Paragliding in Costa Rica
Have you thought of paragliding in Costa Rica?
We just had a fantastic week with Paracrane's Costa Rican tour. (www.paracrane.com) We did so with Nick Crane, to be specific, and the cast of characters he gathered for a week (or two) of paragliding on Costa Rica's Pacific side.
I was the only non-pilot in the group but it provided me with plenty of subject matter for my Nikon. Wow!
I did, however, squeak in a couple of wonderful tandem flights with Nick over Caldera and Dominical.
The vegetation is lush, the ocean blue, the clouds varied from none to white and billowy and a few a bit more ominous looking.
Interesting that this is officially winter but they call it summer because it is the dry season. Those clouds really produce no rain or moisture.
Weather just could not have been better. Picture low 80's. There was humidity but there were also breezes to keep us from feeling overheated. Mind you, sunscreen is a must. I would suggest no less than SPF 30.
Why did we go on this paragliding venture in Central America? My husband started paragliding last March in the Ashland, Oregon area.He was introduced to Nick Crane when he returned from his winter gig in Costa Rica. And the lessons and attainment of P1 and P2 licenses ensued.
Paragliders love to go where they can to catch some wind. Why not tag along with Nick to Costa Rica? He had talked enthusiastically about tours he does. It wasn't until we arrived that we realized how well set up they are. Wow!
Upon arrival in Caldera, we met Grampa Ninja and Thomas who run the B&B where we initially stayed in Caldera. Mind you, they are keen paraglider pilots themselves. Oh, and hot air ballon pilots, too, on the East Coast during the non-winter months. Flying in one form or another stole these guys' hearts a long time ago.
To round out the cast of characters were Mary Ellen from Talent, OR, Kata and Zion from Rivas, Thomas from Edmonton, and Mark and Mary from Redding, CA. Also, Luis from Brazil and Joey - originally from Colorado - now from Rivas.
The age range was 15 years old to 67 years old. It didn't take long to get a sense of everyone and know this was a diverse group who, together, was going to have a lot of fun.
What a week of comradery - with the thread of flying bonding us all together. It was unbelievable how everyone got along and ENJOYED each other's company.
No matter the expertise, this was a paragliding tour that accommodated. I've learned paragliding pilots just want air time. And if it can be in new surroundings, all the better.
Sometimes it was straightforward. Sometimes not.
Mother Nature has her say sometimes. That's part of the fun and what is captivating about the sport.
Hours in the air at Caldera! Everyone got no less than two hours of flying in at this one location and one person (I'm married to him) got FIVE HOURS FLYING. I think all the paragliders got a taste of heaven on that day in particular. That was at Nemaclys, owned by Jean Claude - a great launching site.
A summary in KEYWORDS
It is hard to say in a few words what the week was about so I thought 'stream of consciousness' would be fun to remind myself and let you know what this week in Costa Rica was about:
Monkeys, iguanas, pools of water, beaches, colones (currency), thermals, birds, ships, great tap water, living fences, Imperial and Pilsner, rice, beans, cilantro, hot sauce, fresh pineapple, papayas and bananas, dried bananas and pineapple, plantains, ice cream, pipa (coconut milk), Frescos, fish, shrimp, surf, guitars, flutes, Spanish (I must learn it), rental cars (it was a good thing!) Pan American Highway, sea level, high altitudes (as high as 10,400') good roads, treacherous roads, horses, cattle, breezes, coffee, machete, ferns, jungle, crocodiles, very few bugs!, yoga, music, parawaiting, paragliding, Caldera, Jaco, Dominical, San Miguel, Rivas, San Jose.
Would I do a Paracrane tour again?
Without question. I saw so much, enjoyed the company of all, and got a couple tandem flights in with Nick Crane. He's a great pilot and he saw to it that we launched and landed safely. I now know what a bird's eye view looks like. When do we go again?
I've a passion for "faces and places." I am looking forward to highlighting many going forward - right here. If you know of someone or someplace really interesting, let me know. Perhaps I could shine a light there! ~ReloMary from LinkedIn: Let's Connect! | Moving Links 4 You
