Advertisement
Published: June 16th 2006
Edit Blog Post
Norwegian Budget Astronaught Program
Alex 'I'm the man', Carl 'Hope he doesn't have a heart attack' and Harald 'I'm afraid of flying'. The Perfect Day.
Even with an hour delay due to a misty cover over the jump site, we were at Extreme Sky Diving in no time signing away our lives and handing over our credit cards. Carl continued to chat nervously until we were given our ten minute lesson. It was as simple as lie flat; knees bent back, head up, arms out and let the dive master do the rest. Alex, Carl and Harald suited up in bright yellow and red jumpsuits and with the help of their dive masters harness on. Alex stood completely relaxed while Carl tightened every strap so much there was barely enough room for his package. Harald was in a state of quiet shock with the realisation that he was about to plummet out of a plane. With formalities out of the way, they strutted out like three budget Norwegian astronauts.
The tiny dive plane wobbled as the pilot brought it round to reveal that all that remains of the door is some black electrical tape smoothing the edges of former hinges. Harald’s eyes popped out of their sockets while Carl was lost for words. Alex calmly boarded with his dive master then Carl.
Harald's Favourite Moment
You have got to be kidding me. Through a horrible twist of irony, Harald who was also petrified of flying, had the misfortune of sitting in the doorway. White knuckle grip on the door frame the plane taxied off with a very petrified Norwegian wondering what he had done to deserve it.
Some twenty minutes later a dot appeared in the flawless blue sky. Curving across the sky the dot formed into Harald and his extremely tall dive master, Matthias. We all ran out to greet our first ski diver and his face spoke a million times over the rush he had just experienced. His excitement washed over us instantly and I couldn’t but feel relieved that he had enjoyed himself so much after all his misgivings earlier. Within a few seconds, his rush was joined by Carl and Alex. It felt good to be with them so elated. The rush is not the only reason these guys keep jumping out of planes repeatedly, it’s the feeling of giving someone that unique moment of wonder and elation for the first time that keeps them in this job.
Hendrik and I were suited up to jump out next. They had paired me up with the tallest
Pre-Sky Diving
Hendrik & I looking sexy in red & yellow jumpsuits. dive master, Matthias. Eye level to his belly button, he strapped my harness on. Standing outside the plane, he instructed me on the exit move we were going to make. Before jumping, I will be hanging outside of the plane with nothing between me and the sand dunes of Walvis Bay but a harness attached to him. I couldn’t wait. Geil the camera man was fussing about in the plane as we rose higher and higher but I had the best seat of all. Completely exposed beneath me the grey and pale yellow ripples of the sand dunes slipped by as I felt nothing but calm. A lake locked by the dunes shimmered under the Namibian sun. I was soaking it all in when Matthias tapped me on the shoulder, indicating for me to jump into his lap. Awkward to manoeuvre as my legs as they were tangled with Hendrik’s dive master, Matthias effortlessly picked me up and plunked me in closer. A choreographed shuffle, I angled my feet out the door and instantly my legs blew with the wind sideways. All of a sudden, I was hanging outside the door, nothing solid beneath me. It felt incredible and then
Best Seat in the House
Sitting by the non existent door, I had the best view of all. Matthias tipped forward at 10 000ft.
A booming rush of wind and adrenalin mixed in as my arms spread out and legs kicked out behind me. The clouds rushed by in a hurtling swirl till the ground appeared and we rushed towards it. Geil circled around us and we continued to fly towards the ground with the air speeding into a thunderous chorus around our ears. Then it was over. Sliding upwards to the heavens in silence. Floating high above the sand dunes of Walvis Bay we circled and spun our way gently through the sky. The sea sparkled against the sleepy sand covered town of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay below. Peacefully drifting down, I held on to the last perfect moment in the air before we skidded back down on terra firma. I spun around in a couple of circles with an uncontrollable grin on my face. I gave Matthias a final hand shake and left to try to absorb the reality of having just soared through the Namibian sky at 10 000ft.
Waiting and watching the others suit up for their own rush of a life time; I stretched out in the sun on a soft
Perfect Moment
Gorgeous view of Namibia - wonderfully silent. green lawn. Matthias’s wife and two sons were close by. At eight months old, his youngest dressed in a green jumpsuit was finding his own feet on the lawn. Giggling under his hood which sported little bear ears, he sucked on a potato chip before noticing his older sibling climbing over the hedge. He tottered on his legs, testing their strength, after his brother. Hands outstretched for balance he made his way to the side of the hedge and peered over, giggling at his own miraculous achievement. Unable to work out how to get over like his brother, he plunked back down on his cushioned behind to crawl back to the potato chip he had hastily abandoned and promptly popped it back into his mouth. His brother pointed upwards and excitedly proclaimed ‘Papa! Papa!’ at a speck in the sky all too familiar to him.
Back at the inn, the others left for their second adventure while I took a stroll through Swakopmund. Perusing through the shops, the keepers showed me rare pieces of Ekipe jewellery and clay figures of the Himba people. Stopped by locals and travellers, chit chat was made right up until and when I left
Smooth Landing
Paired up with the tallest divemaster, when he stood up, my feet didn't touch the ground. the internet café. Strolling back along the shore, the sun cut a path over the still sea. A random woman of maternal build politely stopped me and proffered her mobile phone. In stilted English she implored me for help to add credit to it. She held out a slip of red cardboard with the code number scratched on it. She smiled her gratitude and wished me well on my travels. Along the beach, old companions walked arm in arm enjoying the end of the day. Dogs trotted happily by their owners and joggers passed them in their own world. Life moved by tranquilly.
Side by side, Derick and I cobbled together the salads while the others were watching the sun go down somewhere with their quad bikes. A fire was lit when darkness came and Vilum poured me another drink. Expertly throwing his darts he laughed about my first university assignment of coaching a novice in the same art. He spoke lively about the African sport of similar rules but consisting of heavy sticks. The others freshly showered from their quad biking relived the enjoyment with the continued exuberance of this morning. Laughter and smiles filled the air infectiously
Goofy
Derick ready to take the plummet. as our dinner sizzled to perfection over Vilum’s braai grill. Our dinner plates were a festival of colours and tasted as it looked. As the group went their separate ways, I settled by the fire, belly wonderfully satisfied while two gentlemen kept me company until once more the fire died down to nothing more but glowing embers.
Derick was picking at a wart on his leg, asking Vilum how to get rid of it. Well, that was my guess, they were speaking in Afrikaans. Vilum replied holding up a pair of tongs. “Burn it off with one of the embers,” I said. Vilum looked up in surprised, he didn’t think I could understand Afrikaans. I can’t, but it was fairly obvious where the train of thought was heading. “Its one of those old remedies, like tying a loose tooth with a piece of string and attaching it to a door,” I said. Vilum nodded, “And then you slam that door.”
“Won’t it hurt?” Derick asked accepting the tong with the burning ember from Vilum.
“Nah, it has no feeling,” I replied with all my wart wisdom. Taking a lug of whisky soda, he pressed the ember to the wart.
Strand
Down by the lighthouse, markets, restaurants and pier... “AAAHHH, it has feeling!!! It so has feeling!!” Vilum was close to tears in laughter. Whoops, I guess I need to refresh my wart wisdom. But he pressed the ember to the singed wart again. To think, when the whisky wears off in the middle of the night, Derick is really going to feel it.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.206s; Tpl: 0.015s; cc: 14; qc: 100; dbt: 0.0949s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.4mb