Skydiving

What a beautiful city Corduba is from above! Surrounded by gorgeous velvety looking mountains and perfectly square fields of gold, rust and green. Skydiving is the only way to see it!! It was incredible, I've never travelled so fast in my life without anything but gravity to help me along. The wind whistles past you obscuring all other noises, I could barely hear myself screaming. The sense of space is unreal its like flying though another dimension. You cant explain falling knowing that there is nothing to stop you or get in your path, usually something that is a natural association. We drove out to a remote airfield with a German who had been once before...just that Monday! (It was Thursday) which just confirmed all the great things we'd heard about it. My stomach was in knots when he took us through the proceedure in the model plane but knowing Rhi was with me made it slightly better! Until he asked us who was gloing first that is...! Rhi didn't want to so I filled that position, better to get on with it, I think it was better not to stand around waiting for something like that! My instructor installed trust and courage in me and we stepped out towards the demonstration plane as the wind from its propellors whipped around me. That was when I realised the plane was no model! There was just enough room for the 4 of us - cameraman, pilot, instructor and me. Tucked comfortably into the grey carpeted interior of the cockpit we bounced over the tufts of grass towards the red dirt "runway". After an age of plane checks, we finally hurtled off, and made our steady climb over Corduba. The city shrank surprisingly quickly but the views were stunning. The sky was completely clear of clouds so I had no sense of how high we were, but the sun streamed in through the scuffed windows. When the instructor told me to swivel round and sit on him so he could strap us together and do all the equipment checks, I was calm. I couldnt say why, maybe the ride in the sky relaxed or distracted me. Either way it was only when the cameraman popped the door up and my goggles went on that I thought here goes! We shuffled forwards to sit with our legs tucked to the right of the plane's wheel as the air poured around us, the cameraman clinging onto the side of the plane. I didn't have time to think before we PLUNGED downwards. The flip my stomach does on a rollercoaster was nothing compared to this feeling. It was terrifying, for about 3 seconds. Then it was just brilliant. Terminal velocity couldnt have felt better. The air streamed past me yet I didnt feel as if I was falling, just completely free (bearing in mind I couldnt see the instructor above me) When the parachute deployed after 20 seconds of freefall, it felt as if we were being pulled upwards on a rope. It was over all to quickly. Just hanging there in the harness after the most pulsequickening 20 seconds of your life is so contrary. You feel like a limp baby. Then you remind yourself to drink in the landscape and after swooping around in the breeze as the houses rotate under you, the airfield suddenly pops into sight. Such a soft landing, we just brushed onto the grass and I felt like Id been placed onto a cushion! Jumped up and grinned. I threw my arms round my instructor and thanked him for one of the most amazing experiences of my life. The video was put on straight away, so comical. I knew Rhi would love it. As her plane climbed up (I didnt realise just how high Id gone, the plane was almost out of sight!) I was still on a high, in the tranquill deckchair and my multicoloured jumpsuit. Paradoxical morning that's for sure.
I honestly reccommend it to you.
Till next time.
x