Today was an adrenalin filled day. We started out getting up early so we could make it to my hang gliding appointment by 9am. The family hung around the landing area while I rode up to the top with the 2 pilots, a driver, and another customer. It is amazing you can drive up to these remote mountain villages.
Since it is midnight here, I am not going to type out the whole experience, but it was spectacular. It is one of those things that I am glad I did and can say “I have done that”, but don’t feel the need to do it again tomorrow. When I got down, I felt like I had been on a really hair roller coaster – not sick, but queasy. I wasn’t nervous, or sick from the altitude, the ride was just bumpier than I expected. There were great thermals and a lot of updraft, so we were really climbing and bouncing around.
I rode tandem with a pilot, and he did let me steer for a little while. We have photos and video of the ride for later viewing. Here are a few shots and notes before viewing:
(oh, Ed, my pilot, had a camera on the end of a pole with a flash on it, that is how we got all of these cool shots – this is not fake)
InterLaken is the town below. Ed gave me a German apron to wear for the photo shoot – check out my six-pack!
This was the last staged shot they had us do…See how high I am?
After flying, we went into town and did a little shopping and grabbed a picnic lunch. We went out to one of the lakes to eat lunch, but we did not find the most picturesque spot. We ended up plopping down on a bridge and eating we were all so hungry. The kids found chips and salsa which made them very happy.
After lunch we did a high-ropes course. All four of us did the first one together. It was hard enough. Then, Jack and I did the toughest one (2 steps up from the first one) and Jessica did the next one up. The first course was intermediate, and the one Jack, Jessica, and I did 2nd were advanced. Kim decided to take pictures for round 2. Then, we finished with course that was mostly zip lines with only a few ladders in-between legs. Jack loved this stuff and is very good at it. At the end of this, we were all beat. Only near the end of the day did my queasiness wear off…
Then, back to Lauterbrunen and a couple loads of laundry before dinner. There are only 3 washers and 2 dryers (that work) for the whole village. $5 to wash, $5 to dry…or you can have the other “Laundromat” in town do loads for $25/each…
We ate dinner at the Hotel restaurant tonight and tried cheese fondue. None of us were really fans, but we tasted it all.
Tomorrow we are going up into the mountain country and doing a little hiking and sightseeing. It is late, so I am signing off. Thanks for all of your prayers. We are staying healthy and having fun as a family. Jessica misses her friends, and Jack is anxious to see the Barnowski cousins, but overall, we are doing well.
Good night,
-scott
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