Birthday Gift to myself ... Skydiving experience

Inscribed by Hariharan

If I were in India now, I would be surely be on a holiday somewhere, continuing our tradition of a vacation on every Birthday/Marriage Anniversary weekend. But this time around, I am here in Joburg and Janani is there in India. So, its a difficult time for both of us and I have been feeling down all of last week. But still I decided that I should celebrate and do something different on this Birthday also. So I enrolled myself to a Skydiving Experience on the 4th of July, 2010.

Did it cheer me up or what !?! It was a once in a lifetime kind of an experience. So I will let the pictures and videos do the talking.

Just to explain what happened in a bit more detail. So we went up in a plane that took us to an altitude of 11500 ft. So I am attached to my Tandem Master for my own “Good”. The Door then opened and I could see the ground so below … and it was an awesome view. The instructors had given me enough confidence that I was not feeling very nervous … Just a little … It was almost unbelievable that I jumping off from such a height that I didn’t feel much nervousness … If at all that makes any sense :) … Then immediately after the fall the instructor on the top opens up the Dragger Parachute - which is a small parachute to slow our fall down, as two people tied together would fall faster … Then the video guy started the filming … and I am all waving and enjoying the view … The feeling is absolutely awesome and it was like I am floating on a layer of thick fluid … I am hearing nothing as all I can hear is the sound of the wind blowing …. This lasts for about 45 secs … and then the parachute opens up … After this it’s a cozy ride back down to the ground … :) .. The Experience … PRICELESS !!!