The most amazing thing happened... I flew. Like a bird. There's video, of course, but wow how do I explain the feeling of it in words??
First of all, let me start by saying that I am not insane and I most definitely don't look forward to death. But they say that if you can run fearlessly straight off of a mountain, then those are your two options. When it came down to it, I just didn't think about it. I just kept my hand on my instructor and followed instructions; look straight at the horizon, walk, don't close your eyes, now run, faster! And suddenly, I was in the air. There was no insane adrenaline rush, no feel of puking or queasiness, it was like I was just resting safely in a little cradle of nylon and cruising leisurely through the air.
So how does this work? Well, first you call up a flight school or flight instructor. In Rio we went to the São Conrado Escola de Voo Livre because my friend gave me the contact info for an instructor named Alex. He is definitely one of the best... I know because I stood on that mountain for a LONG time watching a couple dozen other instructors teaching people and then taking off. If you want his WhatsApp number, just shoot me a message and I'll get it to you. I spoke with him and he gave me all of the details plus a time to meet. If you can get cash, do it because sometimes paying with cards can be a real hassle when you are outside on the beach. We also blocked off an entire afternoon for the event so we would have plenty of time to enjoy ourselves and not try to rush through anything.
I would recommend wearing leggings and you definitely want shoes that won't fall off your feet. I wore jeans, which were fine but bunched up in a couple of places and could have been more comfortable. I also wore sneakers! Being on top of the mountain and that high up in the air is a bit chilly, but I would have traded for my Chaco Zs in a heartbeat if I knew I could manage it. Next time I go, I am doing the leggings and Chacos for sure.
When you get there, they have you register and then pay for insurance. It was R$40, which wasn't included in our initially stated price, and I'm hoping that the insurance is kept up for multiple flights over a period of time, however I don't want to tell you this outright without knowing for sure. Once the paperwork is taken care of, the flight instructor and an assistant drive you up the mountain, strap you in, give you some training, and you take off! It's the most amazing thing in the world, flying so high above everything you are normally stuck below in the world. My instructor had me do silly things like open my arms wide, turn sideways, and swim through the air. At one point he showed me how to steer and then let himself hang down completely with the explanation "Now I'll take a nap."
When we were finished, he used the coolest device to just upload our video and photos from his GoPro camera directly into our phones. The front view camera was included in the price, but there was a side view camera as well. They had a dock of computers set up on the beach for us to watch the footage from our side view cameras and then if we wanted it, we could purchase the footage for another R$50. If it's your first time or you are making a vlog or something like I do, I highly recommend you plan for that extra little expense. However, I think after that first time I'm personally good to not spend any more money than what's necessary.
Am I going to do it again? You bet. I'm not sure when or where but it's definitely happening.
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