Yesterday I finally got to go and do the famous bungee jump of Nepal (third highest in the world at 160m). I had to be at the bus stop at 5.45am, and I had asked the hotel manager to call me at 5.30 to wake me up. However I woke up and thought I had answered the phone, so I got up, got dressed, and walked downstairs to check the clock. It was 4.15am… Bad start.

The bus ride there was a bit dicey and we got stopped by groups of guys multiple times along the whole way who were demanding money. From what I can gather, the protesting is a result of a speech the new vice president made. He is an Indian, and he delivered his first speech in Hindi whilst wearing Indian clothing. He is bilingual and speaks Nepalese, so the people saw this as a slap in the face.

There is a lot of deep seeded conflict between Nepal and India, and the vice presidents refusal to apologise had really upset everyone as they feel India is imposing on their independence. However what has started as protesting for a cause has degenerated into people using it as an opportunity to get some cash (blocking roads and demanding cash from buses). There is a definite lawless feel to the roads outside of Kathmandu where there isn’t an army presence.

Anyway, we finally got there and parked right next to the bridge we were going to jump off. It crosses a gorge with a raging river below. The bridge is suspended 160 meres in the air, and as you walk across it, it sways. When I first looked down, it was so damn high I couldn’t comprehend actually diving off it.

The mountains around there are awesome. There’s waterfalls plummeting from the top to the bottom, the water weaving its way through channels carved in the rocks over time. It’s higher than I thought it’d be, and that first look really separated the men from the boys (and the one girl who actually did the biggest dive).

Extreme situations are funny because they strip away any facade people are putting on, and you see the real self. The American guy who was the ‘talker’ of the group went absolutely mute and kept looking from one shoe to another. Other than that, most of the people were scared, but excited.

We had a quick briefing and then it was time for the jump. It was done by weight, and out of 15 people I was the fourth heaviest at 70kg. All the Nepalese guys were in the 50’s or low 60kg’s. One guy was 48kg. They’re tiny!!!

When it was my turn, I inched my way to the edge, feet strapped tightly together, and looked down. There was a guy standing at the bottom and he was a speck. There was nothing below me or around me, I was out on the platform with only a rope tied to my ankles. Adrenaline seeped through my stomach and through my arms and legs, and they felt like jelly. At this point I started to really feel the anxiety and my heart was beating out of my chest. I put my arms out to the side, waved to the camera, and did a big superman jump off the edge.

For the next 3 seconds I couldn’t think, process, breath or react. It was just an eternity of sheer terror, like the body can’t believe you’re continuing to fall towards the ground. All I felt was fear fear fear. You fall, then you fall, then you keep falling. The feeling was so extreme it was like I couldn’t take it. I bounced back up and my brain kicked into gear and it was the most incredible rush I’ve ever felt and I can’t compare it to anything else. I bounced a few times and I was just muttering “omg omg” over and over, and laughing to myself. It was indescribable, exhilarating, and overwhelming.

The 160m climb back up the mountain was a mission and I made friends with one leech, though our friendship was fleeting. I wanted to do it again, so second time around I did the giant swing. The swing has a longer free fall, but it isn’t as intense. I would describe the bungee as more terrifying and the swing as more fun. You can see everything around you, and you jump off the edge rather than dive.

The DVD is going to be developed today, and I will upload it to youtube as soon as I can (probably tomorrow).

If you ever get the chance to do a big bungee jump, DO IT. It’s now one of my favourite life memories and every time I think of it, I smile and shake my head. SOO awesome.

The bus ride home was intense and there were constant groups of people (over 100 each time) burning straw vice presidents. There was so much fire that the smoke was thick in the air. Some of the straw presidents were 3 metres high and lit in the middle of the road. Hopefully the situation gets resolved, because seeing little kids running around holding flaming straw is crazy to say the least.