Bungee Jumping off the Corinth Canal!

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I really never had any intention of bungee jumping; it was a purely spontaneous opportunity that I seized after some convincing (especially since heights make me queasy…) Anyhow, my roommate decided that we were going bungee jumping on Oct. 9th because that was the second to last weekend to do it before it closed for the winter season and also because the weather was nice (when we left…)

I was hesitant about going at first because A) I don’t like heights, B) I didn’t know the safety statistics of the place; granted they have been in business since 1991, and C) it was expensive—like 16E for transportation, 60E to jump, and 10E for a t-shirt saying that I did jump (because you need a souvenir after doing something like that!)…about $120 USD total. I told Megan to give me 5 good reasons for why I should go as my deciding factor. She did, and I kept my word and went, along with another roommate, Mallory.

The three of us eventually got to the Corinth Canal after an hour bus ride (after we found the right bus and the bus station…) went to the restroom to prevent future accidents, and got suited up to jump. I had kind of a numb feeling and couldn’t believe I was getting ready to jump off a bridge…I was contemplating whether or not I was going to jump, but decided that since I’ve already spent 16E on travel, I might as well do what I came for.

The hardest part of the jump was the initial jump itself. It was a psychological thing—you either make the jump off the bridge (and you actually have to jump or you will hurt yourself) or you do not. I don’t really remember what I was thinking the moment I jumped, but I placed a tremendous amount of trust in people I did not know. I jumped, fell through the air, and survived. It was a rush and well worth the price. Sometimes you need to push yourself out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself—I was surprised with myself and what I did; the feeling of accomplishment and self gratification is something that I can always carry with me. Challenges present opportunities that can be looks upon with pride or regret…no one likes to live with regrets; strive for personal triumph. YOU have to live with the results.

The jump had an interesting feeling…I thought it would feel like a rollercoaster does with big, steep drops. Actually it was slower than that—I’m guessing because the coasters have a set path and the weigh of the car also makes it move faster—so I felt kind of like I was flying. It was a totally unique experience. Don’t get me wrong, I was terrified until I could feel the tension in the bungee cord, but after I felt relief and actually started laughing exuberantly because it was so surreal to be hanging upside down, swinging from a bridge. Bungee jumping is a great personal challenge that I recommend everyone try (especially at the Corinth Canal because the staff at Zulu Bungee is extremely nice and hospitable)!

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