Today was another early day, but this time it was REALLY early. I woke up at 0430, showered and met Achal in the Union. We both could not believe we were in South Africa, and we were leaving on our crazy trip (if you don’t already know why it’s crazy, you will in a bit). We boarded the buses, and I talked with other students for a while as we waited for last-minute stragglers to get on. Everyone finally was on at around 0515 and we departed for the Bloukrans Bridge, an 8 hour drive from Cape Town. I slept for most of the trip, but every time I woke up, I saw absolutely gorgeous scenery outside. South Africa was beautiful, and we saw valleys, mountains, beaches, small villages, you name it. I didn’t expect the drive to be so scenic, and there were a few points where we were pretty much driving on a cliff overlooking the beach. That part reminded me of the California coast, but I will admit this was more beautiful.
After 8 hours and a couple pit stops, we finally saw the Bloukrans Bridge. Well, actually, we drove over it to get to our accommodation. I looked around from the top and could not believe what I was seeing. It was a concrete single-arch bridge that was at least 1000 feet over a river which fed into the ocean nearby. It was simply stunning. We pulled around into our lodges, and everyone split up into groups of 3 or 6. Achal and I ended up in a group of 5 with 3 other girls (Mimi, Amanda, and Sylvia). We walked to our cabin and it was NICE. There was a kitchen with a bunk bed in the living room. Then, there were 2 rooms with 2 beds each and 2 bathrooms. Achal and I picked one of the bedrooms and I threw my stuff down. We headed to the office to check-in. Now, if you don’t know why we were at this bridge in the middle of nowhere, I will tell you. The Bloukrans Bridge is the world’s biggest single-span concrete arch bridge. It is 216m high and is the highest road bridge in the Southern Hemisphere. Also, it is the home of the WORLD’S TALLEST BUNGEE JUMP! Yep, that’s correct, we were here to bungee off the tallest one in the world!
Anyways, we checked in and found out we were going to go jump at 1600 hours. We had some time, so we grabbed a snack at the café, and went to check out what the bridge looked like. When I saw the bridge, my jaw dropped. The bridge was huge, yes, but what really got me was how high it was off the ground. It was a stunning bridge. Then, we looked carefully at the TV screens (they were placed in the café to show the bungee) and saw someone was about to jump. I looked closely at the center of the bridge and could see a group of people standing under the road. Then, I saw a figure jump outwards, and bungee down 216m (~700 feet)! It was insane, and we all started screaming (one of the girls started cursing after seeing the person jump). I could not believe I was going to jump off a 700 ft bridge. Seeing someone jump made it seem more insane, and one of the students in our group behind us said, “Man, we are freakin’crazy, aren’t we?”We all agreed, and we continued to watch several more people make the jump. I bought some chips (chutney flavored Fritos…SOOOO GOOD! Pictured) because I was starving, but didn’t want to eat too much before jumping. After we had our snacks we headed back to our cabin and relaxed for a while, prepping ourselves mentally for what we were going to do in less than an hour. Then, at about 1530, we headed back to the bridge to get fitted for our harnesses. It didn’t take too long, and pretty soon there was a group of about 20 of us, harnessed and ready to jump. A Red Bull car (yes, the same one that shows up to colleges) was around, and one of the girls walked up to our group and offered us Red Bulls for free, asking us if we wanted wings…lol. Most people grabbed one cuz we were sooo tired from waking up at 4 in the morning and a little caffeine would be nice. It would probably not be a good idea to jump off a bridge sleepy. Then, one of the staff walked over to us, and said we were ready to go. We all cheered and started the walk to the bungee.
We walked on a small trail that took us to the East end of the bridge, right below the road. There, the guide explained what we were going to do, how we were going to jump, tips, advice, etc…We then had to walk to the center of the bridge. There was a catwalk that led there, and it was like a small cage. All four sides were open (there was a mesh of steel, but you could still see through all 4 sides). We slowly walked to the center, trying not to look down, because you could see 700 feet down to the ground. It was very scary, but if you couldn’t walk on this path, there was no way you could jump off the bridge. We finally got to the middle and saw the setup. Basically, the jump was on the right, and the left was where you were hoisted back up to the bridge. We got in line, and Sylvia was first to jump. Her legs were padded and tied together, and then attached to the bungee cord. 2 men helped her hop to the edge of the bridge, toes over the edge. It was scary just watching…and then there was a countdown. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, BUNGEE!! And they pushed her off the edge. We watched the TV monitor as she free-fell down and then stopped, and bounced 4 or 5 times. Then, a guy came down with a rope, attached it to her harness, and she was hoisted to the top. She came back on the bridge and we all cheered. She was a little out of breath, but managed to scream “THAT WAS SO AMAZING!”We watched as more and more people made the jump, and eventually Achal went too. I was still waiting patiently and by now, I was very nervous. Achal came back up and started screaming at how unreal it was. Then, finally, it was my turn…
I sat down on the bench, and my legs were tied together and padded. The guide was talking to me about what they were tying, but I could not hear him. All I heard was the loud pump-up techno music playing in the background, and my heart pounding. Eventually, I got up and walked to the edge, assisted by 2 guys (kinda hard to walk when your feet are tied together). As I got to the edge and my toes dangled, I looked down and my heart froze. Here I was, standing at the edge of a bridge and below me was a 700 foot drop to the ground. It was absolutely terrifying, but there was no backing out now. One guy looked at me, gave the thumbs up, and the countdown began and thoughts started running through my head. 5!...time began slowing down…m not going to be able to jump!...1!...Well, here goes nothing!...BUNGEEEEEEE! And I felt a small push and I dove out from the bridge.
I fell down and down and down…all sounds disappeared and my vision clouded a little. I saw the ground get closer and closer and closer. My mind was completely cleared, and I felt nothing. It was a strange feeling, but it felt so nice. Then, I felt a tension in my legs, and it got stronger and stronger. I slowed down, came to a standstill, and then shot back upwards. After a few seconds, I reached the top of my arc, my body turned, and I began to fall back down. Once again there was tension followed by a bounce, but they got smaller and smaller. After about 6, I felt myself stop and I was hanging upside down. I could see very far in each direction, but my vision was still foggy, and I saw the valley on one side, and the ocean on the other. Where was I? What had just happened to me? I felt completely at peace. Is this what dying feels like? I hung there, and after a bit, I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I snapped out of my reverie. A rope was attached to my harness and I started ascending. The man looked at me, and asked, “So, brother, how was it?”I just closed my eyes and said, “Amazing in every way.”He nodded and then was silent. I finally got back to the bridge, and got back on my feet. I ran over to my group screaming, and high-fived everyone including Achal. I had just bungee jumped off the tallest bungee in the world, and it felt GOOD. My adrenaline was still rushing like crazy, and I closed my eyes and tried to relive the experience but could not. I don’t know what it was but the experience was unreal, unlike anything I have felt before. We walked back to the lodge, and we all felt a sense of accomplishment, and I felt my fear of heights lessen tremendously.
Later that night, everyone hung out in the café, and we played some card games and talked. People drank a lot, and the locals joined in on the party. I eventually headed back to the cabin with the rest of my group and we talked for quite a while. I passed out at about 1, and we had to wake up at 4 AM again.
So, when anyone asks me, “What is the most ridiculous thing you have ever done?”I have an answer for them. On Feb. 19, 2009, I bungee jumped off the world’s tallest bungee.
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