The Jump Of My Life

The day I saw a documentary on "Bungee Jumping" on National Geographic, I promised myself to experience the thrill of it. I knew one guy in Bangalore who had done it when the event was organized in Kanteerva stadium. "If he can do it ... I can do it too !!"

Not a single person except Sankha thought it was a sane idea. What if the string breaks? what if your heart fails due to fear? what if your ankle bones break of the shock? ... were some of the possibilities suggested by people around me. But Sankha said "I know one girl who has done it. If a girl can do it .. what's your problem". That was encouraging enough. "If man can fly in a plane... man can jump with a harness on his legs too." I thought to myself.

I was excited when Sankha found out a place where I could do Bungee jumping. This was when we were in Ottawa, Canada. My return to India was just 2 weekends away. So I had only one weekend to plan for it and the next one to go and take the jump. I maintained a high pulse rate and high BP all throughtout those 2 weeks.

The entire day was simply unforgettable. The Bungee jumping site (Picture below) is a beautiful quarry named "Morrison's Quarry" and the jump point is the tip of a rock named "The ROCK". It over looks a beautiful blue lagoon. I foolishly thought it was a good idea to have a bungee jump over water. If the string breaks I would fall into the water. Even though I didnt know swimming then, the life guard would save me. Only a year or so later my dad told me that falling into water from great heights could be as fatal as falling on ground.

They have a website too : "www.bungee.ca"

We thought the OC transport (Ottawa City transport) will have a bus going to that place. We had passes so we thought it would be cool. But when we realized that it was in the neighbouring state much away from city limits, we were disappointed. I didnt know to drive then and was dependant on buses and cabs. My squash partner, a Canadian guy offered to drive with me there. He had done bungee jumping once and ended up going to the doctor because some blood vessels in his eyes had burst. He didnt want any more trouble so backed out later.

We calculated the approx price to reach there in a cab to be 80-100 $ , the same for return and the jump would cost 85 $. In all approx 285 $. Almost 8500 Rs. "It's too expensive. It is not worth it" an opinion Sankha maintained all the way till the end. I told him it was my game so I will pay for half of his share too. I was even ready to pay the full amount. 300$ wasn't too much for me to let go of my cherished dream.

No matter what the price I made up my mind to do it. I started "preparing". I would go to the terrace of "Algon Quin" Apartments, the building we stayed in Downtown Ottawa, 12 storeys and would peep down just to get a feel of what height does to my heart beats. I would ask myself "If I had to jump off the terrace, into a safety net below, do I have enough steel to do it?" Ha ha ..

Anyways, after a lot of arguments with Sankha and buttering him, I convinced him to come with me and take pictures. I told Sankha that we take the bus till whereever it takes us and then take a cab from there. Little did I know that the place where we were going, there would see no trace of any cabs and even phone booths.

I asked the guy at the ticket counter "There is this Bunjee jumping site somewhere near Wakefield. Do you know where I should get down to reach it ?" He give me a strange reply "I am here to sell tickets. I cant tell u where you want to go". I thought "Oh!! this is not Bangalore". and quickly said. "Ok please give me two return tickets to Wakefield". It was some 100$ plus I remember. I bought the tickets and confusingly looked at the maps. I noticed Morrisons Quarry is less than half the distance to Wakefield. I went back to the counter. The guy got irritated,scolded me, cancelled my tickets and gave me new ones. This time it was 26$ return tickets for one seat. And since there were two of us the second one came at half the price. I was excited at the savings and ran to share the good news with Sankha who was uninterestingly sitting on a bench fiddling with his camera.

The bus took around 2 hours. Sankha told the driver where we wanted to go. He said "There is no official stop at Morrisons Quarry. But I can stop for you guys." We were happy. Now like me Sankha also started to look excited. Maybe he started feeling it was not such a bad idea to accompany Sajit. There was lots of greenery around and Sankha loves nature.

The bus stopped and the driver called for us. Very sensibly Sankha asked him "How about the return trip? From where will we get the bus to go back to Ottawa.??" The driver said "No bus stop here. Just a KM away there is a restaurant. Come and wait there. I will return at around 7:00 PM. Wave your hand when you see the bus and I will stop for you." We thanked him for his generosity. But we did not realize what a mess we were getting ourselves into. This was a highway where vehicles cruize at 100 + miles an hour. And there are no street lights too. More about this unexpected adventure later.

When we came to the entrace of the quarry, we could hear the screams of people jumping off the cliff. They looked like small dolls falling off the sky. The moment I saw the height of the drop point, I panicked. I said to Sankha.."Look at the height man !!!.. do you think I can do this??". He laughed his loud characteristic laugh.

The place was so beautiful we could not believe it. Sanka was really excited now. He started thanking me for dragging him along because he got what he wanted. A nice beautiful place to capture in his camera. But my heart was still beating like a drum. Sankha no more bothered what I was thinking. He got busy doing what he loves to do. Taking pictures. So now I had no one to talk to. I had to make up my mind on my own... no more encouraging words.

"This is much more than 200 feet. Atleast 500 feet.. I thought to myself". 6 footer Canadians looked like small stones from where I stood. I really wondered if my heart was strong enough to sustain the whole drama.

But now there was no looking back. The ridicule and leg-pulling I would have to face back in Algon Quin apartments if I didnt do what I came for was unacceptable. And I couldnt give up on myself either.

I went to the counter to register. They gave me a disclaimer to sign. "I am doing this at my own risk. I relieve the organizers of all obligations towards me in case of any injury or even death". Thats what it meant. I signed it not knowing if I was doing the right thing.

The guy at the counter told me that there is a "rip ride" too. If I am taking a bungee jump for the first time , it is a good idea to go for the "rip ride" first just to get used to the height. I registered for both.

The "rip ride" was a free slide over a cable tied at the ends on two rocks. The rope hung in air at a height of approx 100 feet. They would tie a harness over my shoulders and thighs and I would side on the cable over the waters hanging on the rope at a peak speed of approx 100 miles an hour. Starting from one cliff sliding all the way to the other one. "Just like Spiderman" thats the words he used. Sounds like a crazy and stupid thing to do isnt it ?? All adventurous activities are like that. They have no logic behind them.

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In a few minutes I was at the drop point. Shaking from head to toe with self imposed fear. I was the first one to go. So I had no one ahead of me to see how they are doing. The guy tying the harnesses on my back told me to trust them and just jump into the air at the count of 5. Ha Ha Ha... I could hardly stand straight. And he was asking me to jump. 1...2...3..4...and 5.. I was still standing there thinking what to do.. "Come on man...Go..Go...Go" they screamed from behind. I closed my eyes and just fell forward. Before I knew, I was sliding super fast on top of the water face down. By now I was sure the harnesses are strong and these guys know what they are doing. "They wouldnt risk my life just to make a few dollars." I repeatedly re-assured myself.

At the other end was a resistance band to slow down my speed. It stopped me and I was hanging in air face down 100 feet above water. I was sure I am safe. I waved towards Sankha. I could see him a little bigger now. They lowered the rope and a guy came in a small boat and ferried me to the shore. I was too excited to see Sankha again and to be back on ground.

So the unplanned Mission was accomplished without much noise. Now for the planned one.

Like for the rip ride, I had to climb the cliff on foot. There was a special pathway for that. The walk up the cliff itself was tiring. There was a big platform extending into air from the top of the cliff. (Picture above). The walk to the tip was scary. The whole thing was shaking because of people walking on it. The iron was rusting in many places and I was scared the whole damned thing would just break and fall into the water.

There was a team of young college kids behind me who seemed to be veterans at this "sport" of Bungee Jumping. One of the girls was talking about doing a reverse jump. I was stunned.

Every time someone jumped and screamed their lungs out... I would get more scared. I tried to look for Sankha ... he looked so tiny.. just like an ant.

The guy called me. He checked my weight and made some measurements on paper. And then he started selecting the string to tie me onto. And what he said next I will never forget : "This rope ... we havent used it in ages. Lets see how this works for you.. Lets try it.. We'll have some fun !!!". I almost dropped. Here I was scared like never before in my life and this guy was experimenting on me with a new rope. I asked him if he was sure about it. He said "Dont worry. This thing can take 6000 pounds without breaking. You are not even 200 . I felt relieved. I was all set to go. He gave me some instructions. To keep my arms wide open. And jump into the air face down. Otherwise I would tangle myself with the rope and it would be trouble. I stood there with my mouth open and not knowing what to say. I had no grip over my mind to make it follow any "instructions". He guided me to the tip of the drop point. I looked down. I decided to give up. I turned around and said to him. "I cant do it. This is too high. I want to go back. I will come back later when I am prepared" The picture below, Sankha took it right when I was turning around to go back. ( Picture )

The guy flatly refused to let me go. He closed the small door behind me. And said . "The more you think the more tough it will be. Dont think...Just JUMP !!". The same counts again.. 1...2...3...4....5 End of the count and this time too I was standing there motionless. "Jump...Jump...Jump".. they screamed from behind. I had no courage to take a leap into the air like they said.. I just stepped down like we step down a staricase. And the next few seconds of free fall ... I really cant explain the feeling in words.

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In a few seconds I hit the water and bounced back. I was thrilled. I couldnt believe that I jumped off a cliff 200 feet high and am still alive !!!!

After 2 - 3 rebounces.. like a ping pong ball , I stopped in mid air. The same boat guy came and ferried me to the shore. The rebound, approx 160 feet itself is considered the higest in all of Canada. That was really a proud moment for me.

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I scremed when I met Sankha again. He had a wide grin on his face.

We went back to the registration counter. They had recorded the whole thing on a video cassette. The played it back for me. I was pleased. They also gave me a T-shirt which had this printed on the back side : "Certified Bungee Jumper" He he .. I have never worn it till now though. I have it safely kept at home.

It was almost 5:30 by then. We had a coke. Thats all that was available there in the name of food. Sankha suggested me to go for one more jump. I wanted to but was too exhaused by then. The only thing I regret is that I did the whole thing fearfully. I didnt have the courage to throw myself into the air. I had just dropped myself into air. So it was really a "Bungee drop" not a Bungee jump" for me. So I have lessons for my next jump whenever that happens.

We spent some time walking around the place and watching other people taking the jump. There were people taking tandem jumps. i.e. 2 -3 people tied on the same rope and jumping together. It was fun to watch the excitement.

And now for the best part. The return trip....

We asked the counter guy about the bus. He said the last bus passes at around 6 and stops only at the nearby town. Which we cant reach unless we drive down. It was 6:20 or so by then. We got a little worried. But the driver had told us that he would come by 7. So we started walking towards the "restaurant". The walk itself was tough. It was getting dark ... no street lights...the road had slopes up and down... so we could see only till the next dip in the road. Vehicles were passing by like bullets. Only then we realized what mess we had got into. We reached the restaurant at around 6:45 PM. It was closed. So we stood at the road side and started looking for the "bus". By then it was almost dark and all vehicles had their head lights on. In the glare of the headlights it was not possible to distinguish between a truck and a bus. Sankha had a white cap. He stood as close to the road as he could and started waving at everything that passed. We took turns doing that. We thought someone if not our bug guy will stop and give us a lift. Almost one and a half hours and no one seemed to bother. No phone booths around no people ..just us stranded on the highway and a hell a lot of mosquitoes. We thought we will have to stay there thorugh the whole night and wait for the restaurant to open the next morning to get help to go back to the city.

Suddenly to our surprise, at around 8:15 or so, a car screeched to a halt a little ahead of us. Took reverse, and stopped right in front of us . The guy lowered the glass and asked. "Do you guys want a lift to Ottawa???" . We were stunned. It was the same guy who was at the counter. He was going back home after closing down the whole site. And he luckily spotted us waving to the passing vehicles.

We got in. He told us that he was the owner of the place and operates it only during summers since during winters the lagoon freezes into ice. We had a good talk with him about the intricacies and the risks of the job he was doing. He told us a few things about how they handle the risks and dangers of bungee jumping. He even does some stunts for movies.

We reached Ottawa in just 20 mins. I was impressed with the speed of the car...its pick up etc. I wanted to see what car it was. When we got down after thanking him in the city... I looked at the car...I was stunned ... It was a BMW.

So here we were... we started thinking the travel alone would cost over 200 $. But not only had the cost been less than 25$ .. we got a 20 mins ride in a classy BMW. We even got the return ticket refunded from the bus stand since we had replaced the bus with a BMW !! . WOW !! me and Sankha were on top of the world.. we were jumping like mad kids. That was the best day I spent during my entire stay in Canada.

The place he dropped us was close to our apartment. We reached home after a 20 - 30 mins walk.

People were waiting there .. to hear me say "I got scared and came back without doing the jump". And just to tease them thats what I said.. they all laughed at me like mad. I quitely put on the video and asked my roomies to watch. Sankha narrated the whole story to them. I got lots of "great job" pats on the back !!

So finally, it was a day well spent...harnessing the power of a simple dream !!!