It feels so weird to actually be getting ready to leave all my traveling behind and come back home, but before I do i wanted to make my last week or so in Nepal memorable! What better way to do this than start off with going Bungee Jumping from the world’s second highest Bungee jump in the world! When I arrived at our meeting place before the long drive to the jump almost everyone in the group was from Canada and a group my own age were from Calgary! It was awesome to meet with so many fellow Calgarians and share this experience with some young adventurous souls! When I saw the bridge that we were going to jump from I immediately got butterflies, it was HUGE. The worst part was there was so much waiting around before we went that the anticipation was eating away at me. I didn't think I was going to be all that nervous but standing there watching people go one by one before me I didn't know how I would manage jumping off head first and free falling into the deep valley below. Most people looked so brave and didn't hesitate once they stepped up to the platform and I knew that as soon as I stepped out there I couldn't wait, I just had to go as fast as possible or I would never be able to jump off. I was called up and the guy putting on my harness asked for my name, I told him Marni, which I know has some sort of meaning towards death in Nepal and I usually tell the Nepalese this so its easier for them to pronounce but the guy looked at me strangely and said... "The real meaning is, you going to die!" Great thing to hear right before jumping headfirst into the abyss, Thanks! I stepped out, swore ALOT and jumped. Jumping head first is going against everything your body wants to do so it was extremely hard to go for it but I did it and I am so proud of myself for not crapping my pants right there! I screamed the entire time and the fall feels like forever until the bungee actually kicks in and you go flying back up and bounce a few times. It was such an unbelievable experience and I was so pumped on adrenaline that I climber back up and get in line for a second go at it. This time I tried the Swing. It doesn't sound extreme but it is! You are connected to the bungee at the hip instead of at the feet and you jump off feet first than fall for a good 6 seconds until some cross wire kicks in and you go flying to the other side of the canyon. They take a video of this and when i watched it, I looked like a spastic trying to roll down the window of a car, very entertaining.
Its great coming back to Kathmandu because I actually know people here that I can call up and go get some drinks with and hang out with. It really does feel like a second home where I have my favorite fruit stand seller, restaurant, guest house, and supermarket where I walk in and get a friendly smile and chat. Every time I come back to my favorite guest house the guy has my 250rs (3.50$) room all ready and set for me. This guesthouse is a bargain but you get what you pay for which is why I love it so much. It’s a piece of crap place with cockroaches running around and a tiny single bathroom I have to share with other people which is always soaking wet because the shower sprays over the toilet but its home and I get to watch Bollywood movies downstairs with the guy who runs the place.… I am such a cheapo haha! I met up for drinks with old volunteers and people I have met along the way and we all recapped our latest adventures. I had plans to go to a Yoga retreat for my last week to learn more and to just relax. The place was beautiful but unfortunately I was all alone at the retreat so it was very quiet… too quiet! The cook tried to keep me company on my free time but became very creepy when he started talking about how he wanted to come to Canada but getting a Visa was too hard… than continued to suggest that we get married so its easier to get into Canada. I tried to ignore him after that, but was not very successful. After 3 nights here I had to get out or else I was going to go crazy! It just made me want to come home earlier because it was lonely and made me think about home way too much. I left and signed up for a 2 day rafting trip for the next day to take my mind off things. It was a two day excursion, and was extremely lucky to be with a huge group of young travelers again. The first day we went over some class 1-3 rapids, had lunch and continued on. Our rafts team name was Team Extreme and we had some intense team spirit! We stopped at one point at some cliffs and got to do cliff jumping which was a little added bonus! That night we stayed at an amazing resort in the jungle where food was provided and slept in tents by the river. The next day we were told it was going to be a lot more intense getting mostly 3-5 class rapids; class 5 being the highest class... I kind of thought that our rafting guides were just talking the whole thing up like it was going to be super extreme just so we were ready for anything… however they were a lot more intense than I expected! We got thrown around, got stuck on rocks, had to climb out a few times to maneuver our raft, got lodged in between two rocks, lost two girls who had to swim down the rapids and even flipped the entire boat. I even had to be rescued by the emergency kayaks we had paddling beside us. It was such a fun time and I was so glad that I close to do rafting instead of stay alone with the creepy cook at the Yoga retreat.
Tomorrow I think I may kick it down a notch in extreme sports and go check out this place that offers a day package of yoga, reiki, holistic healing, meditation, chanting and dancing. For my last day Ill probably go and get an intense massage to work out all my kinks from traveling, go see the S.A foundation which I did volunteering back home for and are based in Kathmandu and than my rafting friends wanted to go out for dinner and drinks for my final night in Nepal. I don’t plan to sleep in my dumpy ol guest house for my last night, instead I’m going to spend the night on the high rooftop of the volunteering office in my sleeping bag where I can sleep under the stars, say my final goodbye to Nepal and reflect on my amazing travel experiences!
So Long Nepal, You will be missed!
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