Page 90 - Cross Country Travel Guide 2019

cTEAM GAME
Rubby Emir hiking up, Jason flying down, and the team.
Left to right: Jason, Lihun, Heri, Ken and Rubby
Photos:Jason McLeod

I set up for final glide, following what felt like a nice lifty line high above the The sight of our two paragliders seemed to have caused a mini

tea plantations. For a moment I thought I was going to make the landing general strike in Kayu Aro. Kids came out of school, plantation
zone, a football field next to Kayu Aro village. Then about 200m before it workers stopped working, shopkeepers closed their stalls. There is
I hit sink. Powerlines loomed super close. I wasn’t sure I had the height to something about what we do that infects people with happiness and
clear them. I made a snap decision, turned hard and landed in the sweet joy. Even the police decided to call it a day!
smelling, super soft, tea gardens, just in front of the Kayu Aro police station. Thirty minutes later dust devils spun across the football pitch.
Fortunately, our retrieve driver, Pak Suseno, another pilot, was on Kerinci closed herself up again in cloud.
hand to patiently explain to the cops that I did know what I was doing
and that landing in the tea gardens was a lot better than the town PS...
being cut off from electricity for who knows how long. As far as I know I was the third person to fly off Kerinci. Thanks

It was an endless stream of selfies with the locals while we waited to Hendra, Heri, Suseno, Kenedi, Albert, Lihun, Awal, and Piki for
for Rubby and Heri to land. On the second attempt they launched. helping make it possible. Thanks too to Rubby for being part of the
They were on course for a spot landing beside us but got a bit of lift madness. Adventure is better with friends.
low down. “Goal!” everyone cheered as they sailed over the goal posts
at one end of the football field and... into the tea gardens, to squeals Jason McLeod is a hike-and-fly enthusiast. He lives on Jagera land in
of delighted laughter from kids and adults alike. Meanjin, Brisbane, Australia

90 CROSS COUNTRY TRAVEL GUIDE 2019 INDONESIA