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Published: November 21st 2006
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Oh yes, I am that tough
Getting ready to start the hike up to the falls Mérida. If you ever come to South America and you want a serious adrenaline high, you NEED to come to Mérida. There´s everything under the sun here (and a dang hot sun it is) to put your stomach in your mouth, make you want to scream and pee your pants, and stop your heart, all at the same fabulous time! Today we were suckered into going Canyoning. Now, I really had no idea what that is... it´s basically start at the top of a mountain and follow a river all the way down. Jumping off of rocks, sliding down rock faces, and rapelling with full climbing equipment down three MASSIVE waterfalls.
We started at about 9am... 8 of us and 2 guides got dropped off on top of a mountain (up switchbacks that make Hudson Bay seem like it´s as straight and as wide as the Nile! Some of the switchbacks were no longer than twice the length of the truck before we had to turn back against the mountain. the driver actually had us screaming at some point. We had to keep reminding ourselves that the guides wouldn´t be doing this if it was that bad. Right? I mean
Rachel and Callie
Mérida in the background and nothing but waterfalls and excitement to come!!! they dont wanna die just as much as we don´t!!!),
We had to walk about an hour, as the massive amounts of water that fell the night before actually washed out part of the road (it´s crazy, it rains EVERY night, HARD. so hard that you step outside and you are literally soaked to the bone in seconds... and then the next day, the sun is out, it´s super hot, and you wouldn´t even know it had been raining. And without fail by about 8pm, it´s a downpour again! Crazy).
Ok, sorry, I get a little distracted when I write. There´s just so much I want to share with you! It´s hard to keep it all straight.
So... here we are on top of the mounting, looking out over the city... putting on our wetsuits (so hot, by the way!! Not only did we look AMAZING, but it kept in the heat, and made it pretty much like a portable sauna!!), and then we headed out, treking straight up the hill. Every step I took I was so completely winded, it was incredible how the altitude affected my breathing! Even the guides who do this a few times a
The first Falls
The only falls that wasn´t giving off a massive spray, so we were able to bring out our cameras to take a few pictures. This is the smallest BY FAR of the 3 we rapelled down. week were huffing and puffing. I´m proud to say that I sucked it up, and was the first to the top (aha, after the guides, of course!)... all I could think about was how this is just training for Machu Picchu. I have to be able to kick Mike´s butt up that mountain (aha, you´d better be training, hun!! you too, Lauren! It´s gonna be rough!)
Finally we hit the top of the hill, and then decended to the river. Of course, being the keener I am I just jumped in the water right away to cool down. Wow, if i had known how cold it was gonna get, I may have restrained myself. Then again, probably not. We suited up with our harnesses and HOT yellow helmets, and started the downward journey.
At first I though, Pfffft!! That´s it?? That´s all you got? You call THIS adventure tourism? Ahaha, boy was I an idiot.
The first waterfall we did looked simple. Probably about only 10metres, with a guide on the safety rope and one at the bottom (to catch us?! Who knows?!)... Rachel and I were the only two who really spoke Spanish with confidence out of the
Snail
my attempt at being artistic. Whaddya think, Matthew... could I make some money offa this?? group, and so the guides used us as their translators. They´d sit everyone down... dictate to us what they wanted to convey... and then we´d pass it on. Ahah, I thought it was just great, until I realized I´d be the first one down the falls to ´show everyone how to do it´. As if i was a pro!!! Ahahah
Needless to say, I balled it up royally. Part way through forgot about my guide line and ended up hanging 1/2 way through the falls banging between the water and the rocks. GREAT example, Cal, GOOD JOB!! It was neat though, the rapel was actually BEHIND the waterfall, so once I got the hang of it, I could actually stand and have the water not even touch me. What a great sensation!
By the second falls that we arrived at I had given myself enough grief that I was SUPER ready to do it. I visualized, and just trusted the equipment and the guides. It was actually FABULOUS. This falls was about 50feet high... and we actually didnt have to go through the water this time... we went around ´cause it was WAY too full. I felt really confident, and
View of Mérida from the Top
Taken from the top of the trail right before we decended to the falls. did awesome... actually got to bounce down the wall as opposed to cling to it, and felt like I was in control, and not just holding onto my safety line.
We had a few other cool things to do. Haha, you should have seen the looks on people´s faces when we translated that coming up was a ´psycological jump... that it wasn´t really as high as it looked´. you try believing that when the jump is about 7meters high into a pool no bigger than a meter and a half across! I can´t believe i did it!
At one point we came to a falls about 8-9 meters high... and we got to slide down it. Fully with our butts on the ground and hands in the air. Unfortunately I fell at the top and ended up on the WRONG SIDE OF THE BLOODY FALLS... but went down anyway. Oops. I banged into allll the rocks that you´re supposed to miss on the other side, and at the bottom hit the part that you´re sopposed to avoid. I compressed my ankle pretty serious and spent the rest of the day trying not to let on that it hurt so
Swimming Guide
Oliver, one of our guides for the day, taking a little post-lunch dip. incredibly bad. There was no other way out, so I figured I had to just suck it up. (Laura, it made me think of you... I kept telling myself it was all in my head, that it really didnt hurt, and that psycologically I could make it better. Haha, it almost worked).
And that´s when we came to the hardest part. Of course. 2 more super tall jumps, another slide, walking through some crazy bouldered areas, slippery cliffs (without ropes or anything to hold onto!), and then the mother of allll falls.
Someone said that it had to have been 100feet high. I´ll err on the side of modesty and say it was about 90. Sooo high. By this time my ankle was so swolen I could barely stand on it, so I opted to be the last to go, and just stood in the cool water trying to keep it cold. (I figured I wasn´t getting any Rest annnytime soon... the water was the next best thing to Ice... Compression was just tying my shoe even tighter, and Elevation wasnt really possible as there was standing room only... hey H-Kin people, wish ya´ll were there to tape it
WE MADE IT!!!
A happy group (well, part of the group) and the guides, Eduardo and Oliver at the bottom of the Canyoning Trek for me!)
I guess it worked, ´cause I ROCKED that falls! Seriously, I´ve never felt so comfortable hanging 90 feet in the air by a nylon rope held by my own strength (and of course the safety line... but that doesn´t count!). I bounced and felt my way down the cliff with such confidence. I think I need to start rock climbing. It´s such a great feeling!
By the time we made it back down the mountain, it was 5 1/2 hours later... cold, beaten up and sore as hell, I don´t think you could have found a more proud group of people! The 8 of us; 3 Canadians, 3 Americans, 1 Australian and 1 Irish chap were pleased as punch.
What a rush. I don´t think I´ve yelled ´OH MY GOD´ so many times in my life in one day, nor have I felt so proud about making it down a hill.
Tomorrow Im off to Los Llanos (pronounced Ya-nos) to eat pirrahna, chase down anacondas, feed caymans (the south american crocodile, if im not mistaken) and sleep in hammocks for 3 nights. Wish me luck, and I´ll keep ya´ll posted on how it goes!
P.S. I´ve managed to upload some pictures onto previous blog entries... if you have the time, check´em out!
Much Love!!!
Callie
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Theresa
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Hola
Hey, your stories are amazing, sounds like you're having the time o' your life!! keep 'em comin! take care. Luv ya