Still on a high from our lion/s!! Good drive to our stop for the next 2 nights at Tsisitkama ......by the seaside, beside the sea. First saw the Indian Ocean at Port Elizabeth, haven't been near a beach for a few years now, what a fantastic sight!!! On the way to camp, stopped at Storms Gorge bridge, the pedestrian walkway is pretty hairy but needed to psych myself up.....
The Garden route from St Jeffries was beautiful, an apt name for the views you get to see, made a long drive a pleasure! On arrival at the camp we were delighted to see our pitch right by the ocean, with the waves crashing on the rocks not 100ft away.
After setting up camp went for a wee walk along the cliffs and across a couple of suspension bridges to some fantastic viewpoints over the ocean. The driftwood which has been deposited on the beach would be an artists dream, in fact I'm sure if there was a way, Sue would have taken it home! The verges and rocks are home to hyrax, which look like fat hamsters. We saw one family with about 5 babies all squeezed into one hole, with one poor b***** who had been pushed onto a ledge, very funny (although understandably not for him, looked a bit uncomfortable!). Walked back to camp with the backdrop of an amazing red sunset. As we got closer, heard a loud clang of thunder and a lightening bolt shot across the sky. Spent the rest of the evening drinking cider watching the storm out at sea, the lightening forking dramatically in one area and lighting the sky bright red in others, our very own firework display!
Didn't sleep too well, very windy and a big jump on my mind!!! A morning of music as Shendle decided to put the radio on (about bloody time). Eclectic mix of Rosslla, Everybody's free, Lenny Kravitz, It Ain't Over, and REM, Losing My Religion. First stop was about 50km away on the main N2 highway. Interesting experience, about every 100 metres you can find people hitch hiking, in some instances, whole families! Not only would I never be brave or stupid enough to do it, but in South Africa??? Our destination was Plettenburg, evidently a playground for the rich, and as per the norm, the outskirts were home to people living in shacks made from tin. The houses in the bay are stunning, huge, well maintained and with views onto the marina or out to sea. Took a walk round, to see how the other half live. Our safari spot of the day was a huge blue spider sat in its web, not deadly apparently so stayed to take a good look! Next stop was a local bar, for the gang to enjoy a few wild oysters and to discuss the houses. Barry had picked up a local paper with house prices and it appears that one of the 3 bed, 3 bathroom, ocean view villas is about £104,000. I could live here and be one of the other half!!!
So, onto the next adventure of the day! When we were back Malolorjta, Mesh had been talking about the highest bungy in the world and the fact it is on our route, so clever clogs decided it was too good an opportunity to miss (not sure why as I vowed never to do one again after my first experience about 10 years ago!!). As the time had been drawing nearer I had been syching myself up, to be fair I think it worked pretty well!! Got harnessed up really quickly, and got to look at other eediots from the safety of the viewing platforms. Had an interesting conversation with one of the staff who told us the heaviest person to jump was a 19 year old woman who was 162 kilos (that's 3 of me!!!!) they later decided to put a lower weight limit on the jump!!! Glad she didn't go before me!! Walking to the jump was a bloody nightmare. The bridge is mesh so you can see through to the gorge below, at this point I started to get a bit PETRIFIED!! Had a quick brief and then waited, and waited, and waited......there was about 20 of us in the group and I ended up being second last (not my decision!!). The good thing about the place is the atmosphere. They play the most amazing music, really gets the blood pumping - great to see people jump and then come back with a huge grin on their faces, every experience different!! My turn came and I was actually quite calm! Harness on, legs bound, a little dance to "Its bigger than Hip Hop" whilst on the platform, then 3....2.......1........BUNGEEEEEEEEE!!!! First feeling was oh SH**********T (actually it was far stronger than that, but this is a public blog!!), then flying, then a few rebounds, sorry sciatica, gonnna pay for that!, then an overwhelming sense of quiet, then hanging upside down which was amazing, just hanging, looking at the river and trees below with the BIGGEST grin on my face. That was until my brain started doubting the harness around my legs, what if it comes undone, what if I slip...ahhhh.......lasted only a couple of secs thankfully, then a man came to collect me, raised me up (now theres a crap song, You raise me up, why did that ever get released??) to sitting position so I was pulled up to the platform whilst looking out to the ocean, one word PHENOMENAL!!!!!! Would I do it again! You betcha!!!! Walking back across the bridge I looked down the whole way, what a great view :)
Back at camp, after getting mandatory DVD, pics and certificate, had a quick bite, then off for another walk, really pretty, through a forest then to a viewpoint over the sea. Finished at the bar, where Barry and Sue bought me a celebratory drink (to be fair I really owed them one, as the group had had to wait a good 2-3 hours for me to do the jump).
Starting to think about next week now, and the fact travels are rapidly coming to an end, absolutely don't want to stop. Apart from seeing familyand friends, not missing anything, could keep doing this for, well, who knows!! For the last 7 weeks, every evening, without fail, I have sat and thought, what an amazing day I've had (even those not so great days, not that there's been many)!!!
Went to bed on a huge high, I am officially a 216m leaping, bungy LEGEND!!!!!