South Africa Day 3: Jaws anyone?- 2/20/09

I woke up at 4 AM again, showered, and we boarded the bus by 5 AM. We had to wait for several people, who probably had too much to drink the night before, so they had slept through their alarms, or had forgotten to set one. After about 30 minutes, we were finally ready to leave (Ryan, the guy who organized the trip, was pretty upset about the girls who were late) and we headed out. I fell asleep for most of the trip, but once again, every time I woke up, there was beautiful scenery outside.

We finally arrived in Gansbaai after 6 hours. So, let me tell you why we were here. Gansbaai, South Africa, has the highest concentration of Great White Sharks in the world. It is famous for shark cage diving, and we were here to partake in this thrilling activity. That’s right, we were going to get into a boat, go out in the ocean, and see these predators from a cage underwater. I was pretty excited, to say the least. I was not nervous at all, especially not after the bungee jump. We first split up into 2 groups, and Achal and I were in group 1. We headed to the tour agency’s building where we ate some lunch (really bad idea, you will see why later) because I was STARVING. There were mini-pizzas which I inhaled ravenously, as well as some really good fruit juice. After waiting for a while for the previous trip to get back, it was our turn. We were quickly debriefed about the trip, and then we headed toward the dock.

Our boat was pretty small, but not too small. I had taken my motion-sickness meds because the water was very rough today, so I thought I would be fine. We all wore raincoats (apparently we were going to get very wet) and climbed on the boat. A few of us asked to sit in the front, and the captain let 4 people go up front. We were warned that we would get drenched. I left my camera and backpack in the waterproof compartment, and headed to the front. We soon left and picked up speed quickly. The captain was not lying. We hit some rough water, and at first small waves, and then huge waves started pelting us in the front. After about 1 minute, I was completely drenched from head to toe, including my shoes (which I didn’t have time to remove). But it was FUN! The salt water did burn my eyes, but it was very thrilling in the front of the boat. The ride to our diving spot took about 30 minutes, but by the end, the waves were gone.

We finally reached our diving spot only to discover another boat was here, but she was on her way out. Then, we saw it…a fin surfaced near the cage of the other ship!!!! And our captain yelled for us to look. We were VERY lucky. The shark was a male Great White, one of the most aggressive predators on Earth. It was the off-season, and the earlier boat had not really seen much. But, we had a mall shark, and we were in for a treat. The other boat left and the shark began to circle our boat (they throw chum/bait over the side to lure in the shark). We all ran to the side of the boat to see him, and he was a 4m shark (~13 feet)!! It was SOO AMAZING! We were all very, very excited and everyone was in awe. I could not believe I was about 5 feet away from a Great White shark.

The first group of students got ready to dive. The cage was already in the water, and it was not what I was expected. I expected some sort of caged fortress, but it was a pretty small cage that could fit about 4-5 people at a time. Your face was above water, and you had to hold ur breath to go underwater to see the shark. The first group got in the cage, and it was closed. We waited…(jaws music plays in background)…and waited…and then we saw the fin. The shark swam towards the bait, which was right by the cage, and it passed within 2 feet of the cage. Everyone in the cage went underwater to get a better look. The shark swam away and the group surfaced, screaming. “OH MY GOD! THAT WAS SO AWESOME!”They were very excited, to say the least, and none of them could believe they were in the water less than 2 ft away from a SHARK! The shark made 4 more passes, and then the first group swapped out. Achal and I were in the second group, and by now we had put on our wetsuits and goggles. By the way, it is SO frickin hard to put on a wetsuit!!! We all struggled with it, especially because the boat was rocking like crazy (we almost fell 5 or 6 times). Anyways, we slowly got in the cage, and the WATER WAS FREEEEEEEEZING! I almost screamed, because I did not expect it to be so cold. There is a cold current on the Atlantic side of South Africa called the Benguela current that comes from Antarctica. The Indian side is warm, but THIS WATER WAS COLD! We all got in, and I was completely numb in a minute. The cage door was closed, and we waited…du du…du du…du du du du du du…”SHARK!”I heard the call and dove underwater. And there he was. Right outside the cage, I saw the shark swim by, and the first thing I noticed was his eye. It was staring at me, it felt like he was staring through me. It was an extremely eery feeling, but it was unreal. After a few seconds, he was gone and we resurfaced. Once again, the screams: “OMG! He was right there! DID YOU SEE THAT?!”We got about 4 passes in, but none of them was very eventful. All I remember is the eye…every time I went underwater when the shark swam by, I could see his eye staring right back at us. It was a ridiculous experience. Our time was up, and the next group swapped out. They were, to say the least, the luckiest group.

About 1 minute into the 3rd group, the shark swam right by the cage, turned and swam back. This was the closest pass the shark had made, and the girls in the cage were screaming! A minute later, he swam back near the cage…quickly turned…and then HIT THE CAGE WITH HIS FIN! Out of nowhere, he whipped the cage with his fin, and the girl on that corner of the cage was freaking out. Everyone on the boat was screaming and yelling, and I mostly heard variations of the word “AWESOME!”It was ridiculous, and everyone’s adrenaline was pumping. He made 2 more passes before the girls wanted to get out (the water was too cold). They got out, and we stayed for a little while. By now, I was extremely nauseous. The boat was rocking like crazy, and I felt like I was going to hurl any second. I frantically looked for ginger ale, but they ran out, so I grabbed the Sprite and drank that. It REALLY helped and I burped 4 or 5 times a minute later. Feeling very much relieved, I headed back to the front of the boat. Another boat soon showed up, and it was their turn to see the shark so we headed back. We did not get wet on the ride back, and we got our stuff, got out of the boat, and headed back to the building to wait for the other group. We couldn’t stop talking about what we had just done. We had bungee jumped and now we had shark dived, all in 2 extreme, crazy days of adrenaline-pumping action. It felt good.

Back in the building, we watched the video of our boat trip (there was a videographer on board), and relieved the crazy experience. It was an awesome video but it was rather expensive. So, we decided one of us was going to get it, and we could just share the video. Then, I went back to the bus and changed out of my soaking wet clothes, which felt amazing, and I fell asleep on my seat, waiting for the other group to get back. They finally did come back 30 minutes later, and looked pretty dejected. They had seen some small sharks, but they only got the big male shark near the end. They had also spent an hour looking for sharks, so they weren’t too thrilled. I felt very bad for them, but there was nothing I could do. Sharks will be sharks.

At 1730, we headed back to the ship. It was a 2 hour ride, and it felt very short compared to the LONG ones we had done in the last 2 days. We were back by 1930, and I headed to my room to shower. I felt disgusting, and the warm shower felt wonderful. Afterwards, a starving Achal and I went back to the food court and ate some Thai food. We ran into Tanmoy, and asked him about his plans. I found out he had studied abroad in Cape Town so he knew what to do. He told us to go to Cape Point with him the next day, and we could see from there. Then he told me something that got me VERY excited…there was a domestic cricket final match the next day in Cape Town! I was THRILLED! I wanted to go sooo badly, and I had never gone to one before. So, we agreed to go to Cape Point, and then see the match at night. It sounded like a GREAT plan, and we headed back to the ship very satisfied we ran into Tanmoy. We had been planning to go out that night, but I was EXHAUSTED and could not move. The second I hit my bed, I was asleep. Ah, what a crazy 2 days it had been. And we still had 2 more days in this AWESOME country. I was still very excited, but I slept soundly that night.

A most ridiculous trip: Day 2- 2/19/09

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.

South Africa: One country, so many memories Day 1- 2/18/09

We arrived a little late in Cape Town, which was once again frustrating. It was very foggy and we couldn’t get into port on time. Eventually, we did dock in Cape Town, South Africa. I could not believe we were finally here. I went up to the top deck and saw the city, and it was absolutely gorgeous. The city was huge and it was built between the ocean and table mountain, which dominated the city’s skyline. It was definitely a perfect place to build a city. We waited until the ship was cleared and got off. We were docked near the Waterfront, which was a really, really nice mall right next to the port. I wanted to buy some camera accessories, and I pretty much convinced Rory to buy a DSLR, so we went to a camera shop in the mall. Rory decided to buy a Nikon D60 (booooo…Nikon…lol) and I tried out some new lenses. They were very nice, but I realized they were overpriced by about $200, which is ~2000 South African Rand. So, I decided not to buy anything, and we walked to the food court for lunch. There were so many fast food places with cuisines around the world (Thai, Indian, Arabian, Cuban, etc..). Achal, Z, and I saw a falafel place and decided to eat there…it was delicious! I told the guy to put a lot of the spicy sauce in mine, and it was sooo good. I hadn’t eaten spicy food in too long…hehe.

We headed back to the ship to meet our city orientation group, and we loaded the buses and headed out. The trip was ok, and we didn’t see too much. We went to the oldest building first , and I didn’t think it was too special. Next, we went to the Company Gardens (pictured), and they were very beautiful. We sat down at a restaurant and had some fresh fruit juice. I had some guava juice and it was good and reminded me of home (I have sooo many guava trees in my backyard). We also checked out a museum in the area where we saw an entire skeleton of a blue whale. We wandered around a little and then returned to the bus, which drove us back to the port. Back at the port, we decided to go check out the mall again, because we had to go to sleep early (we were leaving for our trip the next morning at 5 AM). After checking out some shops, we saw a crazy street performance. A South African dude put on a balancing show that was ridiculous. He balanced lots of things using his mouth including a torch and a TABLE! Then, we went to go eat dinner at Jewel of India, a restaurant inside the mall. It sounded and looked very nice, and I thought it would be very expensive, but it wasn’t. Dishes were about $5 each, and this was a really nice restaurant in the Waterfront. It was pretty sweet. I eagerly ordered my food (hadn’t eaten real Indian food since leaving home), and it was DELICIOUS. Z said it was the best Indian food he ever had. Content from our meal, we headed back down to the mall. We enquired about phone cards and found out they were only 1 Rand/minute to call the US!! Achal and I bought a R20 card, and we both called home. I had not talked to my parents since Spain, and it was nice to hear familiar voices again. After I exhausted my card and promised to call back, we headed back to the ship so we could sleep early. I was pretty tired, but I packed my backpack for my trip the next day and then passed out. Cape Town was amazing so far, but I wondered what lay in store for us over the next 4 days.

Blog update

Hey readers. Sorry I have not update this in a while. I was VERY busy with tests/papers, and we just had our Sea-olympics. I am going to submit the first 2 days from South Africa, and the rest will come very soon. When I get to India in 3 days, I am probably going to revamp my blog and add pictures to it. Thanks for reading and ur patience!