The Main Course: Parasailing

Perhaps to me this is the most looked forward to yet dreaded itinerary of our trip. Pretentious brave souls we were, Mabs, Dave, and I decided to try parasailing.

Our parasailing escapade was originally set at 8 a.m. But since the activity required desirable winds, the jaunt was moved to 9 then to 10. While we waited anxiously at “home” for Ms. Jen’s go-signal, I tried to settle my nerves lest I waste the 1,200 pesos that I paid for the 15-minute fly.

And then the call came. We hurriedly set off to the parasailing site where a boat driven by an American picked us up. By this time we (Mabs, Dave, and I) were all nervous, and the thought of backing out at the last minute was playing around in our heads. Sho’s teasing did not do us any good.

While in the boat, Mabs and I volunteered Dave to be the first to parasail. I decided to go second since I figured I’d get more nervous if I was the last to fly. After a few minutes of sailing through the island, Dave was up. The parasailing assistants hurriedly hoisted him to the parachute, and slowly, up, up and away Dave went.

Watching Dave parasail was not as nerve-racking as I expected it to be. I spent all my time convincing myself that parasailing was as simple as riding the Ferris wheel in Enchanted Kingdom. Dave’s 15 minutes felt like 30 minutes or more, but watching him take pictures of himself while 50 feet above the sea assured me that the experience was not as scary as we thought.

And then, it was my turn. The assistants hurried me up as if it was a matter of life and death. I was hoisted even before I was prepared, which I guess was the reason why I failed to position myself comfortably in my harness. The sail took me up, higher and higher and higher. I was mildly shaking while the sail took off and I did not immediately dare let go of the sides of my harness to video myself with the camera around my neck.

“Pwedeng hindi humawak!” the parasailing assistant shouted at me.
“Ayoko! Natatakot ako!” I retorted back.

Midway through reaching 50 feet, I felt the boat pulling me higher and higher, during which I shrieked a series of “Oh my God.” By this time, I already let go of the harness and held the camera with my hands to document my extreme adventure. I chattered and chattered as I shot a video of myself 50 feet up in the air. This was my way of calming my nerves. I shifted from video to stills to video to stills again. I tried to take pictures of the parachute behind and above me and the view of the Hundred Islands.

By the time the rope pulling me settled, my nerves settled as well. Since my position was not comfortable, my left armpit and legs were already aching after several minutes. As with Dave’s, it felt as though my 15 minutes was already up. But the boat kept pulling me farther and farther into the islands, so I just contented myself with the cool breeze and with taking pictures of myself. After what felt like another 15 minutes, I felt my sail sinking lower and lower. It was a little scary when the boat turned while they were pulling me back. A few more pulls and I was only a few feet away from the water. Then, after several seconds, I was closer and closer to the boat, and then I landed sitting down, which was not a very pretty sight.

But perhaps the greatest adventure of all was experienced by Mabs. I guess it was a good thing that I opted to go after Dave, since during Mabs’s turn, the pulley got stuck and the American driver had to let Mabs fall in the water. It was “extreme parasailing,” as our boat driver said. Still, after the adventure, all three of us were elated that we braved the parasailing escapade.