01.08.2011 Bungee Jumping

01.08.2011 Bungee Jumping

            What’s completely controlled but scarier that white water rafting?  Bungee jumping!  Today Kaylee, Emilie, and I took a bota bota to see the jump master.  I felt good vibes from his name alone.  Then he walked in, 45 minutes late, rasta-man style.  I fell in love with him!  He was warm, easy going, and funny.  He is from Zimbabwe, but came to Uganda to live and run this bungee jumping business; a few years running, and no deaths yet.  Kaylee and I were weighed, and paid 100USD each.  Emilie was nervous, and said she was going to wait until she saw us jump to even consider signing the papers.  She was quiet and pale, and did not look like she was having fun at all.  I was jumping up and down, releasing my excitement.  Finally, the process of signing away my life and all liability was over, and we were ready to go.

            As I was running up the stairs, I felt the tower swaying in the wind.  The jump master laughed at my excitement and said, “Alright, you’re first!”  When we got to the top, he turned on his radio.  Let the Bodies Hit the Floor.  Great.  Is this a joke?  At least the base was getting me psyched for the jump.  He wrapped my ankles in a towel and strapped me in tightly.  “This bungee can hold two tons.  This metal piece is to save your life.  These two are just incase the first one doesn’t work.  You have big feet so don’t worry about them slipping out.”  Wink. “Okay.  You’re going to hop over to this ledge, like this.” Hop, hop…and the tower shakes under his weight. “Hold on here with your right hand, here with your left.  Don’t look down, because you’re not getting your money back if you back out.” Wink. Okay…don’t look down.  Damn, now I want to look down.  I’m not wearing my glasses anyways so I won’t be able to see the bottom clearly.  The jump master grabbed onto my hand and helped me to breathe.  My abdominal cavity felt empty, like my organs left to find safety.  I kept telling myself, “Nothing will happen. This will be fine.  It’s all controlled.  They do this every day.”  I truly knew nothing would happen to me, but my instincts were on full power.  Flight or fight. Every part of my body was telling me, “Dummy…this isn’t natural.  Don’t jump off this 100 meter ledge. You’ll die.  You’re healthy, not ready to die.  Just turn around and say no.” My feet were heavy.  How am I going to jump off this ledge when my feet are so heavy?  Just fall.  No, he said to jump.  Jump like superman.  It’ll be the best pose for a picture.  Picture?  At least if I die, they’ll have cool photos to show at my funeral.  “THREE…TWO…ONE…BUNGEE.”  I felt my toes lifting my body and pushing up and over, off the edge.  Did I let go?  I must have. I’m falling. Free falling, and then I feel myself slowing as the bungee is pulled by my weight.  Shoot, tuck your chin and put your arms up, or get a bruised face as you hit the water.  I’m going back up. I didn’t hit the water.  Darn.  Wait, I just bungee jumped!  My body is shaking.  I start screaming to release some of the built up excitement and nervous tension.  I continue to go up and down, swinging upside down. I notice two men in a boat under me, smiling.  I start laughing and reaching for their outstretched paddle.  They pull me down, into the boat.  I continue laughing and shaking, and they start laughing at me and shaking their heads.  They take me to the stairs, and I start running up them.  My knees are wobbly at first, but they quickly steady themselves. 

            I run so I make it before Kaylee’s jump.  By the time I get there, she is falling off the ledge.  I start screaming for her, knowing the excitement and fright she was feeling at that moment.  “Jump master!  I’m going again!  Strap me in!”  Did I just say that?  Why am I going again?  I find myself in the chair again.  This time, Bob Marley is playing.  I start swaying my body and singing along to Buffalo Soldier.  The jump master joins me.  He is a rasta, after all. “Happy days.  I love your attitude.  You get off on things that scare you to death.  Quite an adrenaline junky, you are.  Right, okay.  I’m giving you this one for 50USD and then you get your ass back up here because I’m giving you a free third jump. Jump like you did last time for this one, but the third one, mate…we’re having you do a free fall backwards, 180 degrees.  It’s my favorite jump.  Right.  Happy days.” 

            I found myself standing at the edge again.  This is a little better.  My stomach is still missing and my feet are still heavy, but I know I can do this. “THREE…TWO…ONE…BUNGEE!”  Falling…slowing, chin tuck, my entire body is submerged by the Nile.  That’s okay, I wasn’t breathing anyways.  My head is loud for a second, and then I get ripped out of the water.  I start screaming.  My shirt is up above my neck.  Good thing I’m wearing a sports bra. I pull it down and start curving my body upwards, my arms outstretched.  It’s kind of like flying, only my ankles hurt.  I find myself grabbing for the ore, laughing again.  “We’re happy to see you again.”  I laugh in response.  “You’ll see me a third time, so don’t miss me too much.”  I’m out of the boat, running up the stairs again. 

            When I make it to the top, Emilie is standing at the edge.  She decided to go.  She can do it.  I grab my camera to record a video of the jump.  The jump master is talking to her.  Five minutes later, I stop the video.  I restart it.  I hear him yelling.  “THREE…TWO…ONE…BUNGEE!”  There she goes.  Down, up, down, up.  Silence.  Maybe she isn’t breathing still yet.  I scream for her, and get one is response. YAY!  She did it.  I bet it was more of a rush for her than it was for me, because she was so much more terrified. 

            My turn again.  Jump Master seats me back down in the chair and straps me back in, with the bungee in front rather than in back this time. I hop up to the ledge.  This is worse than even the first jump.  It’s more terrifying.  If I’m going to die, I want to see it.  Instincts jump in again.  Jumping forwards is more natural than letting your body free fall backwards.  Even when I fall back onto a bed, I naturally try to catch myself.  I tell him I can’t do it. “No, you can do it.”  He grabs my hand.  I look into his big, chocolate eyes.  They are calm.  He is calm.  He is calm and comforting.  I can do this.  He’s right here.  Just let yourself fall.  It’s easy.  Just let go.  I let go.  I feel the wind around my face and hear it in my ears.  I fell, and then continued to fall backwards until I was upside down.  My stomach had been back, but got left behind.  It’s somewhere up on the ledge with the jump master.  My head grazes the water.  I feel my blood pumping through my neck, to my head. So many emotions in so few seconds.  I close my eyes and sore. You’ve got to live life while you’re alive.