Paragliding by the Pacific Coast
As I hooked on the harness of the paraglider, and ran towards the edge of the cliff to take off with the cool wind flapping on my face, I felt an eerie sense of calmness. My heart skipped a beat as I reached the edge with at least 500 ft of verticall fall below, but there was no time to re-think my decision, it was too late. I took the leap, my feet left the ground, instant fear gripped me in that moment — it felt like I was falling down the cliff to be swallowed by the immense ocean below, but within a second the magic happened and I was airborne. It was an exhilarating experience and I felt elated.
As the paraglider gained altitude, and I felt more secure in my harness, a keen sense of observation overtook my mind. From the vantage point of a thousand +feet up in the air, the coastal view was breath-taking. I looked around, feeling the chill in the higher altitude air penetrating my skin but at the same time, our world seemed much more beautiful from that vantage point. Watching the distant pacific coast merging endlessly into the melting pot of blue waters down below and into the blue sky up on the horizon, the azure waters of ocean stretching out like a carpet — gone are the swells and sounds of roaring waves seen and heard on the shore and towards my left, the vibrant houses of Pacifica arranged like a matchbox in a neat row over the hill. The bird’s eye view seemed so majestic !
As the paraglider changed course or the direction (of course, under the pilot’s control), I could feel the push and pull of the glider strings and the force of the air performing a delicate balanced act to keep us floating in the air and still helping us navigate to go where we wanted to go. It was the most surreal feeling, anything unlike felt in our land existence. The closest I could think of would be in the water, sailing (during tacking to change course), but paragliding provided a distinct feeling of totally immersed in the immense forces of wind because you are suspended in air while manoeuvring, with no solid ground underneath your feet. Talk about other worldliness !
The landing was an equally thrilling experience. As we approached the ground, the trees, the hill-side, the houses gained more and more prominence and the feeling was akin to jumping down the cliff (but this time secure in the knowledge that your harness works) until my feet touched the ground. And I landed back to the daily grind of my world, with a distinct memory of what it feels to be air-borne. What an adventurous flight it has been !
