Hangin' in Rio

I've been up since 6.30am on Friday morning in Rio. It's now about 2.30am Sunday morning in Rio so that's nearly 48 hours. I did doze a bit on the plane home (13 hour flight!) but I'm a bit tired so not sure how comprehensible this post will be. But it's been a huge day and I really feel I need to finish the blog with the last day post.

I was supposed to go hang gliding on Thursday morning but the weather was bad and it was cancelled. I stuck out my bottom lip for a while then rang them back and arranged it for Friday morning. They were pretty sure that there was time to fit it in and still make it to the airport for my 1pm international flight.

I had my bags packed and was ready to go at 7.30am as the park where the takeoff site is opens at 8am. Antu (or Hantu or something completely different) had only a 20 minute warning that I was coming and jumped out of bed to come and pick me up. We then went back to his place where we picked up a woman and a hang glider. Two minutes later a man on the side of the road handed him a card. Further up the hill another man got into the car and then another man handed him a ticket. He lives just down the hill from the takeoff site so we were soon all kitted up and doing a bit of a practice. My instructions were:

- hold lightly to the red handhold on his back and his side and we then run together. Don't hold too tight and don't push him or we will crash and die
- once we've started down the ramp, don't stop running or we will crash and die
- keep running off the end of the ramp - don't jump or push off or we will crash and die
- don't touch the bar or the cables or we will...hmm, I think you can guess

After this inspiring introduction and a disclaimer form (ssshh, don't tell Mum that hang gliding isn't covered by my travel insurance) we were ready to go. I followed all instructions exactly but had to shut my eyes going down the ramp so I didn't hesitate or freak out thereby causing us to crash and die.

When I opened my eyes we were flying over the trees of the largest urban forest in the world (Tijuca forest). So that's what it looks like for birds. We could see Cristo Redentor in all his scaffolded glory and had great views over parts of the city, the beach and out to sea. I absolutely loved it.

We glided over the golf course and some apartment buildings, then out over the sea and down to land on the beach. First of all when we were about 60 metres up (I have no idea how far up actually, that's just a complete guess, but it felt quite high) I lifted by leg up and Antu removed the cables holding my legs up. I really felt like I was falling but obviously I didn't. The photos with my legs hanging down look really funny though. We kind of turned and swooped quite bit on the way down and then we had to run along the sand and then it was all over. The flight was about 15 minutes but I loved it so much and I hugged Antu when it was over. I am definitely going hang gliding again. Antu reckons he's coming to Queenstown in the summer to do tandem hang gliding. I think I might have to pop down and have another go.

It was all over by about 9.15 so I go to the airport with plenty of time for the flight. We had a 10 hour stop over in Buenos Aires so had time for some last minute shopping (lots of wine and a handbag for Debbie) and dinner at one of the best steak houses in Buenos Aires (and there there a lot of good steak houses), La Cabrera. At all the other steak houses we've been too, you order a steak and you get a steak. It's large, but it's all alone on the plate. So we ordered fries to go with it. What a mistake. My very large steak came with 12 different little side dishes including a mini cast iron pot with an omelette in it. Debbie had ordered a half portion of steak so she only got eight side dishes. She didn't manage to finish even her half a steak (Jeannie, Leon where were you? We needed you to finish our dinner for us!) A very nice bottle of Argentinian Malbec (red wine) accompanied the meal.

Then it was in a taxi to one airport to pick up our bags and go to the international airport. We had a little prang in the first taxi. I had been expecting it for the whole 5 weeks of the holiday so I really was surprised. I think there was another sharp inhalation and my heart beat a bit faster for a while, but I was remarkably calm.

And now I'm home. Lots of photos and memories, a few bottles of Malbec to drink and remember, a stack of alfajors (yummy chococlate biscuits) and some dulche de leche (caramel spread) to help me get back to my usual weight, and a hankering to see more of South America. I'm gonna have to start saving my leave again.