Our Day Out

Well, yesterday we went for a three hour coach ride out of Kathmandu. We got off and walked across a bridge, sat down, had some orange juice, got ourselves weighed, went back to the bridge and then jumped off. With a bungee attached. It was epic.

Before we came back from the EBC trek the only other three left in Nepal of the AV volunteers had decided to do the biggest bungee jump in Asia, the 3rd biggest in the world and we decided to join them.

I was in the first group and for some strange, irrational reason I didn't actually feel that nervous, but seriously excited. To do the bungee you literally dive off the edge. And the freefall is fantastic. If you're not screaming it is almost completely silent, with just the sound of the wind as you watch the ground rushing towards you at an ever-increasing rate. On the rebound you have absolutely no control over your body, which is weird and kinda cool. You bounce a few times and then come to rest. It is brilliant.

You get lowered down and have to grab a bamboo pole which is made twice as difficult by the fact I was spinning 360 degrees. You are then placed on a table and detached. You then have to walk back up. When I realised this as I was standing on the bridge I was more nervous about walking up than jumping off, which is more than slightly illogical.

AND jumping off a bridge was so much fun I thought I'd do it again. With a twist. A Canyon Swing is when you jump off (feet first this time) and the rope you are attached to is also attached to a metal wire strung across the river. So you jump, then swing. It's a longer freefall and instead of the rebound you barely feel the rope taking our weight but start swinging away from the ground instead. It's a slightly surreal feeling! Apparently you get up to 150 km/h. It's also the biggest Canyon Swing in the world and it's better than the bungee jump. Cost all of Rs1900 and worth every penny.

To avoid inevitable questions; yes, the company we went with is as safe as possible, no, I didn't do it specificially to wind my mother up and yes, I would love to do it again.

Hope you're all well :)