paragliding « WordPress.com Tag Feed

Oh Dear, Is it Christmas Already?

Citizen K — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 17:16:47 +0000

Amigos latinos – lo siento que este primera parte es en ingles, pero la majoridad de la gente que conozco no pueden hablar nada de espanol! Por eso, he escrito un parte abajo para ustedes. Feliz Navidad!

Dear friends, lovers, compatriots, comrades, respectable citizens, drifters, bums, and those simply unfortunate enough to have landed on my email contact list -

It’s Christmas, and I’m almost certain that means it’s the time of year to send out a thoughtful message, full of meaning, good cheer, and hope, to ones we love and care about. Unfortunately, in my family, that usually happens in February, so I’m not exactly prepared to do it today, and because of that we’re winging it – stream of consciousness is my strong suit anyway. Here goes nothing…

It’s my first time “alone” for Christmas – not truly alone, of course, but none of the friends I’m here with were friends before this summer, before my life changed so dramatically and suddenly – for the better I wager, but changed all the same. I’m in Nicaragua again, using my last minutes in Leon to draft this letter, and by tonight I’ll be in a little place called Los Zorros – you won’t find it on any maps, 150 people in a fishing community, a lagoon, and a wide-open Pacific shore. In a couple of days I’ll be heading south again, on a frantic rush toward Columbia via Costa Rica, Panama, and a long boat ride over New Year. It’ll be an adventure, I’m sure, because everything is an adventure if you make it one. There I’ll be taking Paragliding courses for a month or so, living on a mountain, reading and deciding what to do next. My money is gone, practically speaking, will be truly demolished after February, and so I don’t know the next step, except that it will probably be a good story one day.

Enough of that sort of thing – I can’t focus too hard on future or past because they distract me from the present moment, and in this moment I have a bus to catch, a letter to write, a beach to run circles on. I miss you all terribly – every time I let myself, my mind floods with memories of friends and loved ones – It’s good in a way, because it lets me know I still care, tells me I haven’t changed completely. If I still miss you, I must not be a complete stranger yet. Yet – that’s the operative. I’ve changed a lot in the past months – living on the road, out of a bag, in Spanish, does that to a guy certainly, but coupled with a burning desire to change my own world, to reform reality in my own image, to play god in my own life, has led me to torch myself, to rise from my own ashes over and over – I average a 3 month lifespan now – 3 months from new life to the next, 3 months with friends, 3 months before I flee, give away my belongings, and start over. It’s been fantastic, this fall from grace, this shedding of veils, this desperate search for the truth. I’ve found inner peace, a recipe for true happiness, love, a muse, my ability to cry again, friendship and human kindness at every turn. Not bad, considering I left home in February for a job – a job that, incidentally, made this all possible, by throwing me out on my ass in the third world.

I mean, what was I supposed to do? Take their plane ticket, their $50 stipend, and just go home? Fail? Never. They taught me how to survive, corrected my awful gutter Spanish, tutored me in “how to live” and accidentally taught me “how to survive” in the process. I owe a great debt to the US Peace Corps, and to Miss Trudy Jaycox especially – if not for her ignorant, intolerant, downright idiotic decision to throw me out, I would never have had the opportunity – nor the inner flame – to take this leap, shed baggage, burn bridges, and leap – desperate – into the great unknown. I’ve had the time of my life, and I owe it to someone who called me a young idiot, “culturally insensitive” to boot. How’s that for a lark? I’m still smiling about it, but then, I smile about most everything these days. I’m happy with my new life, with my freedom and ability to move, happy that everything I own fits in a backpack, happy that I can do the wild, adventurous things that make me happy, happy that I’ve found so many others – crazy, hopeful, loving, wild, joyous – people like me, in a world where I’d almost given up hope of finding anyone like that. It’s never bad to find one’s values vindicated, one’s way of life functional in the world – better than sex, to be honest.

I’ve met so many amazing people, travelers, teachers, poets, artists, musicians of every stripe, retired university professors eloping with their former students, hippies unrepentant after a lifetime of love and peace, anarchists, rebels, troublemakers, jokers, ex-workers, Dutch people, beautiful women, mysterious strangers – all the outcasts, misfits, those who can’t, or won’t live a life in a society they don’t like – the dregs of society, if you will, but it tastes like the cream.

These past months, 10 of then, as of 2 days ago, have broken me, reduced me to a heap of human rubble, and reforged me into someone stronger – they say that without constant challenge, the human spirit can never reach its potential, but I never imagined it would be so painful, so all-consuming. The work is paying off though – I’m a better, stronger, lighter, more certain person then I ever was before. I worry that those people I left back home won’t recognize me when I come back, but that’s a silly fantasy – this curly mop is pretty much unmistakable, as is the goofy grin beneath it. What I mean though is that I’m not who I was before – more intense, less passive, much surer of myself – I might look the same, but I sure don’t act it… Out here, in this world, it’s great, but when I try to picture cramming this self in to that life – well, it ends in fistfights most times.

This is rambling at its worst, because I’m talking too much about myself – its Christmas, and nobody is going to sit in front of a machine and read it when there are cookies and presents to be attended to. What I really love, looking at this email, is the list of people I’m send it to – half the world seems to be represented, at least 10 or 15 languages, each representing a life, and each life conneected to mine in some way – people I’ve kissed, people I’ve cried with, friends from childhood, friends from last week, drinking buddies, people I want at my (never happening) wedding, people I’ve ridden around in trucks with, others who have really saved my ass when I needed it most. You’re all a part of me, and I’m just honored to have touched your lives. Thank you all for our interactions, our small melding of lives, and may you all find what you want under the tree this year. Merry Christmas to all, and if me and my dirty bags come barreling into your life again someday, I expect we’ll just have to celebrate. Kiss your loved ones, smile like you mean it, and tell everyone I say hello – if they don’t know me, well, they ought to.

I love you all deeply, and no, I’m not just saying that. -k

Y finalmente… Feliz Navidad a todos mis amigos espanoles! Lo siento para todo ese basura arriba – algunos personas de este mundo no pueden hablar el Espanol! Imagine… que loco no? No tan loco como mi gramatica terrible y falta de accentos en este correo, pero, la realidad es que mi compu falta teclas para esos, y he olvidados las combinaciones para hacerlos – es como “alt” mas una pijasa de numeros, y a mi no sirve. Si algunas palabras son confusandas, la mas ofensiva probablamente es correcta.

Pues, es la Navidad, y todavia estoy en Centroamerica. Hoy salgo de Leon, Nicaragua para la playa al norte – un pueblito superpequeno se llama Los Zorros. Una amiga vive alla, y su casa es menos que 20 metros de la playa! Porque estoy incapable de planificacion, estoy un poco solo este Navidad, pero ojala que todos ustedes sean con tus familias y amigos – no te preoccupes en mi, estoy acustumbrado a este situacion, y si no tenggo amigos mios, pues, necesitare conocer a nuevos, no?

Me extrano mucho a todos ustedes – de mi familia anfitriona de Honduras (Gustavo, porfa diga mis saludos y Feliz Navidad a todo tu familia! He perdido el correo de sus papas.) a mis amigos de Francia, Mexico, Catalania, Guatemala, y muchos mas! Todavia no creo mis suertes - conocer todos ustedes ha estado un de las cosas mejores de mi vida recentamente, y planifico mantener contacto con todos. Vivan en un parte magico del mundo, y si puedo, continuare mi vida aqui por tanto tiempo que es posible! En serio – antes de entre Centroamerica, tenia pena que los gentes del mundo eran muy separados, solitarios, y antipaticos, pero hoy se que ese fue solo una caracteristica de mis gente, de mi pais, porque aqui todos me traten como familia. Tu amablidad y carino me importa muchisimo – no hay las palabras decir que te debo, y por eso solo puedo decir gracias para todo – son un parte de mi vida, y mi corazon siempre. Si puedo hacer algo ayudarte, o mejorar tus vidas, simplemente digame.

Que pase un feliz Navidad, y que toda pase bien en el promixo ano (si, te puedes reir en ese error!)

Con mucho amor -k

photos photos!

anitahaf — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 16:40:24 +0000

Im sitting at a nearby cyber cafe uploading photos. It’s Saturday night and the pub across the

this and that

anitahaf — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:51:06 +0000

Standing on the back of a truck, riding up to take-off on our first day. Right! Adjusting to Nepal h

Dude ... let's go sky gliding in Santa Barbara

daykations — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 01:20:34 +0000

Yea, it’s easy and it’s cool. Go to this place in SB and try out this paragliding thing …. it’s awesome!

More photos and info

Adventures in Wonderland

extrovertscientist — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:47:37 +0000

I went to Colombia over the summer and I was just reminiscing about how much fun I had. I’m afraid of heights, yet I gave paragliding a whirl. That’s me in the air. It was truly amazing. I was dying of anxiety before take-off but once the wind lifts you in the air, all the fear is lifted with it. It’s different than I imagined. You feel weightless rather than out of control (as you might during a free-fall). We were able to fly over Medellin for a total of 50 minutes! On a nice day, you can stay in the air almost indefinitely. Once I had my share of enjoying the vista, we made several attempts at landing but were finally able to come right back to the spot at which we took off. The best part is that it only cost me US$35!

I’m already dreaming of my next vacation. Does anyone have any ideas for European travel on a student’s budget?

Oo! I Want to Do This!

Eva — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:57:46 +0000

>> CLICK HERE!!! <<

Confused with all the SKY glider names?

skygliderssa — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:42:06 +0000

Have a look at the Comparisons page to see which is which..

Available here:

Rio: Fully Loaded. Part 2.

backpackerbird — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:44:06 +0000

Paragliding…. We arrived at the beach and met a sporty looking well tanned guy who was to be o

Will Paragliding Police Make Beaches Safer in Lima, Peru?

Levi Novey — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:55:07 +0000

A paraglider passes over Lima's Costa Verde near the popular LarcoMar shopping center.

My friends over at the news source Living in Peru posted an interesting story last week about how Peru’s police force is planning to conduct regular paragliding patrols over Lima’s 90 beaches this year.

My first thought– “this is cool.”

My second thought– “is it really going to work?”

For those people who have never been to Lima, there is actually a thriving paragliding business here. In the district of the city known as Miraflores, paragliding rides are offered on a daily basis above Lima’s Costa Verde (Green Coast). They launch near LarcoMar, a well-known shopping mall that is popular for tourists and also Lima’s residents. After taking off, they then glide over the Pacific ocean and around skyscrapers to the delight or nervousness of their passengers.

Most of Lima’s beaches are located to the south of the city though. I imagine a paragliding police officer could see a lot of things from above and relay information to dispatch. But would this really be an important safety and law enforcement tool?

For instance, I guess from above an officer could see someone drowning in the water and contact a nearby police boat or the boat pulling her or him along (I think this would constitute parasailing to note a confusing distinction). But what if there is not a police boat nearby?

For stopping crime, I’m a little skeptical of how effective paragliding police officers would be as well. From so high up what kind of crimes could they successfully stop?

Probably there’s something I don’t know, but it seems on the surface that paragliding would not be an effective choice of surveillance tactics. It does sound like fun for Lima’s police officers though.

Photo courtesy of GothamNurse on Flickr under a Creative Commons license

Mirhleft, Morocco. Surfing, paragliding and sunshine.

Philip M — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:08:09 +0000

Winter in Europe, 2009 and I was on route to Morocco from Liverpool. John Lennon airport to Agadir, Morocco.

3 hours later, I peeled off the excess clothing and enjoyed the balmy warm breeze at 9 in the evening. 120 GBP, return ticket (including my paraglider) on a no frills airline. The airport was efficient and within 30 minutes our group of 4 paragliders were outside getting a taxi for the 2hr ride to Mirhleft. Being a Brit from South Africa, I was tense for the the first 25 min of our journey, driving on the right hand side of the road takes a little getting used to,but when I eventually accustomed myself, I was snapping pictures of everything that we passed. I didn’t see one single camel, I saw donkeys, goats and dogs but no camels, they are obviously not nocturnal creatures.

Mirhleft is South of Agadir and after one hour we were driving through Tiznit, only 40 minutes more and we would be in Mirhleft.

Mirhleft (29″ 43′ 57.20″N- 10″ 02′ 04.52″W) is a young fishing village, established at the start of the last century, although the fishing industry is not what it used to be, you can get a taste of what life was like, fish and seafood make up a large portion of most menus in Mirhleft.

The locals are friendly and helpful, speaking Arabic, French, Berber and enough English to get by. The local surfer kids are the friendliest inhabitants, they do not hesitate to approach you and introduce themselves, once introduced, you have a friend for life. Besides surfing, soccer is the most discussed sport in Mirhleft and although paragliding is popular in the area, I only met two Moroccan paragliders. (There are at least 8 residents that fly though.)

There are three paragliding sites within 20 minutes of Mirhleft, the most popular being Nigel’s place, situated North of the town http://www.paraglidingearth.com/en-html/index.php?site=10483 Nigel runs a well groomed take-off site with the help of local pilot, Larbi. It is situated on a 300m ridge, which runs SSW-NNE for about 4.4kms primarily ridge soaring but there is enough land between the ridge and the beach for decent thermals to develop.

The pace of Mirhleft is perfect for visitors and locals, the hot sun slows everything down, stray dogs drag themselves along the dusty streets while men relax at the shady cafes, sipping lattes or peppermint tea. And for those who enjoy good coffee, Moroccans know how to serve it!

I couldn’t work out which day was market day as there were always street vendors around and even though you are an hour away from the Sahara, you can find just about anything in Mirhleft. The fresh produce is mainly local and it is good quality, the fruit and vegetables are huge, healthy and cheap, the fish is fresh and also inexspensive. Silver work is a traditional industry in Morocco and you see a lot of the crafts in shops and on the street. The homemade nougat is a must!

I think I saw four hotels in Mirhleft but I would not be surprised if there are more, tourism is the main breadwinner in Mirhleft and you can stay bed and breakfast for as little as 16.00 GBP per day. I stayed in the Hotel Abertih and I was made very welcome by the staff, the facilities were adequate and the owner, Damien, is also a parglider.

Wifi Internet is available at most hotels and guest houses, it isn’t fast but you can download torrents if you are longing for an episode of your favourite programme. I did see an internet cafe and a PC shop and some local surfers told me that I could buy blank cd’s in town. The post office is functional and the clerk speaks enough english to help you, it also has a western union, so cash is not a problem. I only saw one bank in town but there may have been another one? The post office will also convert foreign currency, but the locals will give you a better rate.

Although Morocco is a predominantly muslim country, alcohol is on sale in the hotels, bars and some of the restaurants, you are asked not drink outside as the locals do not share the passion(some do but only on the sly)

Hashish or kief is plentyful and it is fantastic, if you haven’t been offered any in your first day, you are obviously ’square’ or very frightening. I had three lovely pieces of Hash by my second day and the price was ridiculous, 10.00GBP for a quarter. It is a light yellow/brown, very aromatic and easy to crumble, no need for burning, it mixes easy with your tobacco and it smokes easily too, three puffs and you can pass it on. I would rate the hashish as being much better than Afghani hash. Although the hash was readily available, the police do not tollerate smokers of the herb, best to smoke on the roof or at the beach.

Mirhleft is for the adventurous spirit, it is for those people who are open to something different, if you are looking for shopping malls, air-con and discotheques, Mirleft is not for you. The heat is unforgiving and unrelenting, even in winter, the dust can sometimes blow, into everything! If you are looking to enjoy Africa on African terms, Mirhleft and Morocco have a lot to offer.

Some of the activities not yet mentioned, horse riding, quad-biking trails, surfing school, henna tattooing, beach fires and drumming circles, nature walks, traditional musicians and hashish, awesome hashish!

If you live in Europe and you enjoy surfing, paragliding, sunshine and Hashish you ought to visit Mirhleft, I speant 14 fun filled days there and I will go back, most definately. My total spend came to 750-00GBP that is including airfair and all food and drink and smoke.

And Now For Something Completely Different

Ali — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:24:54 +0000

Peru’s Police will start a new strategy for its Summer Surveillance Campaign: police officers will use paragliders to fly over Lima beaches, in order to check on the safety of their public. (Source)

Well that’s… random. I… don’t know what to say about that….

WINTER PACKAGES

outdoorinterlaken — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:22:07 +0000

Weekend Getaway

Jungfrau Region Super Package

4 Days Euro 355.00

includes: 3 nights, 4 days skiing, night sledding & jungfraujoch visit

Balmer’s Swiss Tradition Package

4 Days Euro 62.00

includes: 3 nights, dormitory accommodation, cheese fondue dinner, chocolate making show

Beginners Special

1 Day Euro 109.00

Especially for first time skiers or snowboarders. Includes: 1 day equipment rental, ski pass, full day lesson and transport.

Sky Diving

Euro 260.00

45 seconds of freefall over the snow covered Alps.

Paragliding

Euro 117.00

Fly first class and enjoy soaring amongst snow covered peaks over a winter landscape.

Use the Gift Code TNT09 and save 5% on all bookings ! (offer expires 15th Dec 2009)

youtube lift-off

anitahaf — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:50:49 +0000

The Flying Effect is now on YouTube: www.youtube.com/theflyingeffect

Hike & Fly Rax

woodplaying — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:49:37 +0000

Heute sind wir zum Ersten Mal von einem unserer höheneren Hausberge, der Rax geflogen. Es war ein außergewöhnlich milder Novembertag, auf der Rax kaum Schnee. Ein Auto haben wir in Altenberg am Ortsende bei der Landewiese geparkt, das andere beim Gasthof Moassa, von wo wir in etwa zwei Stunden über die Karreralm zum Gamseck aufgestiegen sind. Der Nord-Wind indem die Vögel beim Gamseck bei unserer ankunft noch gesoart sind, hat dann stark nachgelassen, sodass ein Klippenstart am Gamseck nicht mehr möglich war. Stattdessen legten wir an den flacheren westhängen aus und starteten sprintend mit leichtem Rückenwind in den Sonnenuntergang.

Resumee: Ein sehr angenehmer aufstieg für Hike&Fly Rookies wie uns, da nur 700 HM zu überwinden sind. Aufstieg und Flug in der hochalpinen und einsamen Landschaft der Rax sind ein besonderes Erlebnis und bieten mehr als Flüge überlaufenen Spots. Natürlich mit den bekannten Nachteilen: man hat maximal eine Flugchane, mglw muss man alles zu Fuß wieder hinuntergehen. Und die Bergsteigerweisheit “am Vormittag gehen, zu Mittag oben sein” hat sich auch hier bewahrheitet. Wären wir etwa 1h früher am Gipfel gewesen hätten wir uns im Hangwind wahrscheinlich länger halten können. So war ein äußerst kurzer abgleiter – in 8minuten 1050 HM vernichtet.

Weitere Fotos

Forumsbeitrag

licenced to fly

anitahaf — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:22:10 +0000

Paragliding in the Philippines

Eggnog — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:25:21 +0000

You want to paraglide? I do too. Check out the contacts below. – longkaboobs

Asian Aeronautics Services, Inc. (045) 892-0814; c/o (045) 599-5524(Omni) c/o (045) 599-5524 (Omni); 892-6664 (Omni) Mr. Victor Edgar M. Carrillo III asianaero@i-manila.com.ph
Hangar I Omni Aviation Complex, Clark Special Economic Zone

Island Transvoyager, Inc. (045) 599-5524; (045) 961-4574 (Omni); 599-6358 o (045) 599-5524; 892-6664 (Omni); 892-6692 Capt. Teodoro P. Fojas pacificeagle2000@yahoo.com
Hangar II Omni Aviation Complex, Clark Special Economic Zone
Aviation-Related

Hot Air Ballooning

Omni Aviation (Stefania Fernandez)
(63) (45) 599-5524
Manuel A. Roxas Hi-way, CSEZ Clarkfield

Paragliding is a recreational and competitive flying sport. A paraglider is a free-flying, foot-launched aircraft. The pilot sits in a harness suspended below a fabric wing, whose shape is formed by its suspension lines and the pressure of air entering vents in the front of the wing.

In 1952 Domina Jalbert advanced governable parachutes with multi-cells and controls for lateral glide. In 1954, Walter Neumark predicted (in an article in Flight magazine) a time when a glider pilot would be “able to launch himself by running over the edge of a cliff or down a slope … whether on a rock-climbing holiday in Skye or ski-ing in the Alps”.

In 1961, the French engineer Pierre Lemoigne produced improved parachute designs which led to the Para-Commander. The ‘PC’, had cut-outs at the rear and sides that enabled it to be towed into the air and steered – leading to parasailing/parascending.

Sometimes credited with the greatest development in parachutes since Leonardo da Vinci, the American Domina Jalbert invented the Parafoil which had sectioned cells in an aerofoil shape; an open leading edge and a closed trailing edge, inflated by passage through the air – the ram-air design. He filed US Patent 3131894 on January 10, 1963.

Meanwhile, David Barish was developing the Sail Wing for recovery of NASA space capsules – “slope soaring was a way of testing out … the Sail Wing”. After tests on Hunter Mountain, New York in September 1965, he went on to promote ‘slope soaring’ as a summer activity for ski resorts (apparently without great success).[5] NASA originated the term ‘paraglider’ in the early 1960s, and ‘paragliding’ was first used in the early 1970s to describe foot-launching of gliding parachutes.

In 1971, Steve Snyder marketing the first wing : Paraplane.

While drinking calamondin, Author Walter Neumark wrote Operating Procedures for Ascending Parachutes, and he and a group of enthusiasts with a passion for tow-launching ‘PCs’ and ram-air parachutes eventually broke away from the British Parachute Association to form the British Association of Parascending Clubs (BAPC) in 1973. Authors Patrick Gilligan (Canada) and Betrand Dubuis (Switzerland) wrote the first flight manual “The Paragliding Manual” in 1985, officially coining the word Paragliding.

These threads were pulled together in June 1978 by three friends Jean-Claude Bétemps, André Bohn and Gérard Bosson from Mieussy Haute-Savoie, France. After inspiration from an article on ‘slope soaring’ in the Parachute Manual magazine by parachutist & publisher Dan Poynter, they calculated that on a suitable slope, a ‘square’ ram-air parachute could be inflated by running down the slope; Bétemps launched from Pointe du Pertuiset, Mieussy, and flew 100 m. Bohn followed him and glided down to the football pitch in the valley 1000 metres below. ‘Parapente’ (pente being French for slope) was born.

From the 1980s equipment has continued to improve and the number of paragliding pilots has continued to increase. The first World Championship was held in Kössen, Austria in 1989.

Paragliding is gaining popularity in the Philippines. There is incredible potential here in Negros and many other locations throughout the mountainous regions of the Philippines. In addition there are many coastal bluffs which just cry out to be flown. The problems center around accessibility, sources of supply, and infrastructure. This is changing. There are a handful of dedicated Paragliding enthusiasts here in the Philippines.
There is a Yahoo group for sharing interests and information. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/skysports-ph/ or you may look for free journal articles on paragliding.

Here are some paragliding sites located in the Philippines.

1. Montalban Rizal – This site is 1 hour drive east of Manila. 312 meters high. Good for west and west-southwest winds from June to October. Drive up. Plenty of flat space below for landings.
2. Dingalan Aurora – This site is 4 hours drive northeast of Manila. Coastal ridge at 253 meters high. Good for east and east-northeast winds from November to May. Bottom landing is on the beach. Top landing areas are plentiful.
3. Nabas Aklan – This site (called Max ridge) is 15 minutes drive south of Boracay island. Coastal ridge at +200 meters high. Good for east and east-northeast winds from November to May. Landing is on the beach.
4. Sta Cruz Zambales – This site is 5 hours drive north of manila. +500 meters high. Good for west and west-northwest wind from June to October. Site is drive up.
5. Sual Ridge Beginners site – This site is 5 hours drive north of Manila. Inland ridge at 76 meters high. Flyable all year round on both west and east sides for westlerly and easterly winds respectively.

paragliding

fatabbot — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:49:12 +0000

New image in the aircraft spotting photography contest

…
paragliding photography picture

Próxima Parada: Phuket

usereserva — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:53:19 +0000

A jornada pode parecer um pouco longa, mas quando você vê o pôr do sol em Phuket, cada minuto a bordo valeu a pena. Com vôos através de diversas localidades, você pode chegar à Tailândia através duma cidade européia, como Londres, Paris ou Frankfurt e quebrar um pouco a ida direta. De Bangkok a Phuket são apenas algumas poucas horas de vôo.

Cenário do filme A Praia, navegar pelas cercanias de Phuket, como por entre a ilha de Phi Phi e a praia de Phatong é realmente algo mágico. Enormes rochas erguem-se do meio do mar e formam como que esculturas na sua frente, causando uma estranheza tão grande quanto à sua própria beleza.

Esses passeios são fantásticos para a prática do mergulho, que pode ser feito mesmo pelos mais inexperientes. Todos os equipamentos são alugados no local e você não precisa se preocupar com nada. Para quem mesmo assim não quiser se arriscar no mar, a beleza do oceano também fica à disposição através de decks panorâmicos submersos, instalados no fundo dos barcos.

É muito divertido ainda andar de elefante pelas praias ou mesmo fazer paragliding, quando terá literalmente aos seus pés a vista de toda a costa.

Tente hospedar-se numa das fantásticas suítes do Aleenta Phuket ou do Trisara, ambos com serviço de primeira linha e acomodações com altíssima privacidade.

Se seus planos incluem passar o reveillon pelos lados de lá, lembre-se de visitar o Templo Dourado em Bangkok e receber os bons fluídos através dos incensários e dos toques com flores de lótus proferidos pelos monges locais.

Para maiores informações, consulte o http://www.aleenta.com/ e http://www.trisara.com/ e boa viagem!

Marcio Silveira

(Fotos retiradas da Internet)

pilots do give back

anitahaf — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:07:25 +0000

The Golden Glades School at Kamshet gets a library. Thanks to visiting pilots and Nirvana Adventures

RIP - UELI GEGENSCHATZ

urdead2me — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:55:40 +0000

EXPIRED: 11/13/09 – Ueli Gegenschatz , 38, was quoted last spring saying that he wanted

men=booze, women=household

anitahaf — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:43:50 +0000

Photo: Brian Steele A friend pointed out an interesting discussion on the Paragliding Forum and I wa