3 – 2 – 1 – Bungee!!

Victoria Falls could be called the Adventure Capital of Africa. There is so much here for the thrill-seeker, from Bungee jumping to white water rafting, from riding elephants to walking with lions and just about everything in between.

Last November my Last Born, who now lives in the UK, came to stay and brought his delightful English Lass with him for her first trip to Africa.

When he was nine years old we had visited Victoria Falls, he had seen those crazy people who like to throw themselves off perfectly good bridges and from that day it became his dream to do the same. Of course he was young then and I could still tell him what he could and couldn’t do but now he is an adult there is not much I can do about it.

So one day I took them Bungee jumping.

Bungee!
Not for the faint hearted

Arriving to register (and to sign their lives away on what is probably a pretty water-tight indemnity form) we were greeted by this innocuous notice:

OK. I could probably do this

Then we saw this (that little box on the side of the bridge is where you stand before falling into the abyss):

Perhaps not

And then this:

Nope!

Reading the words on that indemnity form caused English Lass to have second thoughts (I don’t blame her!).

But Last Born, being quite persuasive got her to agree to do a tandem jump with him. Somehow the idea of being strapped to her nearest and dearest while falling 111 metres (365 feet) felt safer.

Even my knees were shaking

Apparently doing the Zip Line is the perfect way to prepare yourself for the Bungee, but it still looked pretty scary to me.

Weeeeeeee!

And then for the pièce de résistance. The Granddad of adrenalin rushes. The Bungee.

It was terrifying for me standing on that bridge (which shook and trembled as heavy-duty transport lorries trundled across in single file) watching my child launch himself into the air and then fall 111 metres  – albeit attached to someone else and to a long rope. I think I shook and trembled more than those lorries.

Stepping forward. Into nothing

Even hanging over the bridge rails taking these photos gave me a head rush!

It’s a very Long Way Down

And when I thought my ordeal was over English Lass, now overcome with adventure and excitement, agreed to jump on her own and they both had another go.

3-2-1 Bungee!!

As close to flying as you’ll ever get without wings

Bouncing up and down above the rocks, waiting to be pulled up to the bridge

A little “illegal border jumping” adding to the excitement of the day

This was Last Born’s first visit back to Africa in five years and I think that day was the highlight of his trip. My highlight of the day was when we walked off that bridge and the ground wasn’t shaking.