The one left behind

During a recent trip to Cape Town, we took a sunset hike up Lion's Head, a prominent hill overlooking Cape Town and the ocean. It's a popular site for parasailing, particularly on beautiful, clear evenings. As we rounded a bend in the trail, I spotted a daring man getting ready to launch. While it was certainly interesting to watch him get pumped up to run off a mountain, I thought it was also fascinating to watch his friend, who helped him. This girl held his chute, cheered him on, then once he was off on his daredevil adventure, she calmly turned around and walked back down the mountain. 

Here is her parasailing friend enjoying the views above Cape Town and Camps Bay.

So which are you guys? The one flying off the mountain, or the one walking calmly back down it?

Artful Soweto cooling towers

The Orlando Power Station cooling towers, located in Soweto (a prominent grouping of townships to Johannesburg's south), were beautifully painted in the run up to the 2010 Soccer World Cup which South Africa hosted. Funded by FNB, a major World Cup sponsor, the now decommissioned towers depict the cultural heritage of the area, and also provide tourists with a variety of thrills. Fearless visitors can now bungee jump, abseil, swing, or even base jump from the towers! What an interesting use for retired infrastructure!