A bridge too far
Today was the big day for Mr A.....the Bloukrans bridge bungy jump!
He admitted to feeling a few butterflies on the drive there but once he'd got harnessed and ready, he was raring to go.
I had the option of going on the bridge with him (spectating rather than jumping), but thought since they would take photos at close range, I'd be better placed across the valley.
The main viewing area was busy so I had a little wander around the back of the building and found the perfect vantage point all to myself (from a tourist point of view). My spot was right next to the safety guy and cameraman.
I felt more reassured being next to them, especially the safety guy who observed the bungy platform through a spotting scope and made checks before and after every jump.
It felt like an eternity waiting for Mr A to jump; he was booked for 3pm but it was almost 4 when his turn came.
I'd had a chat with the safety guy while I was waiting (while he was on a break as I didn't want to distract him!) and he kindly said he would tell me when Mr A was up, to save me keep spying through the binoculars.
When the time came, I felt physically sick! I could see Mr A on the edge of the platform and heard the '3,2,1....bungy!'
Seeing someone you love fall from such a great height isn't something I'd recommend, in fact, once he was safely back up, I went to the cafe and got myself a beer! I was actually shaking!
He arrived back all smiles and whispered that the guy who'd been in charge of his jump was a Man Utd fan, so he'd sneakily lengthened the cable so that Mr A could fall further and faster!
Proof that it's not what you know but who you know!
From there, we drove to another bridge; this time a suspension bridge over Storms River.
We'd not heard of this, but at breakfast this morning I struck up a conversation with a couple from Luxembourg. I noticed he was wearing a jacket from the game reserve we are staying at, so I asked him for tips. He and his wife showed us photos from their game drives and now I'm more excited than ever to see hippos!
When we said we were going to Bloukrans, they mentioned the suspension bridge and said it was only about 25mins further.
It was definitely worth seeing, despite the 1001 steps!
Today's blip had to be of Bloukrans bridge. The lower right photo is Mr A, doing his best Spider-Man impression.
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