The Victoria Falls bungi
makes a leap from the bridge that spans the Bakota gorge in no-man’s-land
between Zambia and Zimbabwe. At 111 metres it was, until recently,
the highest bungi jump in the world. The Bloukrans Bridge bungi
on South Africa’s Garden Route now supersedes it at 217 metres.
This breathtaking feat, with the spectacular backdrop of the Victoria
Falls, is hugely popular and over 60 000 people have jumped to date -
all safely.
Standing on the lip of the bungi platform is terrifying.
It’s a fear so intense that it grips every organ in your body
and pickles your mind. Jumping off the platform takes all the courage
you can muster. Then for a few exhilarating seconds you plummet
towards the swirling waters of the Zambezi River below. The space and
silence are like no other sensation, before you feel the tug of the bungi
cord as it reaches its optimum length. But it’s not over then. The jump is followed by a series of giant exhilarating bounces
that take you on an incredible ride in the Zambezi Gorge. The bridge
comes careening back towards you. Again you fly without the feel
of the cord at your feet. What are you waiting for? 5, 4, 3, 2,
1...bungi!
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