July 30,2009

This weekend was an adrenaline rush. We went on a road trip along the coast of South Africa on what is popularly known as the Garden Route. Five of us hopped in a car with a map and some PB&J’s to drive as much as we could in a two-day trip in what was supposed to be at least a ten day road trip. The plan was to leave at 7am on Saturday morning but we ran into a couple obstacles that greatly delayed our trip. We had forgotten our passport which was required to make payment on the reservation for the car and we also had trouble finding the rental place in the city. Finally we got on the road around 11am. We made minimal stops and made it all the way to Plettenberg Bay to stay in a youth hostel for the night. Along the route there hundreds of people hitch hiking. It seemed as if it was a common form of transport. Even men in business suits were waiting for a ride. It would be my first time ever staying in a youth hostel. It was beyond freezing in the hostel. I wore all the clothes that I was wearing for the next day, my coat, two scarves, and a rag on my head. I looked like a crazy person but it was so worth it to be warm.

The next day the biggest adrenaline rush came. I decided to bungee jump off the highest bungee jumping bridge in the world. No one had been sure the night before that they were actually going to do it. I was definitely a chicken. I had once cried my way off a roller coaster and this was definitely a time where I would want to cry my way out of bungee jumping or someone was going to have to push me off. But we drove up to the bungee jump anyway the next morning. Sarah signed up right away and then Avery. Once I looked at the bridge, I started to feel sick to my stomach. It took me like 20 minutes to sign up because I was so unsure if I wanted to take such a large risk. Finally, I just paid the money and once you pay there are no refunds so I guess in a way you have to do or I would have wasted almost $80. When it was finally time to jump, we walked this really long and jagged walkway underneath the bridge that led to the bungee site. It was almost as frightening as the jump. If you looked underneath your feet, you were literally are hundreds of meters up from a valley filled with trees and a stream. It was like being at the top of a skyscraper and looking over the edge of the building. I could not look down of course before the jump. I just looked straight forward so I wouldn’t chicken out. Surprisingly, I was very calm but I know my face was blank and my body language gave off a nervous vibe. I just felt like it was the end right before the jump. Sarah had given one of the girls on the trip, Lizzie, her mother's phone number so that she could call if anything should happen…. As they were hooking my feet up, the people kept talking to me but I had no idea what he was saying or what was going on. All I could think was I was about to kill myself and why would I do this? As I scooted up to the edge I just closed my eyes and then leaped into the air. The feeling was awkwardly not adrenaline filled for me. It was the anticipation of the jump that had my adrenaline pumping. But the jump was beautiful and smooth. I felt light and I was just gliding. Of course I screamed when I jumped off but then once the jump was over I just kept saying OMG to myself. The view was beautiful. It was great! But I would never do it again. It is a once and a life time thing.

After bungee jumping we went to an ostrich farm and road some ostriches. This for me was much scarier than the bungee jumping. I was so terrified. Ostriches are the most awkward and ugly animals I think I have ever seen. They are just so big. So in order to ride the ostrich, the people working at the farm would grab them by the neck with this medal hook at the end of a wooden pole and then put a bag over its head. Then they would push the ostrich over to us so that we could mount it. There was no saddle, stirrups or reins. It was just a bizarre experience. And in some ways I felt bad that we were riding them because I felt like we were torturing the animals…We sat at the edge of the ostrich’s back because there is hump in the center of its back that makes it difficult to sit in the cent and we rapped our feet around the front part of its body to stay mounted. The most ridiculous part is that we grabbed its wings to use as reins. It was such an unnatural thing and all I could think is that this animal was not ever meant to ride. The men working at the farm gave us no instructions and just told us to get straight on. Before we had even entered the area to ride the ostrich they pointed at a sign saying, RIDE AT YOUR OWN RISK. I am assuming this was kind of like the sign I saw when I petted the cheetah. But no they are not comparable. The cheetah just laid there while I petted it, when riding the ostrich, it was just me and the ostrich….. I was so scared…. The thing kept hissing at me. I screamed and yelled the entire time I was on it…Avery even fell off the ostrich onto the ground because the ostrich was not having it…. She also got stumped as she tried to mount it…. But she was brave and it didn’t even faze her….. She got right back on that scary animal… I would have been like I am through after that beast knocked me off….Sarah was another brave one too. She was riding it like she was a pro…. The event was hilarious and bit ridiculous…..