[Part 2] When my backpacking mama faced her fear of heights

Kach Medina

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[Part 2] When my backpacking mama faced her fear of heights
'I wanted to find one amazing way to help my mom face her deeply ingrained fear of heights,' says Kach Medina

This is part two of a series by Rappler travel writer Kach Medina, who’s traveling with her mom in a backpacking journey of a lifetime just before her mom turns 50 next year. Follow their adventures here on Rappler and visit Kach’s website here for more. 

Read: [Part 1] Journey to 50: My backpacking mama’s South America adventure

“It’s been amazing in so many ways. I’ve seen my oldest daughter after two and a half years, I’ve met my soon-to-be son-in-law and I’ve done two things that I never thought I would do in my life, in a place I never thought I would have the chance to see. What’s even more incredible is that this is just the beginning – we still have almost 2 months and 4 more countries to go!”

These were my mother’s words after her first few days in Rio de Janeiro, where we finally met after not seeing each other for 2 and half years.

I had helped her achieve one of her greatest dreams, as a devoted Catholic, to visit the Christ the Redeemer statue atop Corcovado Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Now it was time for another gift to my wonderful mother, to say thank you for all she has ever done for me and my siblings. (READ: 15 destinations around the world for Filipino travelers)

Despite always seeming unshakeable in every way, I recently discovered that she has some deeply ingrained fears which she selflessly kept hidden from her children so that she didn’t pass them on to us.

One of those fears, perhaps her greatest fear, is her fear of heights. I wanted to find an incredible way to help her face her fear – some kind of once-in-a-lifetime experience that would remain with her forever! I thought long and hard for the answer, coming up with all kinds of ideas that just didn’t quite seem good enough, like standing on the edge of the tallest building, or riding the biggest rollercoaster we could find. None of them felt right.

Then one day, as we walked along one of Rio de Janeiro’s many perfect beaches, I looked up just in time to a giant bird-shaped object fly over our heads. There was something hanging from it – a person – hang gliding! That was it, the perfect way for my mom to face her fear of heights.

We searched online for tandem hang gliding companies and some of the best reviews came from Rio ASA Delta, owned and run by Fabio, a pilot with 12 years of experience and even a number of competitions under his belt.

Screengrab from YouTube

Fabio picked us up at our accommodation for the short drive to the top of a cliff edge, overlooking the beach and the ocean, where we went through our safety and launch instructions and prepared for take-off.

 

My mother seemed completely calm and relaxed throughout the preparation for take – it seems that she hasn’t lost her strong, calm exterior, even though she told us later she was trembling on the inside!

So we stepped away from the launching platform as her pilot, Fabio, prepared her for take-off. On the count of 3, they ran towards the edge, falling in mid-air momentarily before taking off and soaring upwards into the sky.

As they lifted into the sky, mom let out scream, of fear, or delight, or both, and they flew off towards the ocean. The wind was strong that day, instantly lifting the glider and its human cargo high into the vast, endless blue. 

The perfect conditions and Fabio’s skill allowed them to circle back over the launching area several times. It was so incredible to see my 49 year-old mother soaring through the air over our heads, hanging by a nylon strap from a lightweight metal frame, with just a thin piece of canvas stretched over the top to form a giant wing.

Aside from the huge smile on her face, she reminded me of a massive rabbit caught in the talons of a giant eagle – a very bizarre way to envision your mother!

Screengrab from YouTube

After circling and waving several times, Fabio skilfully tilted the wing of the glider to one side in a smooth, banking turn and sailed away from the mountainside towards the ocean to the south.

They then dove steeply downwards, skilfully in a spiral motion, rising and falling through the currents of air until they aligned with the landing area, a small strip of soft, white sand on the beach.

Poised for landing, they glided gracefully towards beach, the ground rushing towards them at high speed, then pulled up at the last second, stalling the flight in mid-air, like a huge swan landing on a lake, to gently reunite their feet with the soft sand.

We landed one after the other behind her, both with equally huge grins stretched across our faces. We couldn’t wait to hear how my mother felt about the experience in her own words.

“I was shaking inside at the beginning, but as soon as we took off, all of my fears just washed away with wind blowing over my face. The joy and exhilaration of flying took over completely. I can’t say for sure that I’ll never be scared of heights again, but I’m so proud of myself for what I’ve done today,” she told me.

I’m proud of her too, my amazing mother! – Rappler.com

Kach is a proud Filipina who quit her corporate job to become a long-term backpacker. She’s also a certified Tantra Yoga teacher, TEFL qualified, Ayurveda Massage Therapist and the Little Brown Monkey behind Two Monkeys Travel Group. Follow her at facebook.com/twomonkeystravel

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