Monday, December 18, 2006

Three, Two, OAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

After a quick stop to gaze at the turquoise blue waters of lake Tekapo (or was it Tepabo? or Tepakap? or TeKO?.. they just have the most random names anyways!) I left my dear friends in Christchurch, not without a tear in the corner of my eye..

And i hopped back on my long bus journeys to reach lake Taupo in 2 days, and spend the remaining few days before christmas in the center of the north island.

- Do you know were i may possibly ask in order to enquire about the possibility to suggest that i may some day, if it is possible.. do some skydiving.... ? i ask timidly to the reception of my guesthouse..
- Of course here is a good company you should go today because tomorrow is going to be rainy look i'll just call for you it's all good you're signed in they'll come pick you up in two hours.
- er..... ok.
She said everything in one sentence before i had time to breathe and the last part still rings in my head like a death sentence "they'll come pick you up in two hours"!

Indeed, two hours later i'm all dressed up and harnessed, sitting in a plane with an instructor glued to my back and making faces to the camera... (what the hell am i doing??)

As the plane gains altitude i start to feel my stomach going upside down.. and why don't they put toilets in these stupid tiny aircrafts?! but the pityless eye of the camera stares at me and i have to play cool so i can show later in front of my friends!
There we are. 15000 feet above the ground. It never felt so far.
They open the fake plastic sheet that serves as a door and the first person disapears in a split second. Are they dead yet? I'm next.
We move to the door and i barely have time to look down when YYYAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!
At this point it's excitment more than fear.. it's too late for fear anyways!
Completely unconscious that i'm crashing to the ground at over 200km/h i even find the time to smile at the camera!.. i mean, as much as i manage to smile with my cheeks flapping on my teeth! My mouth is completely dry but i don't quite manage to close it..
The feeling is... impossible to describe! I simply scream my guts out!
The 60 seconds of free fall seem like an instant and i'm already pulled by the crotch as the parachute opens. All of a sudden the wind stops and everything goes calm.
Except me, i can't stop screaming my excitment!
A few spins with the parachute to admire the view, the volcanoes, the snowy mountains, the fields, the lake.. beautiful..
And it's already over.. i lift my legs as instructed and we both land smoothly on our bottoms.
The time to back up to my feet and i already can't believe i just did it!
Can we do it again?!!






3 comments:

Anonymous said...

énorme !
c'est quand qu'tu lmets enligne, le film??

Ray said...

Wow Arjun! This is a tremendous achievement, I must say! Congratulations!!!!!!!
Hey since you have had the first taste at being a dare-devil, maybe you should send in an application for the next Bond film. Hope to see you next in the movies (besides Borat)! ;-)

Anonymous said...

Juste un petit mot pour te souhaiter d'excellentes fêtes de fin d'année au bout du monde !