Leaps of Faith
Trip Start
Jun 24, 2008
1
14
22
Trip End
Aug 10, 2008
Cairns,
Australia
Monday, July 28, 2008
Anyway, we arrived at the AJ Hackett bungy site in the afternoon, and faced the 164 foot tower that we would be leaping from above a pool of water. There's a bar there, so people actually go sit and drink and watch people jump off. It's a pretty stunning view of Cairns from the top. By far, the worst part of the day was the wait. I think we had to wait about 2 hours before we actually jumped. It was like getting married--you're really nervous, but once you commit you just want to get it over with. It was also like getting married in that it seems like a great idea when it's far away, but when you confronted with the reality of your decision you think "what the hell was I thinking?" Eventually, though, the time came and we had to jump. Jeremy went first, and I laughed while the two bungy workers debated with Jeremy about which was scarier--jumping or marriage. The guys were like, "there's no question mate--it's getting married." Jeremy begged to differ, however.
When my turn came, I was all ready to go, but when you tip-toe out to the edge of the platform it looks so far down! The guy had to tell me twice to let go of the rail, because I was holding on for dear life. Luckily, they actually go "5, 4, 3, 2, 1 jump!" Because, honestly, if I had waited until I was good and ready, I would have had to wait a few hours to work up the courage. But when he said jump, I felt like I had to jump so I did. And, as I was going down, jumping off that platform seemed like the stupidest thing I have ever done in my life. Ever. And I have done plenty of stupid things. I hated the free-falling part. When the cord bounced, I was happy because it ended the free-fall part. But then I got concerned that my t-shirt (I had worn my Wonder Woman Girl Power t-shirt for good luck) was going over my head, so that took my mind off the bouncing. And, at last, it was over. And it was awesome. Jeremy and I were psyched and pumped. We were also totally sure that we would never, ever do it again--just another way bungy jumping is like marriage.
The next day, we got up early and headed for what was destined to be the most awesome part of the trip (yes, that's right, it even beat getting married)--the trip to the Great Barrier Reef. It was another beautiful, clear day--yeah! Finally good weather! On the way, we saw sharks in the water, including a mom with her babies. They weren't dangerous sharks--they don't hurt people. The tour we took actually docks on a pontoon at the reef, which was nice, so we could get off the boat, have lunch, go snorkeling, go scuba diving, and go to the underwater observatory to see the reef and the fish. Jeremy and Connie are certified divers, so they hurried off right away to dive, and Paul and I went underneath to watch them go underwater. It was fun seeing them underwater, and we got some cool pictures. Paul and I had lunch before he was supposed to go to his introductory level dive, and I was set to go on my guided snorkeling tour.
Paul and I eventually separated and I tried snorkeling. It took a little while for me to get used to the mask and breathing, but once I did, it was awesome. Our guide was a marine biologist and talked about the coral and the fish and mussels--the reef was stunning--it was an entire metropolis down there. Beautiful fish of all different colors, shapes and sizes, and the reef was so complicated. There were parts of the reef that had been there for hundreds of years. It was just indescribable. I had a great time, and was so glad I bit the bullet, faced my fears of water, and did it. Unfortunately, Paul had trouble getting comfortable with the scuba tanks, so he decided not to go diving, and ended up snorkeling on his own. But, points for trying.
On the way back to Cairns, we were rewarded with seeing a few humpback whales from the boat. They were spectacular. I never get tired of watching them in the water. We arrived back on land and strolled through town. Although it was a Sunday evening, the downtown area was full of people barbecuing. There were people out and about, and even a reggae band playing. We picked up some fresh seafood for dinner and all of us pitched in a hand to prepare one of the best meals we have had in Australia. Who can ask for more than a great day at the Great Barrier Reef, capped off with a great meal with good friends? Since there is nothing that can top the last few days we have had, we have decided to spend the rest of our trip in Cairns (we leave tomorrow) basking in the sun and lounging around. Next up? Cold, rainy New Zealand. Woohoo!!!.
Warning!
