Let me start by saying I SURVIVED!!!! I…willingly… dove (head first) off a seven-story bridge, free falling 216 meters to what I was sure would be my death! But, let’s start at the beginning of the day, which actually feels like another lifetime! Today, for the first time this trip, I actually feel as though I am in Africa. I don’t’ know how to explain it, but before in Cape Town, it just felt like another city. It just never hit me I was actually here! This morning we got to see what our hostel actually looked like and I know the word has a terrible connotation, but trust me, its pretty nice! It’s called Tube n’ Axe (don’t ask me why), but it is very rustic and has this homey cabiny feeling. It’s basically just a bunch of tiki huts that surround a huge bonfire. The hostel is in the town of Storms River, which is the smallest, cutest town that seems to consist of a school and ice cream shop…. and that’s it haha. But anyways, we began our day going on a Safari!! We got into the typical bouncy, open-sided jeep like things and explored the most beautiful land ever. We saw rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, antelope, deer, lions, giraffe, zebras, horses, ostrich, and…LIONS!! All the while there were these amazing mountains and valleys in the background. It was amazing!! I felt like I was in real life Lion King!! I learned that giraffe only sleep 8 minutes a day… can you imagine?! I would die. I also learned that hippos, fat, lazy hippos, are responsible for the most human deaths per year! AND… I learned the Big Five Game, which are the strongest, fastest animals to hunt, for Africa: Lion, Elephant, Rhino, buffalo, and leopard. Clearly, this was quite the intellectual day!! After safari, we made our way to the bridge to bungee. My heart was pounding out of my chest and my hands were shaking so much you couldn’t even read my handwriting on the waiver! I was the first group going, so we started up the trail to the bridge; I don’t even know what was going through my head. To get to the bridge, we had to walk on this manmade suspended walkway that was parallel to the bridge. It was basically just a bunch of crates attached to one another so you could see straight down below you… not good! After all is said and done this was the scariest part of the ordeal! Once we got to the highest point, there was loud rave music blaring and all the workers were dancing and jumping up and down, and while I was terrified, I couldn’t help but be excited. Their energy was infectious. Then, my feet were tied and I was hobbling to the edge of the bridge before I even know what was going on. I really cant even elaborate on this because it is honestly such a blur, like my mind just went blank I think. All I knew was that when the workers got to one on their countdown I had to dive off or I would be pushed (they had made it clear that there was no going back at this point). 5,4,3,2,1… BUNGEEEE and I was diving head first into the cliffs. It was insane!! The feeling of free fall is incredible! It’s not like on roller coasters when your stomach drops; it feels like you’re flying even though that sounds really cheesy! And, it is so peaceful, so beautiful!! Your just hanging there and there’s no sound, no people, you’re just taking it all in: the mountains and trees and ocean. It was so calming. Then, your mind starts working again and I realize that I am hanging in the air by a strap on my feet and start to get a little nervous, but then my savior came! The worker repelled down and attached me to his wire and pulled me back up to the top of the bridge. I am still in shock that I did it and am currently shaking just thinking about it as I write this. But, I would do it again in a heartbeat. I know you, especially Marlee, can’t imagine it now but the atmosphere up there and watching your friends do it, you just have to! And I am so glad I jumped; definitely the coolest thing I have ever done! 216 meters!!! Unreal. After my whole group jumped, we had lunch (the most amazing cheeseburger I have ever had I might add) and watched the second group jump. Soooo glad that I was in the first group cause watching them and hearing their screams was slightly alarming! Still surprised that I didn’t scream! Then, we bought our vidoes and pictures from the jump and got back on the truck…this time to do something a little more sane. We went back to the town that our hostel is in and played soccer with some of the local kids and they are GOOD!! They showed up with matching jerseys and a coach and everything.; whereas, we rolled in like a bunch of idiots trying to chase a ball around this field. Clearly, we were out of our league and lost quickly haha. But, I mostly chilled on the sidelines (surprise, surprise), taking pictures and talking to all the other local kids that came to watch the game and cheer on their friends. They all loved doing cartwheels and handstands, showing off for the camera. And the girls LOVE… no like really love… blond hair! The girls said they had never seen hair as long and blonde as mine haha. I had braids and ponytails galore by the time we left!! I hated saying goodbye though. The little girl that pretty much attached herself to me, Gracie, told me she loved me awwww :/ She kept asking me about my necklaces and telling me how she has always wanted one. If they weren’t so important to me I would have given them to her so fast! (They were the humming bird necklace from Marlee and the prayer box from my mom… I don’t ever take them off). But, I have decided that if I was to ever win the lottery I would buy all these kids cameras. the joy they receive from something we, for the most part, see as a burden is amazing. This trip has definitely made me question my decision to not pursue teaching and I’m sure that service week will be ten times worse. Now, we are about to begin a lesson around the campfire…so perfect! Okay, so after the lesson we ate dinner: yummy chicken curry stir-fry! After dinner, we walked to the ice cream shop but it was closed. So, we were told by a local to try the pub down the road, which was great advice! The pub itself was awesome. It used to be a hunting lodge so there were so many killed, skinned, and stuffed animals (like ten times that of good ole Brunswick Chels!). I, obviously, didn’t like that aspect, but there was just such a homey feel. And, most importantly, the dessert was so good! I didn’t realize how much I love chocolate until I didn’t have it! The best hot chocolate hands down! When we got back to the hostel Freddy tried to make us all say out by blaring music outside our door (awesome old school playlist too), but we are all so tired!! Clearly, from the length of this post this was such a LONG day, and apparently, we have to leave at 7 AM tomorrow. These early mornings definitely weren’t in the brochure!
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