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Published: June 11th 2008
I heard your retinas can detach when you go bungy jumping. I couldn't believe it - going blind just from jumping off a bridge! Whatever next? Armed with this knowledge, I made sure I didn't tell my Mum about my jump at the 3rd highest jump site in the world until AFTER I had done it.
The jump was a thrill, I have a nice video of it too. It was 365 feet or 111 metres high (sounds better in feet, doesn't it?) and the girl that went before me started crying hysterically right when she was meant to do her jump. She kept saying "I don't want to do it - I don't want to do it" and had to be dragged to the edge. I have a feeling the guys didn't want to waste their time untying her feet, because they weren't listening to her at all. I also think she was with some sort of Christian group because all around me, people were yelling out "God loves you!" and "God is with us all!" and all those sorts of things, although it didn't look as if it was giving her any sort of comfort at all. Anyway,
Rainbow
Nice little rainbow I saw from the top of the waterfallinstead of the traditional countdown, the African guys running the site suddenly (and most literally) threw her off before anyone knew what had happened, much to my delight and her terror. She REALLY screamed all the way.
I would have liked to have seen her video too.
Anyway, I should say a few words about the actual Falls, which I later realized is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. It truly was magnificent, too great for me to summarize in words here. I will have to rely on my photos, which will give you an idea of how enormous and powerful it is, but obviously without the sound or the wetness.
And believe me, it was wet. Just from the spray alone, which rises hundreds of metres in the air, I got completely drenched, which was fine by me. Actually, when I realized there was no chance of staying dry I headed to the wettest areas and hung around there for a while, posing for photos and hoping my passport stayed dry in my 'waterproof' pocket. (We needed our passports because the falls are between Zimbabwe and Zambia, and you need it to get
Enjoying the View
I'm sure the view would have been great, but to be honest, I couldn't see a thing. Too much water. to the other side). Emil, our driver, told me that the Falls didn't belong to either Zambia or Zimbabwe, and that the bridge between them was actually Norman's land. I wondered for a while who this Norman character was, and then I discovered he'd actually said "No Man's Land". I preferred Norman's Land though.
The experience was unbelievable. For about ten dollars entrance fee we were able to wander around a looping track through the trees, with little paths jutting off every now and again leading to little viewing platforms which were usually soaking wet with the thundering mist floating up from the bottom. These magnificent cliffs that the water pours over stretch so far that it's impossible to see it all from one position on the ground, and some people took helicopters for a better view. On the ground though, the roar of the water was almost deafening, and we had to shout to each other to be heard. It was often too wet to get the cameras out, although we did come across a group of Chinese men who were standing in one of the wettest parts just waiting for a break in the water so they
Norman's Land
The bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe that I jumped off. could get their video camera out. I watched them for a little while as they produced their cameras for split seconds before hiding them away again, over and over again, and wondered whether they got the shots they were looking for. Entertaining viewing.
I also loved the fact that there weren't really fences holding you back from the water, so you could get as close as you wanted, as you can see in some of the photos. Good old Africa without health and safety regulations. What a great time we had.
Anyway, who knows how many more of these amazing wonders of the world I'll lay my eyes on, but if I can look forward to such majestic brilliance as the Victoria Falls again, then I cannot wait for the opportunity.
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Dani
non-member comment
To be continued
Considering I'm at work right now, I am not in a suitable state of mind to comment. I may say something I regret as I am welling up inside with insane jealousy and frustration at the fact I'm sitting at my desk. You'll be hearing from me later.