in Cape Town

Long Street- Very Cosmopolitan

Yours Truly Cafe- A Deliciously Strong Cup of Coffee

After 31 hours of sitting, we were ready for a walk.  We grabbed our gear and trekked 14 blocks on foot through downtown Cape Town.  The city of 3.1 million people was beautiful with its modern skyscrapers, New York-style upscale boutiques, and charming cobblestone courtyards.  Near a park bench, we dumped our bags into a pile while 3 scouts were sent out to inquire about accommodations.  While we waited for the scouts to return, Connor and Kenny entertained themselves with stunt tricks like climbing the light posts and doing flying superman holds perpendicular to the pole.

The scouts came back with options including a hostel with a rooftop terrace.  In the end, we decided instead on Blue Mountain Backpackers, on Long Street.  We showered and headed out into the vibe.  Long Street is known for its lively bars and international restaurants, and this was 10 pm on a Friday night, so there was a lot going on.  We ate middle eastern haal pitas with brats made by street hawkers, then headed toward the night festival that we had passed earlier.  There were Christmas lights up, just like there would be in any downtown or Main Street in the States.  There was live music playing, and the streets were packed with street venders selling everything from ice cream to tie-dye wigs.  At one point, Sarah, Heidi, and I needed to use the restroom, so we ventured into a nearby mall to see what we could find.  A girl led us to a turnstile where we had to pay 1 rand to use the restroom.  Heidi was the only one carrying a purse, and there were only a 1 and 5 rand coin in it, so we packed the three of us into a one person stall, and pressed forward through the turnstile, laughing all the way.

When we returned to Long Street at around midnight, it was still packed.  We heard a Brazillian band playing heavy drums at Zula, a club two doors down from our hostel.  We got a discount group rate on the cover charge and headed upstairs to dance.  When Mark and I left around 1 am, Chad, Mike, Heidi, and Kenny could still be found jumping up and down in the front row, having the time of their lives.

The following morning, the team assembled to discuss our plans and verbally check in as a group (is everyone adjusting well to the culture; is everyone getting along; has everyone been able to go to the bathroom; is anyone going too much, etc).  We needed a day to make arrangements for the upcoming activities: shark tank, para-gliding, wine-tasting, and hiking Table Mountain.  Budgets and interests varied, but the activities were all so enticing.  Time was a consideration because flights spike in price over the holiday.  We decided on a four day plan; then Mark and I hit the streets for lunch.  We found an upstairs Ethopian restaurant just around the corner from Long Street, and Mark decided it would be his birthday dinner.  Detailed gold umbrellas lined the ceilings, wicker chairs adorned the hard-wood floor, and a wicker basket sat between us at our window.  The waiter washed our hands with a silver pot of water, then pulled off the lid of the pot in between us (which reminded me of an over-sided Chinese hat) to unveil a tray table.  The tray was covered in an oversized thin, white, spongy layer, and two bowls of curry were dropped onto the center of the tray.  It was delicious.

After our meal, we ran back to Blue Mountain Backpackers to get a taxi to Lion’s Head for paragliding.  We were stoked.  Our taxi driver took the scenic route, but eventually found our glide site.  Our arrival was further complicated by our Chaco sandals.  No one told us that we needed closed-toe shoes to paraglide.  The director of the paragliding outfit said we’d figure it out at the top.  We hiked up the mountain to the launch site.  The clouds were rushing over the mountain, and the view of the ocean below was spectacular.  Heidi was the first to gear up, but when she got ready to lift, the wind wasn’t strong enough.  We waited until the crew decided to launch from a higher location.  We climbed further up the trail to a launch site above the clouds.  Daylight was disappearing, and I knew that we’d be tight on time if I had to wait for someone to run a pair of sneakers up the trail for my turn, and I was getting further discouraged by the weather conditions.  I consoled myself with the idea that I could go the following day until I overheard someone say that conditions were going to be horrible for paragliding for the next few days.  I felt like a little kid whose parents took her to the fair and the rides weren’t working and the fair was leaving that night.  That little kid wanted to cry.  I had already missed out in India last year due to weather conditions, and I really wanted to glide, HAD to glide, RIGHT NOW!

When the wind was right, Heidi took off followed by Sarah.  Then, the wind got crazy and there visibility turned to zero- we couldn’t see the edge of the mountain, the rocks in the distance, or the ocean down below.  It got cold, and the paraglide crew huddled behind the chute which was sprawled out above the launch pad.  Mark had shoes on from Louis, a guy who was paragliding shoeless in his skydiving parachute.  Mark took pity on me and passed the tennis shoes on to me so that I could go.  I felt bad that had the shoes, but I also REALLY wanted to glide.  I got in the harness and was ready to go when the wind died down again.  We sat and waited, and waited, and waited some more.  Finally, we got a call that the visibility below was improving which meant that if we caught a glimmer of the sun, we could go for it.  The crew also relayed that another instructor was on his way up with a pair of shoes for me.  I returned Louis’s shoes to Mark and he got in the harness and was off.  I was barefoot cheering as he disappeared into the clouds.  Then went Connor, followed by Chad.  Eventually, the shoes arrived, and I geared up with Evo from Bulgaria.

It happened fast.  Evo said, “Lean forward.  Don’t jump.  Run as fast as you can, and keep running unless I tell you to stop.”  “Okay.”  “Run!”  And we started running off the mountain.  The wind resistance pulled us upward over the brush, and we disappeared into the clouds.  It was magical, and mystifying.  Where were we?  I couldn’t see anything except the clouds I was floating in.  I asked Evo if he knew where we were and he said he was following the sun.  I couldn’t see the sun, but I liked the feeling of floating, and my worries floated away.  We drifted in the thick clouds until a faint golden sun gradually appeared, then ocean, then houses and coastline down below. 

It was awesome.  I kept exclaiming, “I LOVE this!  Oh, this is wonderful!”  After a few minutes, Evo asked if I wanted to manually operate the controls.  He then tugged on one side and we swooped dramatically to the right.  My stomach dropped out, and I screamed with excitement.  Then he quickly pulled us in a sharp circle to the left.  Again, I was thrilled with excitement.  From the glider, I could see Robbins Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.  I could see the football field where the rest of the group (like ants) was waiting for me to land.  I didn’t want to land.  I wanted to fly forever.