Dan's Reflection #3 on class mini excursion

I’ve never taken a vacation on a vacation. It’s a surprisingly enjoyable and refreshing feeling to step out of the routine, however terrific, and experience something ultimately novel and different. This is what all 16 of us did for our 9 hour drive to Plettenberg Bay. We were all nicely cramped in the ‘Quantum’ which held 14 comfortably. Yet, after some high tensions and lots of sweat we finally arrived at our destination late at night. Although we were all pooped from the drive, the stars immediately caught our attention. Even though Cape Town has a pretty darn lovely view of the stars, it was incomparable to the totally dark environment the Tub N’ Axe hostel had to offer. I think this was our first real opportunity to prove that we weren’t in Cape Town anymore but a different place entirely.

The next day began with a tasty yogurt, cereal, and fruit breakfast. We then suited up for our black water tubing and took pictures resembling GI Joes, Teletubbie’s, and gladiators with our wet suits, life preservers and big colorful bulky helmets on. We got on the river, which was exceptionally low due to the lack of rain, and walked and paddled our way through it. We stopped several times at spots to cliff dive and they all involved a careful climb up the rocks. The second jump was about 5 meters and this was where the first casualty happened. A knee on the rock caused Julie to be dragged away in the water but she was a trooper and continued on with an excellent battle wound. The third jump was the most intense. It was about 8 meters high and the only way to get to the small slippery ledge was to hug the side of the mountain while reaching for branches. I raced over and jumped off quickly and then got in line to go again. I waited near the end and helped Jill stretch over a ledge to get in position. After a lot of anxiety from Jill mixed with some confidence boosting talks from me, Jill finally went to jump. However, my strategy of telling her the ledge wasn’t slippery somewhat backfired when right as Jill went to jump she lost her footing and plummeted down sideways. After some good use of her helmet and a few gasps from me and the group, we were ready to continue on our way. Afterwards, we returned to the hostel and enjoyed the rest of the day either walking around or napping in the hammocks. I chose the latter.

(back row) Kevin, Faina, Rachel, Hannah, Emily A. Jordan, Julie, Michelle (middle) Jill, Emily G, Stephanie Y, Cassidy, Dan (front) Ben, Steph O, Chelsea

The next morning was the big bungee jumping day. There was quite a bit of tension in the van as we ventured over to the highest commercial bungee jump in the world. We all harnessed up and walked over via the cat walk. The cat walk is a narrow enclosed walkway directly below the bridge. The best part about it was the floor was made of wiring so the valley and dried river far below could be seen. After the first jump a few girls cried, but regardless of the jittery nerves we all accomplished jumping off the ledge and bungee jumping. I was overly confident and when it was my turn I readily got suited up and waited for the two men to scoop me up and hop me over to the ledge. I did a nice swan dive off but within those 3 seconds of complete weightlessness and free fall I have to admit that I became quite panic-stricken. It was a feeling I had always wanted to experience but was completely unready for. However, once the bungee kicked in it was smooth sailing. Despite my initial free fall reaction I would eagerly bungee again and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a rush or to get over their fears. It was a truly awesome experience.

After bungee jumping we squished back into the van and made our way to the city of Plettenberg. It was in Plett that I realized that there could be an even more laid back town than Cape Town and Muizenberg. Many of the girls planned on shopping but to their dismay the shops closed at 2 pm on a Saturday. This ruined my chance to finally get a well needed haircut but I quickly got over it. While everyone split up to either visit the elephants or relax at the beach, Jill, Chelsea, and I decided to wander about. We found a completely enclosed alcove that resembled the Little Mermaid according to Jill and Chelsea. Of course this resulted in some fancy mermaid pictures that I was more than willing to capture. However, the mood swept over me and afterwards I did a few merman poses on the rock. We continued to venture onwards and I became very fond of the town that resembled a section of Southern California. The fact that the town was primarily people from around the immediate area and not tourists made me feel like this was a pure bred South African moment but in a completely different realm than I have grown accustomed to. It’s obvious to believe that culture and lifestyles differ across a country. Yet, after fully partaking in this certainty it makes me a lot more aware of the multitude of aspects that make up South Africa as a whole. To finish quickly, we enjoyed breakfast the next day in a hotel restaurant and followed it up with some intense sea kayaking. Seven of us ventured into the Indian Ocean despite the rough waves. However, I once again jinxed the scenario when I jokingly said to my co-kayaker that this would be bad for someone who gets sea sick. Of course, 25 minutes later, my partner was sea sick. Luckily I’ve never minded a bit of vomit so I just continued to paddle and munch on my apple. It was a good day and a grand trip!