What an adrenaline filled day it was today! It definitely brought out the adrenaline junkie in me. Today we spent the morning at Sky Park which is an adventure sports area for jungle swinging and bungee jumping. I had just signed up for the jungle swing and had no idea what to expect. I knew I would be swinging and there was a lever that I had to pull to release the swing.
We were picked up from Gilligan's Hostel in the morning and taken to the SkyPark area that was tucked away in the forest. There they had a small lake surrounded by jungle. It was a small area but had been done up so nicely. The wildlife was nice too and we saw quite a big toad croaking obnoxiously loud. There was a large covered area and bar where people were sitting and watching as people jumped. I had asked Alex and Thomas if they wanted to do the swing together since it seemed more fun that way and they both agreed!
For the swing the instructor put on these massive harness jackets that covered our entire front and then attached it to our knees as well. We held onto a railing positioned in front of us on a staircase and then slowly stepped backwards until we were in a lying down position clipped in. The instructor had given me the GoPro to hold on my wrist although none of us had purchased the video. Slowly, we began our ascent backwards and upwards 43 meters. At the top we came to a complete stop similar to how a roller coaster chugs along and then comes to a complete stop before the drop. We all screamed with excitement at the first drop as we went down and swung way over the roof of the facility. Back and forth we went swinging throughout the jungle.
The jungle swing was great fun! I had more fun than expected and was not at all scared. In fact it left me feeling like I didn't get enough of an adrenaline kick so I made a decision to go bungee jumping as well. Alex was the only one from our group doing bungee jumping so I figured I would join her.
For bungee jumping we had to climb a very tall tower to reach the jump platform. As we climbed higher and higher, we got more scared. The nerves started to set in. There were a couple people in front of us so we got to watch them jump off paying close attention to how they did the initial jump. Watching other people jump off just made us more and more scared.
When it was finally my turn I was a little scared and nervous. I was scared I would get a really insane headache or whiplash. The last time I went bungee jumping was when I was 10 and I had experienced whiplash hence why I hadn't signed up in advance for bungee jumping. I also didn't quite know how to get the perfect posture. I waddled cautiously to the edge where I would jump. The guy held onto my harness and instructed me to look out at the ocean and I thought out loud “the OCEAN?!?!” as my eyes were set on the pond below where I would be jumping. I think I tried to take his advice but I have no clue if I did because the next second I was free falling. The jump passed by so fast and before I knew it I felt the tug on my feet of the bungee and was swinging back and forth. It was fun! Until the swinging upside became too much and I just kept saying “dizzy, dizzy, dizzy” over and over and closing my eyes occasionally to help with the dizziness. At the bottom of the pond, an instructor came and laid me down in his boat while he unclipped me. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Would I do it again? Probably not. It was hard to enjoy the moment since it passed by so fast unlike the swing. At least I can say I have done it now and have video proof.
After the Sky Park we wandered the fruit market that was right next to the hostel. They had all sorts of fruit laid out and I immediately spotted the Australian mango known as the Kensington Pride by the British. I bought some overpriced cut mango for $8 and it hit the spot but it was no Indian mango. I picked up some sushi as well to go for the flight to Darwin. I will never have enough sushi and dumplings here!
Landing in Darwin was so nice! We checked into a hotel. Yes, a hotel. It felt like such a luxury after staying in hostels that were infested with bugs and always loud at night. What a relief. I was feeling so good I even went for a run. You know I am feeling good when I go for a run. The run was beautiful and I got my first glimpse of Darwin as the sunset.
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