Last week was designed to give those of us here in South Africa an extended chance to take advantage of all Cape Town and the surrounding region has to offer. Being of increasingly audacious spirit and curious mind, I decided before this trip began that I would be a participant in one of the "off-week" adventure tours the Global L.E.A.D. program would offer. In a country filled with numerous uplifting landscapes and opportunities to make memories unimagined before,the chance to lose myself in a week of boundless exploration and fellowship was an easy decision.
Beginning early Monday morning, fourteen others and I set off on a five day journey in which we explored and experienced South Africa's popular Garden Route to its fullest capacity. What an amazing time we had!
I'm not sure I will ever get another chance in my life to do so much in the spanof a week's time. Over the course of our five days, we went sea kayaking in thepresence of playful fur seals, canoed up a glassy river and hiked to the spectacle of a rhythmically flowing waterfall, encountered and rode elephants in theirnatural sanctuary, felt the adrenalin rush of the world's highest bungy, zip-linedthrough the air over the scenic earth below, rode on a game-drive in one of thecountry's twenty national parks, surveyed the chambers of caves millions of years in age, and visited an ostrich farm rich with history in the industry of meat processing and leather production. Talk about five days packed with tons of fun and excitement!
My favorite memory from the trip would have to be my mission of conquering Bloukrans Bridge, site of the world's highest commercial bungy jump at 216 meters. All throughout the trip, the thought of relishing in the adrenalin of this free fall stayed fixed inside my mind. I knew that if I didn't push myself to theedge and complete the jump, I would regret it for the rest of my time here in South Africa and probably forever afterward. The people at Bloukrans have a saying that goes, "fear is temporary, regret is forever." Bailing out was not an option. What I came away with was without a doubt the most exhilarating and breathtaking feeling I have ever felt. The jump is furious and tranquil all at thesame time. During the initial free fall you have no time to think about the enormity of the test you're putting your body through. Only after the fall is finally over, do you have the chance to look back on what just happened andfind yourself at peace with it. I'll never forget the vivid memories I have of before, during, and after the jump. My mother was very happy to hear I survived Bloukrans, but she would not be pleased to know that I would do it again in a heartbeat!
Beyond the incredible activities I experienced on the trip were the chances I got to get to know those around me every single day. Our days were filled encouraging each other to push ourselves to our limits and our nights werespent sitting around toasty fires gazing up at African skies, enjoying the company of one another, and savoring tasty meals with our most hospitable hosts. Those times are priceless. I learned so much about myself over thecourse of the week, but building friendships and learning about others is specialand can't be replaced.
We were especially fortunate to be led throughout the route by two very intriguing people, our guide Christo and our driver Jason. Very wise at 22 years of age, Christo has already faced so much in his young life and he had an incredible amount of knowledge to share with us about his time spent "in the bush" and his life as a young Afrikaner. Jason is an eccentric character whoreminded me a lot of my Uncle Max back home. His love for South Africa as anAfrikaner floats on every passionate word he speaks and even though he is older he is definitely still young at heart. On more than one occasion we foundourselves as the last two still awake, sitting around the fire listening to eachother's stories, sharing memories of days gone by and hopes of days to come.All of the people on the trip were amazing and this only strengthened the magnitude of the times we spent together.
We all have to let life happen, but the great thing about this life is how easily wecan control how we spend our days. Perspective and purpose, knowledge and wisdom. I feed on these things. This trip was awesome because I was surrounded by truly passionate people who want to get the most out of their time in South Africa just as I do. As we heard "the White Zulu" Johnny Clegg singso many times throughout the week, "spirit is the journey, body is the bus, I am the driver, from dust to dust, trying to be near you, searching for a way, listen to your life song, before it fades away."
My life song was playing loud and clear this past week...and I know fourteen other people who would agree with me. Great times with brilliant people, and many more to come!
-Scott Sumner
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