Bungee Jumping - Victoria Falls - April 15

Had to rush over to the restaurant first thing this morning to meet everyone at about 6.15 am – just had time to grab a coffee. Trouble is I had also just grabbed a T-shirt and without thinking had worn a sleeveless one – at 6.30 am in the back of a 4 wheeled drive flying through a Game park and I was regretting that – it was freezing until the sun came out properly!! In the park we quickly began to see some animals – it was really cool – I had been hoping to see at least giraffes and zebra today ( no lions or leopards in this park) – and very soon we saw impala, waterhogs (really cool), wildebeest, buffalo and zebra – and then not long after we saw giraffes – and loads of birds! Our guide was really good – lots of information and explanations – he did like to ask us questions but we weren’t very forthcoming with our answers so early in the morning. That was a bit tough!! But it was all really good fun.

We headed back to the hotel next to our camp for all you can eat buffet breakfast. Then I finished putting my bike together and then got a taxi back to the hostel to collect my stuff – especially needed my Go Pro chest camera as we were going BUNGEE jumping next!! This is what I had been waiting for! I was exhausted by the time I got there to meet the others – rushing from place to place all day! The jump takes place from the bridge which goes between Zambia and Zimbabwe – so you do actually have to cross into Zimbabwe to jump – you get a special pass to allow you to enter. . we arrived at the bridge – WOW – the waterfall is just amazing as is the bridge – and so high! We have to go and sign in and are getting really excited now! We have signed up for the triple experience as it was only $20 more than for the single – so – bungee, swing and zip wire!. After signing all the paperwork I put my chest camera on (it was allowed!) and we went off to do the zip wire first! It goes from one side of the canyon to the other – a good starter activity – not too scary. It was an amazing scene with the waterfall behind – incredible views! Then we went back up to the bridge. I had been hoping to swing first - but no I was in the bungee group along with Megan and Tori – Kim and Steve were swinging first – then we would swap! Kim and Tori went first – then it was my turn. I am getting really, really nervous – though surprisingly a lot calmer then last time I think. I am strapped in ready to go ( a different harness for each activity) and feeling nervous but nowhere near as scared as I thought I would be. I felt better than I did in the plane for my sky dive anyway! I was just trying not to think about it. Finally I moved to the edge and dived. Wow – it was fun! Its been a long time but it s still fun. This one was a lot different from previous jumps – it seemed to me that the elastic “snapped” a lot more – and different in that they let you continue to bounce up and down a lot more before pulling you in. After a while I could feel all the blood rushing to my head and had had enough of bouncing up and down. Finally the line comes down and they clip you in and pull you up. In New Zealand you only bounced a couple of times before they pulled you in. It is probably good to bounce about 5 or 6 times if I had the choice! It was just so cool with the waterfall right behind you and the water rushing through beneath you. On the video later it looked like the ocean below not a river!

They haul you back – and the scariest part I think is when they unclip you at the top and pull you back over on to the bridge. Then you have to walk back along under the bridge and climb a ladder and then all the way back along the top – weird but good. Then I got to watch Megan bungee and Steve then Tori swing before it was my turn again! We swapped cameras – I used Steve’s helmet cam and Kim borrowed my chest camera for his bungee jump. The swing is a completely different experience. As I am strapping in I can hear people say” the swing is worse…” but I am trying to ignore them and say to myself “the bungee is worse!” So – for a bungee jump you dive off head first – for some strange reason I had been waving my arms all over the place earlier – not too sure why! But for the swing you jump off feet first – as I was getting ready and being strapped in I felt as if the ropes were really pulling on me. They are attached about 100 m in front on a point – so you jump and fall until the swing part catches you and you then swing out! There are three different ropes attached and standing there at the edge you really feel them pulling on you. I was waiting, waiting and then as soon as he let go I just had to hop off the edge, holding the rope around by my waist. And then you just start falling. It is the weirdest feeling ever to be falling feet first – my feet started waving all over the place and then I started pulling in the rope with my hands before realizing not to and so let go! It was really scary – a completely different feeling!. Then you get to the point where you stop falling and start swinging – so there you are swinging out over the river – amazing! Back and forth across the canyon with the spray from the Falls soaking you and the water rushing below. Incredible! They were really slow to pull you back up again and once again the scariest part is back at the bridge being pulled back over the rail!! I really didn’t like that bit which scared the hell out of me! It was awesome fun – really, really scary but a lot of fun!!

Back up on the bridge I was able to watch the other guys go – its crazy but you still feel nervous then and just cant keep still! The one disappointing thing about the whole experience was having to contend with all the sellers as you walked back and forth along the bridge. They were trying to sell jewelry and all sorts – it does get kind of annoying. They are explaining that “times are hard – just trying to look after my family” and so you cant help but feel sorry for them at the same time. To be fair this guy only wanted $5 so I bought his trinket – not too sure what I am going to do with it though – I was just trying to be nice to at least one person!

Then we watched the videos of our jumps – which were hilarious – just too expensive to buy though!! I’d rather spend the money to do the activity again!! Then we went back to the restaurant for a nice meal and then off to bed as we were exhausted – it had been a busy day after about 4 hours sleep ( and I had been getting used to about 10 hours sleep each night the past week!!). I have had a great day – and healthwise still feel as if I am recovering a little more each day!