 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Travel
the World... |
Independent advice for |
|
|
|
|
|
traveling the world |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Our Three Cents: The Good, the Bad and the Bungee
Article by Richard Steel and Carrie Aburto
Photos by Richard Steel
|
|
|
Fear Factor
I am petrified. In Nanaimo, British Columbia staring at a rocky river 184 feet below me with only a rope tied to my ankles, I'm shaking like a French soldier . All senses scream "I am not jumping off this bridge." A dinghy appear the size of a bath toy below and the spectators mill about as small as ants. My palms are sweating as I look down at the tops of trees. "Why do people do this?" I wonder. "What the hell is the point of jumping off a perfectly good bridge? What is the thrill?" I'm as nervous as Bush at a spelling bee. I am not doing this.
|
|
|
Freud's Got Nothing on Me
I have seen thousands of people just like this kid take the leap. I use an old towel and one canvas strap to hook him up to the rope. Nothing else. He asks me if I like my job. "First day," I say. "They gave me a training video. I watched almost all of it last night," I say, loving the worried look on his face. "Went out drinking, so I didn't finish it. Boy am I hung over, I hope I'm doing this right." I get a kick out of toying with him. "Is this too tight? Do you want me to loosen it for you?" They all want the foot straps to be as tight as Anna Nicole's jeans. "What's that? Sorry, I have a little A.D.D." I'm killing this guy–can't blame me, I have to have some fun up here too. He's about to lose it. I ask, "You sure you want to jump off this bridge?"
|
|
Can't Fake the Fall
Five, four, three–two thoughts creep into my head: "Jump when he yells 'one!' " and "What the hell am I doing?" He yells, I react, and swan dive toward the river, which at this point, I'm sure I'm going to hit. While gravity takes hold, it's impossible to believe this support system is going to bring me back alive. I feel like a kid in the back of a minivan begging the question, "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" The anticipation builds and the ground rushes closer until suddenly the bungee catches me and whips me back up and into reality. With a touch of whiplash and my breath back in my lungs, I recoil skyward and look at the gorgeous forests below me from a new perspective. The trip down was a thrill that I'll never forget and the ride up gave me visions that I'll never be able to erase.
|
|
|
|
