Sharon was off to church, so I headed to Olympic Park and the Paralympics. The lines to pick up tickets were very long, but I eventually made it in. First stop was the SuperDome, where I watched France take on Nederland in men’s wheelchair basketball. The game has a savage gracefulness, like combining basketball with a demolition derby. Next, I headed to Olympic Stadium, where I saw a women’s wheelchair 100m final (T53), and part of the men’s discus final (F11). A quick train ride and I was back to the Opera House to meet Sharon at the Sunday markets.
We next caught the ferry to Manly, where we went to the beach, then she started the walk to Spit Bridge and I got some lunch at Ocean Foods. I purchased fish and chips, deciding on Barramundi fish so I’d know what my new belt tasted like (very good). Next, I went parasailing. I got a ticket, and the boat left from Manly Wharf. Once the boat got going, they attached the parachute to a winch and let it unfurl. I got in a harness, attached myself to the bottom of the parachute, then they let the winch go. It felt like I was sitting on a swing, except for being 400 feet in the air. It was a great view, and I was disappointed when they finally winched me back in. After we finished, I laid out on Manly Beach until it got chilly. I took the ferry back, met up with Sharon, and stopped by Go, which had a vegetarian buffet. I had a Bondi Cola, which tasted like a diluted Pepsi. Very laid back way to spend a birthday.
[Originally published at GoHither.Net]