saturday in antigua was one of the things i was looking forward to the most. ziplinning!!! it's been on my list of "things to do before i die" for quite some time. and this was my chance.
we took a little shuttle up to a hill top restaurant/resort just above antigua. the company has set up a course with 11 ziplines, various rope bridges and some rather intimidating ladders. now, i've never had a fear of heights. so the idea of dangling off of a wire 300 meters above the ground didn't really bother me. but the sight of the ladder going up those 300 meters? that i had to climb? in hiking boots? THAT freaked me out. but one rung at a time.....i managed to get from the bottom to the top. and from there could hook onto that wire, and fly!
here we are all suited up and ready for flight! the team that ran the operation was efficient and thorough. i always felt safe under their care. they were very careful to explain the entire process to us, and ensured us that safety was their number one priority!
it's hard to see, but that little dot in the middle of the trees? that's me! i'll admit the first of the 11 zip lines i was so worried about getting everything right, i hardly had time to enjoy the experience. but i quickly got the hang of it. where to put my hands, how to hold my legs, how to stop. it all happens so fast that it's like a blur. but after that first one? i was able to fully enjoy that feeling of speed and momentum. and it was wonderful!
here's tony, coming in just behind me. he may have enjoyed it even more than i did!
landed safe and sound! this course had a break system that made stopping pretty fool-proof. most places you have to manually slow down and stop at the end. it was a relief not to have to think about the mechanics!
the last of the 11 ziplines was the longest/highest. 600 meters long. it offers a beautiful view of the surrounding areas. the skies were clear, so you could see all three volcanos in the distance. and the lush canopy of trees below.
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