Jumping off bridges

Greetings,

     Jumping off a bridge is something that sounds both crazy and fun at the same time. After doing just that twice in a span of thirty minutes, I would say that it was the stupidest and most amazing thing I have ever done. The bungee jumping platform at the bridge by Victoria Falls is the highest commercial jump in the world and it was a tempting prospect since I heard about it. The one condition for going was met as I left the Chicago airport when my Dad gave me permission. I know that was not an easy decision but I am very glad he made it.

     Pretty much immediately after making the trip to Mumbwa, we set off for the city of Livingstone which is about a 6 hour trip south of Lusaka where we are staying. We left at four in the morning and the trip went very smoothly. Upon arrival, we got some breakfast and headed to the safari. We started off into the National park with seeing several monkeys running around and climbing and got off to a good start with seeing an elephant very early on. As we continued on for a few hours, we saw giraffes, monkeys, impalas, elephants, baboons, zebras, crocodiles, warthogs, several different birds, hippos, and a monitor lizard. Unfortunately and fortunately both at once, there were no lions, hyenas, and cheetahs in the park.
We left the safari, hit up lunch, and headed to Mosi-o-tunya; the native word for the falls that translates to "the smoke that thunders." I could not think of a better word for it. The falls were absolutely massive. They continued on as far as I could see and the bottom could not be seen at any time due to the giant amount of mist that was created when the water reached the endpoint. The sound was extremely loud the whole time and the mist did resemble smoke slightly. Besides the Grand Canyon, this was the most awe inspiring thing I have ever seen. The sheer size was unbelievable and I could do little but sit there in silence and take it in as much as I could. God’s power and beauty were on display simultaneously in a brilliant and magnificent manner.

      The mist that is created was also incredible. Not only was there mist at the bottom where the water thundered down against rocks but it rose all the way above the level of the falls themselves which is no small feat. You could feel the effects of the mist even over 100 yards away as water droplets landed all over. Getting closer only increased the effect and the entire team quickly became soaked to the core. Our walk around the outside of the falls showed there was no escaping from the wall of water that was enveloping the surroundings. As Silas described it, "[T]his is the hardest I have ever seen it rain upwards." While that sounds ridiculous that is actually a pretty accurate description of the phenomenon that we were experiencing.

      We left the falls after walking on the path that is set aside for pictures and just viewing the spectacular sight and went back to the safari for awhile. While we had seen all the animals mentioned above there was still one elusive creature that we really wanted to see. Talking with Sam who drove our car from Lusaka, rhinos are not only rare but very expensive as Zambia had to pay South Africa to bring some of the rhinos over and try to jumpstart their population. On our way there we actually were lucky enough to see tons more animals than our earlier trip such as entire herds of elephants and even baby elephants, giraffes, impalas, and four baby warthogs. The only way we could come up with to find the rhinos was to pay a fee to the rangers to walk us out to find them on foot. This was no easy task or a short trip by any means. It took a five to ten minute drive followed by a twenty minute walk through the bush to reach one. Not only did we reach one, we were so close I was caught off guard. The rhino was evidently somewhat used to having people around but he still marked his territory several times due to our proximity. We were within 10-15 yards at the nearest point to a creature that weighs more than three tons and has two giant horns on its head. Nevertheless we were with three rangers that all had assault rifles so we felt somewhat safe.

         We spent the night in a lodge that had several small cabins each named after animals that could be found on safari and for some reason I was put into the one named giraffe. After a night of great rest, we got up, had a great breakfast of cornflakes, eggs, bacon, toast, and juice, and headed back to the falls for the moment that I had been waiting for since I decided to go on the trip. We were going to the bridge that connects Zambia and Zimbabwe that crosses the massive gorge carved by the river. Halfway across the bridge is the platform from which you jump. The same platform that someone jumped from and did not come back up. The same platform that boasts the highest commercial bungee jumping in the world. The same platform that I was getting ready to jump from.

        When we got to the spot that we signed up, I saw that they offered some other features beside bungee jumping that were called the slide and the swing. The jumping and swing cost the same amount at $120 each and the slide (or zip line) was $35 but they had a great deal. It is called the "Big Air Experience" and everything about it seemed like a perfect idea to me. It allowed you to do all three (jump, slide, and swing) for a total of $155. How could I pass that up? It sounded like the best thing ever but I did not want to be the only one to do it and make everyone wait for me so when Silas showed the same interest I knew that I had to do it. Borrowing five one dollar bills so I didn’t break a fifty, I purchased the whole shebang.
The slide came first which was a great way to view the whole gorge at an elevated view while not falling straight towards the water. It was also a much slower pace that made things look amazing. For those that do not like heights at all, this would have been a nightmare. It is around 200 meters to the bottom and you are sliding along one metal line. For me, it was a great experience that I would gladly do again.

       Next I was over at the bridge and I got to see most of the rest of the team doing their bungee jumps. First went Todd our leader, then Bryce, then Dan, and then Sam. They all made the leap off the bridge having faith that they would return which they did. For me the swing came next. This one I did not know about before but was somewhat similar to the jump. Instead of jumping off headfirst with a bungee cord, you pretty much step off the platform with a harness. Technically you are told to jump about a meter away from the platform and stay in pencil dive form the entire time. While in this streamlined position, speed increases at a ridiculous rate and your nerves go crazy. Towards the end of my free fall, I was getting really nervous because I had been falling for what seemed like way too long and my speed at that point was unlike anything I had ever experienced. Yet I continued falling until I felt the harness begin to catch and swing me out down the canyon. Being before the bungee jump, this "suicide fall" as Silas and I called it, was the more intense of the two. If I were to do one of the three again it would most likely be the swing.

       The bungee jump came third but was just as intense as anything. Stepping up to the edge of the platform with the cord wrapped very tightly around my ankles was even crazier because I could feel the weight of the cord pulling at my ankles that were strapped together. In the same way as the other two, the guy that is telling you what to do right before you go and getting you started, he did not waste any time allowing you to stop and think about what you are doing. He pretty much says "okay so jump three meters out and keep your arms out and head up. 5.4.3.2.1.Bungee (the no spaces is meant to show how fast he went). It makes sense that they do not give you time to think because I think most people would back out when they look down. The 111 meter drop that you experience is the longest drop of any commercial bungee jump in the world and goes straight down at the river flowing below you. When you add in the fact that last year there was a girl that had her bungee cord snap and she plummeted down into the water, this is one nerve-racking experience.

        Despite the seeming to be danger, our entire team survived and lived to tell the tale to their children and their children’s children of how they jumped off a bridge with nothing but some rubber attached to their ankles. As for me, I do not want to say that I will never do it again. Something about the freefall is amazing and I have not stopped smiling since I did it. I want to thank my parents for giving me permission to do this. I know that it was not easy and I really appreciate what you did.
For the rest of our stay here in Zambia things will be settling down. Todd and Silas are leaving tonight for Dubai where they will stay a few nights before returning home and Bryce and Jon are currently on their way to the Copper Belt where they will be staying in Kitwe and helping to renew the ministry at CBU (Copper Belt University). Dan, Nathan, and I will be staying here with Abel, Sam, and Gershom and when UNZA finally opens (the professors are on strike currently), we will get to work with our college ministry there. Until then we will be mainly working at the medical campus over at Ridgeway and helping with the National Navigator Conference that begins Thursday.


Over and out from Lusaka,

Aaron Spesard