South Africa: Adrenaline

Full of phenomenal adventures, South Africa delivered beauty upon excitement upon beauty unto me. With a stunning landscape, the southern part of South Africa boasts some of the world’s best wineries. Gorgeously situated amongst the greenery of the country side are mountains that bring remembrance of the Appalachians. Maintaining a solid infrastructure, South Africa gives way to partake in its beauty.

The adventure began upon our arrival in Cape Town! Departing from the ship four hours later than expected, our group of six remained committed to our Valentine’s Day hike of Table Mountain. Reaching the start of the trail at 5:00 p.m., we questioned if it would be wise to continue our vow. As I and two of the girls stopped to seek advice from several young South Africans, the other three of the group trotted along. Our advisors suggested that it would not be wise to hike the mountain this late as it is a 3-5 hour hike. Unable to find our three advancing friends, we were simply left to spend our time in the picturesque botanical gardens in hope that they would be astute in their decisions. They were not. Though, they did make it to the top safely and returned safely by cable car. As the weather could have easily changed on them or dark could have fell upon them, I consider them fortunate for their outcome. Yet, I must say that such challenges and risks are what can often come to define us.
Freefalling, I came to the realization that I had just jumped out of an airplane! Soaring over the Cape Town, Table Mountain, and the Atlantic Ocean was a surreal experience. Being a tandem jump, the flight allowed me to absorb the breathtaking views. Prior to skydiving, I had another first experience: sandboarding. Imagine… huge sand dunes + a snowboard. Surprisingly, it felt more similar to snowboarding than expected. It was fun until the trudge back to the top of the dune!

Overlooking the night’s splendor of the Indian Ocean, I was amazed as to my location. Catching a 700-mile flight east from Cape Town, we ventured to the surfer’s paradise town of Jeffery’s Bay. Known worldwide amongst the surfing community, Jeffery’s Bay boasts the infamous “tube waves” in which top surfers attempt to cruise under. African headquarters for many of the top surfing brands, the town of 14,000 thrives on the waves. Perched above the ocean from an elevated deck, I was amazed at what $11 had purchased me. Indeed, I was in a hostel, but this was no ordinary hostel. Sleeping in a small room of four, my two other guy friends were having a blast at sharing this experience. Rising up from my top bunk, the ocean was directly before me! In addition, the hostel boasted a bar accompanied by a laid-back backpacker’s style aura.

Diving at full speed, I neared the rocky stream winding its way through the deep valley! As I gained velocity, the thrill strengthened. The end was approaching. Rapidly, my downward momentum reversed as I headed skyward! Shooting upwards was short lived as I soon became overtaken by gravity. After several more bounces, I realized the extent of what I had just done. The world’s highest bungee jump had embraced me! From a beautiful bridge that overlooks a small stream merging into the Indian Ocean, I had made a leap of over 800 feet! Following our tear of adventure, we spent the following couple of days venturing back to Cape Town by bus, stopping in several small cities along the way.

From this perspective, my time in South Africa was phenomenal!