If Your Cousin Jumped Off a Cliff, Would You?

Gullet: Day 3. In February, Mark sent each of us an email about one thing he really wanted to do while in Turkey – paragliding off a mountaintop. The region around Feyithe is known as one of the premier spots, with warm air currents rising from the sea. He asked if any of us was interested. Cousin Leon replied immediately, “I’ve done a lot of things in my day – flying an ultralight, being in a submarine, but there is NO WAY I’m jumping off a cliff.” So, today Leon, Mark, and I went paragliding.

The journey up the mountain takes 45 minutes on narrow, switchback trails. We ride in an open, two-level land rover. The views back to the town are stunning. We arrive with a sudden lurch at the top of this mountain. The large area is smooth paving stones; there is an ambulance parked nearby (not a good sign). We are partner jumping; my guide has been doing this for 18 years. Each of us is strapped into something that looks like a baby carrier; our partner is strapped right behind us. The chute is long and narrow, not round. They wait for the air currents to start it billowing up, and tell us to take a few steps. You take about five steps and suddenly your feet are churning in air. Mark is already in the air; I look back to see Leon starting off.

My partner takes off my helmet. A breeze wafts your face and hair, but the descent doesn’t feel fast, doesn’t feel like falling. It feels as if you are sitting in an easy chair. You see 360 degree panorama – of the blue lagoon bay (and it is blue), of several mountains and valleys that lie between. The trip down takes 19 minutes. The worst part: My partner smokes a cigarette while we are up there; I try to tell him “this is a no smoking flight.” The best part: I hear a “call to prayers” as we pass over a valley. Yes, I think, everything is a miracle.

Other highlights of today:
• We climb St. Nicholas Island to watch the sunset this evening. There are three early Christian church ruins here, and St. Nicholas, on which Santa Claus in based in part, is believed to have lived here for a time. The other four climb to the top of the island; I find a good viewing spot for the sunset and perch. I watch swallows swooping down, catching insects in midflight. The sun sets as I think about our son Nicholas.
• Raki. Jim and Beth purchased a bottle of Raki while we were off gliding. We all share it this evening. A clear liquor, when mixed with water, Raki turns cloudly and milky. In fact, its nickname is Lion’s Milk. It is Turkey’s most known drink; it tastes similar to ouzo in Greece. (While a Muslim country, many people drink alcohol here, but observe Muslim holidays by refraining.)
• Conversation deep into the night. We sit in the candlelight and talk about religion, marriage, who we are. We are stunned to think we have been gone less than a week, and have already had more experiences, deep conversations, and quiet reflections in these 6 days than in the previous 60.