Of course I jumped! Iβll never write about taking a 40-minute bus all the way to the bridge, get strapped, and then chickened out. Well maybe Iβll write about it too, but youβll never read it. :)
- I did it in this lifetime!
I thought Iβd sooner eat a live chicken than jumped off a bridge voluntarily. Maybe if chased over the edge by zombies or something extreme like that. If the airplane Iβm on caught fire, for example.
Bungee jumping was never on my bucket list. It was something I was sure Iβll never do, ever. Iβve said this for over 10 years.
So when Guido from the hostel asked me, βLilliane, do you want to do bunβ?β I replied βnoβ before he could complete his question. I was not mind reading, there are bunch of bungee jumping flyers in the hostel. Extreme sports bungee, zip line, rappeling, canyoning, white water rafting, etc. are very popular in Costa Rica.
He said that Carlos from Xtreme Waves Bungy brought brochures and offered him +1 complimentary jumps. He wants to do it but he doesnβt want to do it alone, he said. I suppose I could just say I did it for him, but Iβve been in the hostel for 2 weeks and while weβre all friends here, weβre really far from there. So shamefully, Iβve to admit that Iβm such a sucker for freebies! Ha ha.
So I reevaluated my definite No. Could I do it?? Now I wonder. I want to have the courage to do it. He gave me 3 days to think about it because he will go next week. And I really thought about itβalmost every waking moment.
Iβm not afraid of heights. I have no problem being on the edge of a cliff, on a ferris wheel, on top of a skyscraper looking down. I rock climbed in Poland, jumped off the top of the live aboard boat in Tubbataha (to the water), rode the βthunder dolphinβ roller coaster with crazy drop in Tokyo, paraglide in Cavite. Really there are a few more stunts that I was scared of but did anyway.
So why I thought Iβd never bungee? The difference (for me) is thereβs nothing to hold on to. I know that the harness will not break. I have absolute faith in commercial products. If thousands of people did it, I trust itβs safe. Iβm just not super fan of the hole on your chest feeling. But
Never Say Never!
I woke up and check my feeling for fear and/or anxiety. There were none, great. Maybe I can do it? I thought Iβll go with Guido and see, maybe I donβt. I decided not to stress myselfβtoo much. Baby steps. Slowly, slowly.
- Puente Viejo del Colorado β 80m
Around 3,30 p.m. we got off the bus and were met by the brother of Carlos, who then took us to the Puente Viejo del Colorado. We signed the waivers, went to empty my bladder, and marched to the middle of the bridge a.k.a the βdeath marchβ. It was all so casual but my heart was trying to beat out of my chest.
Weβre lucky that there was no queue to the bungee. In fact, we were the only 2 people at this time. The deal was I go first because Iβll most porbably chicken out if I go last. So thereβs a bit of pressure. He doesnβt jump until I jump.
We were strapped, briefed, assured, coached, coaxed, sent to the platform. And then briefed, assured, coached, coaxed.
Pura Vida!
I hope you enjoyed the video! I filed it under drama instead of extreme sport. Itβs really funny, Iβm so glad it was filmed.
Time was slow motion in there. My pre jump drama was under 4 minutes but it felt lot longer. The fall lasted 4 darn seconds but a billion and one things went through my head, it amazing! I canβt even type a sentence in 4 seconds but all these thoughts went through my head.
I had my eyes closed when I jumped. I felt the wind on my face so I know I was falling head first. It made me think of supermanβs βfaster than a speeding bulletβ with the speed lines. I noted there was no βhole in the stomachβ sensation. There was air resistance so I actually felt like I was falling through somethingβstyrofoam confetti comes to mind. Then I thought βwhy is 4 seconds so long?β so I opened my eyes to see the river (and rocks) closing in and then thereβs a jolt. I bounced upward in slow-mo and then thereβs a 2nd fall. After a couple of little bounces I was just βhanging outβ there swinging between the bridge and the river. The view was fantastic!
Post Jump
Guido did his jump with no drama, so boring. Ha ha. We did a countdown and then he went! But he sent one of his flip-flop flying. Then he threw away the other one too while hanging down there. Ha ha.
We couldnβt stop talking about it after. It was nice to do it with someone you know. Since we see each other at work everyday, the build up to jump day added to the excitement. Everyday he asks if Iβm ready. The answer is always no. We were supposed to jump the day before. But he overslept and I didnβt wake him because I didnβt want to do it yet. So he changed to morning shift the next day. Ha ha.
It was also nice that it was both our first jump. The only difference is heβs now addicted and wants to jump again.
So, will I jump again? Well, letβs say Iβve really learned to never say never.
- βbungeeβ smile wearing our i jumped shirts
Oh my! One brave lass! COngrats!