Swakopmund is truly an adrenaline capital, and our trip optional activities included sand boarding, quad biking, fishing, sky-diving, sea kayak, etc.  We chose para-sailing for our first activity.  It was a great experience, though hiking up the dunes in a harness laden down with glider wasn’t easy.  After a brief instruction from the pro, we started running down the dune (one by one) and took off.  It was amazing to be hanging in the air over the dunes…silent and peaceful.  The views were spectacular and controlling the glider wasn’t too hard once you got the idea.  It was a bit scary worrying about thermals carrying us away, but all was going well.  Very unfortunately, one of our group of four, Suzanne, had an unexplained and never-before-seen collapse of part of her parachute, which, as a beginner she couldn’t have know how to correct in time.  She landed hard, and we spent the next few hours at the Cottage Hospital Clinic.  Fortunately, she made a speedy recovery over the next few days!

Swapkopmund photos.