Thursday, July 15, 2010

Adventures in Cuzco

So I had the day free in Cuzco, and it was awesome.

After visiting the tourist office to confirm our tour to Machu Picchu starting tomorrow, I was picked up to go to Action Valley to do some adventure sports.  More specifically, bungee jumping and a slingshot.

Action Valley has the highest bungee jump in South America, at 394 feet.  I went bungee jumping in Edmonton when I visited Amanda about 5 years ago, but I don`t think that jump was half the size this one was.  I got attached to all of the cords, and then we started the ascent up.  I was nervous, but the guide kept me talking and was recording, so that helped.









Stepping to the edge was probably the hardest part, but once I was there and he counted down I jumped.  It was an awesome feeling of falling and having the air rush past you.  When I sprang back the first time I felt it in my back, but it didn´t hurt me.
After that, I did a bungee slingshot.  They attach you to a bungee cord that is attached to a tower up in the air while you are attached to it on the ground.  It is then tightened while the Superman theme song is played, and then after a countdown they let you loose, and you fly into the air.  The feeling of getting catapulted into the air at maximum speed like that was awesome.  Oh yeah, and you wear a Superman cape to make it that much more awesome.






There were 3 other people there at the same time, and they also did bungee jumping or slingshot.  They were all from Israel, and we got to talking.  After we were all done, we got the same taxi back to Cuzco.  Two of them went back to their hostel to rest, and I hung out with the other guy after that. 

We wandered around downtown Cuzco for a bit and then he brought me to an Israeli restaurant.  He knew some of the people that were already there from his travels, and he helped me order.  After we ordered, some more people he knew came in and joined us.  I got a bread type thing filled with cheese and tomato sauce, and it was so delicious.  I wasn`t able to finish it all.  Then he told me they were getting desserts, which were balls of chocolate.  I got one also, and it was soooo good.






After lunch we parted ways.  I wandered around to explore, get postcards, and snap some pictures.  After a few hours I went back to the hostel and was unsuccessful in getting a hot shower but was nonetheless glad to be clean.  I told myself I would only lay down for an hour, but that turned into a much longer nap.  By the time I woke up it was already getting dark, and I wasn`t in the mood to wander out here in the dark.  Some people from the hostel just came back, so I think I will stay in and hang out with them and prepare for Machu Picchu tomorrow.




Life is good.

No comments:

Post a Comment