The Flying Leap

So this weekend I finally took that long walk off the short pier everyone has been requesting I take. Actually it was a sorry example of a flying leap. I went bungee jumping, that thrilling activity where you attached to a bungee cord and jump off a high point and bounce around.


I went bungee jumping at the Colorado River bridge in Costa Rica about an hour outside of San Jose. The company I went with was Tropical Bungee and they are the oldest bungee company in Costa Rica. They picked me up at 8:30 am and we arrived at the office of the company around 9:30am. You have to sign the liability waiver and they take you up to the bridge to the jump site. The jump is made from platform that is attached to the middle of this steel bridge that is no longer being used for car traffic.
I think there is some thing strange that goes on in your mind when you decide to do something so... insane. We all have a primitive part of our mind that is solely concerned about our survival. It's that "part" that sends that chill up your back when walking down a sketchy street at night or the part that makes you freeze when you catch that glimpse of the "snake" near you until you realize it's a stick.
Anyway this primitive little worry-wort part of my brain (some might call that the SANE part) took exception to my intention of jumping off a 265 high bridge over a very rocky river. I was pretty calm all the way up to the bridge but once they started putting the harness on my my inner fear demon started protesting my decision. After I was outfitted (double harness one around my waist and the main harness on my legs) and it was my turn to go they have you get up on a VERY narrow platform that extends out from the bridge. They have you walk out to the very edge of the platform with your toes dangling off the edge.

At this point they announce you can jump any time but they also count you down from 5 in Spanish. At this point my logical mind, which knows that I am strapped a cable, have 2 harnesses on and that the company has successfully had 35,000 jumps, goes to war with my primitive worry-wort that can only look down and think... well let's not go there, hmm? They start counting down and the primitive part of me seems to have control. Cinco... "I don't have to do this." Cuatro... "I can still get down." Tres... "I can turn around and get off." Dos... "That does it. I am getting down." Uno... "OHHHHHH (insert favorite expletive here).

I still don't know how it happened but when they hit ONE somehow the logical part of my mind took control and I jumped off the platform (at the time I believed I made a graceful leap but on seeing the video it was more humpback whale dive than swan dive). Let me tell you 265 feet of freefall gives you sufficient time to really ponder the intelligence of your decision. Meanwhile the primative safety expert part of me was completely convinced I was going to DIE right up until the first bounce. Once you fall all the way and rebound up you realize you really are attached you have the most amazing epiphany... you AREN'T going to die and DARN IT THIS IS FUN!

After the that there are a couple of minutes where you bounce around at the end of the cable until you stop hanging upside down looking at the river below. At this point they lower down a cable that you have to grab and hook to your harness (all while dangling upside down) once you are hooked they reel you back up to the top. Touching down on the ground again feels GREAT. After the jump you get a DVD of your jump (don't watch you aren't as graceful as you think) and a T-shirt. I was done with the jump by 1030am.

Would I do it again? Probably. There is only one way to find out... Cinco, Cuatro, Tres, Dos...