All of our pictures so far: http://michaelandmeredithwhite.shutterfly.com/4925
Michael's paragliding attempt and fall: http://youtu.be/8Y-F_-byKBg
(from Michael's perspective)
28 March 2012
The day started off with me getting ready and then going out to pick up some breakfast and also a sandwich to for us to share for lunch. I went to a local bakery/ deli about a block away called Pelayo. This was the day that we had decided to go paragliding. Our instructor, Jose, picked us up at the hotel at 9am.
We headed out the city to a small town called Morovis. In town we met up with a friend of Jose’s, Miguel. Him and his wife were from NYC but were in PR for vacation or something. Miguel is also a paraglider and had bought a new wing and wanted to try it out. Next we headed up the mountain to our launch point. The roads were curvy and steep as we headed up the forested mountain.
We reached our launch point and it happened to be the private property of a farmer named or nicknamed, Pocho. Pocho raised chickens and rabbits and even had some banana trees. Just up the hill from his house is where our flights would originate from. We made our way up and Jose and Miguel began to prepare the equipment. The view off the side of the mountain looking over several other valleys, mountains, and town was absolutely beautiful. Meredith then put on her equipment as well and she and Jose were jumping tandem. They had to wait for a nice just of wind to fill the canopy so they could begin their running start and takeoff. Their first attempt was aborted due to lack of sustained wind. Their next attempt was successful.
Their takeoff was so fast and I was so interested in watching that I forgot to start the video camera until after they were airborne. I got some good pictures and video of her flight from the top of the mountain. Meredith got some nice videos and pictures of her flight from her point of view as well. She and Jose glided around for about 20 minutes before they made a landing to a field in an area below.
The gathered the glider up and were picked up by another friend, Manolo. He gave Meredith and Jose a ride back to the top in his truck. The equipment was quickly set up again and I donned my harness for my flight. Jose again explained how we were going to take off and we waited for the wind gust. I felt a nice rush of wind and Jose inflated the canopy and told me to run. I took several steps as fast and as hard as I could and the wing lifted Jose and I off the ground. The flight was short lived as the canopy swung forward causing Jose to brake to the right to prevent us from hurtling straight down the face of the mountain. We then hit the ground and tumbled into a pile of brush. I got a little scraped up but that was pretty much it. Jose asked if I was alright and if I wanted to make another attempt. Of course I said that I did.
Before we could make our second attempt Jose, Manolo, and Pocho has to get the wing untangled from the trees and brush. While they were doing that Meredith and I had the sandwich I picked up earlier and also watch the video of my little spill. The video opens up with me in the starting position and you can hear Pocho in the back ground saying, “Ave Maria, Pappa Dio (Mary, Father God)”! The canopy inflates and Jose yells, “run…run”! I take off running and the canopy jerks us off the ground. Meredith and the camera continued on our anticipated path of travel and we go out of the picture. Suddenly we reappear and our sharp right turn begins. We hit the ground and you can hear Meredith exclaim, “sh…..” and Pocho shouts, “whoa whoa whoa whoooa”. We then began tumbling and careened into the brush and settle while you can here Meredith say, “oooh nooooo” and the video ends.
While watching the video we almost pee our pants we laughed so hard. We’ve watched it countless time since then and laugh out loud every time. Jose and the guys got everything set up again, but by that time the wind had shifted direction and it was no longer safe for us to take off. We waited for some time before Jose decided to cancel the flight. I was fine with the decision; as an aviator I understood his concern about the wind and turbulence, etc.
We then packed everything up, bid farewell and thanked Pocho, and began to head down the mountain. On the way back down we stopped at a local bar and Manolo bought everyone something to drink, whether it was a beer (me) or a soft drink (Mer). After our drinks we loaded back up and headed back to the hotel.
We rested for a bit and then headed to the mall to shop a little. After that we made our way back to Condado and headed out for pizza. We boxed up our left over margarita pizza for breakfast the following day and headed back to the hotel and called it a night.
The day started off with me getting ready and then going out to pick up some breakfast and also a sandwich to for us to share for lunch. I went to a local bakery/ deli about a block away called Pelayo. This was the day that we had decided to go paragliding. Our instructor, Jose, picked us up at the hotel at 9am.
We headed out the city to a small town called Morovis. In town we met up with a friend of Jose’s, Miguel. Him and his wife were from NYC but were in PR for vacation or something. Miguel is also a paraglider and had bought a new wing and wanted to try it out. Next we headed up the mountain to our launch point. The roads were curvy and steep as we headed up the forested mountain.
We reached our launch point and it happened to be the private property of a farmer named or nicknamed, Pocho. Pocho raised chickens and rabbits and even had some banana trees. Just up the hill from his house is where our flights would originate from. We made our way up and Jose and Miguel began to prepare the equipment. The view off the side of the mountain looking over several other valleys, mountains, and town was absolutely beautiful. Meredith then put on her equipment as well and she and Jose were jumping tandem. They had to wait for a nice just of wind to fill the canopy so they could begin their running start and takeoff. Their first attempt was aborted due to lack of sustained wind. Their next attempt was successful.
Their takeoff was so fast and I was so interested in watching that I forgot to start the video camera until after they were airborne. I got some good pictures and video of her flight from the top of the mountain. Meredith got some nice videos and pictures of her flight from her point of view as well. She and Jose glided around for about 20 minutes before they made a landing to a field in an area below.
The gathered the glider up and were picked up by another friend, Manolo. He gave Meredith and Jose a ride back to the top in his truck. The equipment was quickly set up again and I donned my harness for my flight. Jose again explained how we were going to take off and we waited for the wind gust. I felt a nice rush of wind and Jose inflated the canopy and told me to run. I took several steps as fast and as hard as I could and the wing lifted Jose and I off the ground. The flight was short lived as the canopy swung forward causing Jose to brake to the right to prevent us from hurtling straight down the face of the mountain. We then hit the ground and tumbled into a pile of brush. I got a little scraped up but that was pretty much it. Jose asked if I was alright and if I wanted to make another attempt. Of course I said that I did.
Before we could make our second attempt Jose, Manolo, and Pocho has to get the wing untangled from the trees and brush. While they were doing that Meredith and I had the sandwich I picked up earlier and also watch the video of my little spill. The video opens up with me in the starting position and you can hear Pocho in the back ground saying, “Ave Maria, Pappa Dio (Mary, Father God)”! The canopy inflates and Jose yells, “run…run”! I take off running and the canopy jerks us off the ground. Meredith and the camera continued on our anticipated path of travel and we go out of the picture. Suddenly we reappear and our sharp right turn begins. We hit the ground and you can hear Meredith exclaim, “sh…..” and Pocho shouts, “whoa whoa whoa whoooa”. We then began tumbling and careened into the brush and settle while you can here Meredith say, “oooh nooooo” and the video ends.
While watching the video we almost pee our pants we laughed so hard. We’ve watched it countless time since then and laugh out loud every time. Jose and the guys got everything set up again, but by that time the wind had shifted direction and it was no longer safe for us to take off. We waited for some time before Jose decided to cancel the flight. I was fine with the decision; as an aviator I understood his concern about the wind and turbulence, etc.
We then packed everything up, bid farewell and thanked Pocho, and began to head down the mountain. On the way back down we stopped at a local bar and Manolo bought everyone something to drink, whether it was a beer (me) or a soft drink (Mer). After our drinks we loaded back up and headed back to the hotel.
We rested for a bit and then headed to the mall to shop a little. After that we made our way back to Condado and headed out for pizza. We boxed up our left over margarita pizza for breakfast the following day and headed back to the hotel and called it a night.
The comments from both perspectives are making me yearn -YEARN, I say- for a conference in San Juan. The only two times I've been to PR was on my university's dime (well, mostly - they paid for the airfare and the conference), and I haven't found any more lately! Aargh! Does this mean I will actually have to PAY my airfare??? Um, yeah. #spoiledacademics
ReplyDeleteAnyway, seriously, I've seen these posts before, but when I looked at them again tonight I got all nostalgic.