I had a number of goals on this trip into the southern continent. Several of them had already been realized in my visit to Rio, but the next state north was a reunion 3 years in coming. My dear friend Leo, who I had met in New Zealand at the Couch Surfing Collective lived in Vittoria/Vila Velha on the Brasilian coast and we had long planned to travel together. My recently finished novel contained a scene in which my character jumped off a cliff paragliding into the horizon, and well, I had never done such a thing in reality. Luckily Leo is an instructor and an expert in most things involving the sea and sky... So it was a necessary thing for me to go visit him, reconnect, 
and find my wings. Our reunion was heartfelt and on my first full day in town, he took off work early so we could climb up the nearest big rock over the beach at Vila Velha. Leo carefully hooked up all his tandem gear, clipping me in to his harness, watching the vultures rising on the thermals nearby. He watched me out of the corner of his eye, saying calmly: "All I need you to do is to run straight down that hill, and just keep running no matter what. It will all be over in a few seconds. Just keep going straight down. That´s all I need you to do." I looked nervously at the edge of the cliff we were standing near, where the grass ran right off an edge below which scrubby brush skittered down the cliff face at a pretty much vertical angle. There was no time to be afraid. The 
wind was low and we wouldn´t get many chances at this. I decided to suspend any fear I had and just assume that Leo knew what he was doing, had done it a thousand times and just put all my faith in him. It worked like a charm. I bunched myself up behind him as he 
gathered his lines, feeling for a breath of wind to give us a lift. Then he called out to me to go and I ran headlong down the hill, willing myself not to think at all, just to run straight off the edge. 
My feet were off the ground before I got there. Out kite was up and we were sailing out over the tree tops peaceful as can be. Leo told me to sit back and get comfy as we soared about with the birds and despite the low winds we managed to do several 
turns before we had to drop down towards the beach and come in for a landing. It was incredible to see the world from above like that knowing there is nothing between you and the earth but a bit of fabric and some knowledge about science and nature... I was so stunned I think my mouth was open for the whole trip, short though it was. And we landed like running out of the sky...feet down and hit the ground running, never missing a beat. It was stupendous. And for the next week, all we did was watch the weather and go out at every possible chance. On the weekend, we headed out to the mountains a bit inland and checked out two more locations where we got a ride 
up to the peak then glided off over grasslands and waterfalls. I have definitely found a sport I would love to learn more about and perhaps I will have to come back to this region in the future and spend a few months here learning the ropes. Leo and I managed to fly four or five times in the week I was there (in between our endless talking about all manner of things) before it started to rain in earnest, and next thing you know I am on a plane to Salvador...
and find my wings. Our reunion was heartfelt and on my first full day in town, he took off work early so we could climb up the nearest big rock over the beach at Vila Velha. Leo carefully hooked up all his tandem gear, clipping me in to his harness, watching the vultures rising on the thermals nearby. He watched me out of the corner of his eye, saying calmly: "All I need you to do is to run straight down that hill, and just keep running no matter what. It will all be over in a few seconds. Just keep going straight down. That´s all I need you to do." I looked nervously at the edge of the cliff we were standing near, where the grass ran right off an edge below which scrubby brush skittered down the cliff face at a pretty much vertical angle. There was no time to be afraid. The 
wind was low and we wouldn´t get many chances at this. I decided to suspend any fear I had and just assume that Leo knew what he was doing, had done it a thousand times and just put all my faith in him. It worked like a charm. I bunched myself up behind him as he 
gathered his lines, feeling for a breath of wind to give us a lift. Then he called out to me to go and I ran headlong down the hill, willing myself not to think at all, just to run straight off the edge. 
My feet were off the ground before I got there. Out kite was up and we were sailing out over the tree tops peaceful as can be. Leo told me to sit back and get comfy as we soared about with the birds and despite the low winds we managed to do several 
turns before we had to drop down towards the beach and come in for a landing. It was incredible to see the world from above like that knowing there is nothing between you and the earth but a bit of fabric and some knowledge about science and nature... I was so stunned I think my mouth was open for the whole trip, short though it was. And we landed like running out of the sky...feet down and hit the ground running, never missing a beat. It was stupendous. And for the next week, all we did was watch the weather and go out at every possible chance. On the weekend, we headed out to the mountains a bit inland and checked out two more locations where we got a ride 
up to the peak then glided off over grasslands and waterfalls. I have definitely found a sport I would love to learn more about and perhaps I will have to come back to this region in the future and spend a few months here learning the ropes. Leo and I managed to fly four or five times in the week I was there (in between our endless talking about all manner of things) before it started to rain in earnest, and next thing you know I am on a plane to Salvador...
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