Today, we canyoned, it was an amazing, but tiring day. We began early to squeeze in breakfast before our transfer collected us. In true Asian style, although our hostel said breakfast began at 7, it was shut at 7:30, so we ran down the road and had, also in true Asian style, a ridiculously greasy omelette, that took so long to make I had to run down the road back to the hostel with it eating as I went.
ANYWAY so the transfer came (a man came to put hostel and took us over the road to his shop), and we got our harnesses and helmets fixed. We had a group of around 10 of us. When we got to the site in the jungle they taught us how to abseil down the hill, just so we could get a bit of practice in before we did it for real. It was fine, not the most natural of feelings to me, but fine. We then made our way to the bottom where we were to slide over rocks on our backs in to a pool of water at the bottom. That was fun. Next we were to dry abseil down rocks, not so fun. I made the fatal mistake of looking down as soon as I got over the edge. Despite my mistake, I completed my abseil calmly and collectedly, without any mistakes. Next was a lazy river, floating on our backs, lovely. And the another slide, very enjoyable. We then did cliff jumping, I only managed the baby one of this (7 metres), this was mainly due to the fact I did not trust myself on the 11 metre jump, considering you had to do a running jump and clear a number of rocks, if you didn't you would hurt yourself rather badly, and I quite value my ability to walk...
Next, the beast that almost ruined my day. We had to abseil down a waterfall. Petrifying. I thought all would be fine, until the water was smashing me in the face, I couldn't hear what the instructor was saying and I couldn't tell him I didn't know what the f*** to do. So there I am, slipping on these wet rocks, cursing my life and asking why I ever agreed to go f***ing canyoning. Basically I end up running out of rope and just falling in to the water, as opposed to everyone else's graceful jump... I shall not be attempting anything of the sort any time soon.
The next activity, and the one that everyone has said is the most petrifying of the whole day, was the washing machine. I am not entirely sure how the washing machine at home works, so I was slightly apprehensive how this one in the middle of the jungle would. Basically you have to abseil down a cliff, and when you hit the rushing water you need to make sure your body is in the correct position, if it is not you get spun round as if you were in a washing machine, you then need to let go of the rope and drop in to a black hole of water, where you then get flushed out with the rushing water. Simple? Yes. Well if you remember to let go of the rope and don't just cling to it for dear life thinking, well why am i still in the black hole, who am I not flushing out? This lasted for around a minute until I eventually remember to let go, sure enough, I promptly flushed out.
It certainly was not the worst one of the day though, the worst was the waterfall abseiling by 1000000000%.
Once the trauma was over, we had a lovely picnic lunch. As I like to take complete advantage of such freebies, I severely over ate, the fruit was fresh, the sandwiches were full and yummy. I was feeling pretty good until I realised we ten had to do a near vertical trek out of the valley. I genuinely could not breathe. Not my finest hour panting and spluttering purely because I had been a greedy b****. But I made it and survived with the legs I did not lose on the 11m jump, clearing the rocks I wouldn't have cleared.
After the days events and the fact we were leaving early the next morning we decided to have a restful evening, we went to an awful restaurant (well the others thought it was, I rather enjoyed my sweet and sour beef) and then walked through the town, not much to see in all honesty, so we got some cupcakes from the bakery and went back. The cupcakes must have been way too sugary for us though, Katrina and I were in hysterics for at least an hour, over nothing. Just because we are hilarious. Laughed out, we all went to sleep. Good night.