Adrenaline Fix

This is Kelsi typing this time. I think I'm all out of adrenaline! After climbing Island Peak (By the way, we forgot to mention - our guide's name was Tenzing Sherpa, named after the first Sherpa to summit Mnt. Everest. We just loved getting such a traditionally named guide!) Rusty wanted to do some more kayaking since our original class was cut in half due to his kidney stone, so we signed up for another 3 day clinic. I barely survived the first kayaking clinic since in third world countries they just throw you in, and on my 2nd day ever kayaking I was going down 2+ rapids on the Bhote Kosi River.

However, the kayak guides here are really good about safety in that they never had more than two of us with one guide and they always had us wear helmets, etc. On the Trisuli River, where we were kayaking during our latest clinic, I'd have to say there were definitely some class 3 holes here and there and so many long trains of rapids, that many were classified on the verge of class 3. Plus, rapids look 2-3 times larger in a kayak than a raft! I'll have to admit that I was terrified - and that's not an exaggeration! The guide even held my kayak through some of the rapids because I was so petrified, and we still flipped together in one of them! Luckily, the river wasn't overly hazardous, and we were easily able to retrieve the kayaks and paddles after flipping over, tearing ourselves out of the kayak, and swimming down the rapids. All the same, I was nervous and felt vulnerable since kayaks have an enclosed top so that when you flip over it feels like you are trapped upside down in the boat with your head underwater. On top of that, I don't have any mastery of Eskimo rolls (which is how a kayaker turns upright after flipping over).

After surviving 2 1/2 days of our kayaking course, I decided to do my last run of the Trisuli river in a raft and see a downstream section of bigger rapids that Rusty had run in his kayak the day before without me. Wow! They were so crazy even in a raft, although the rapids all felt so much bigger after getting the kayaker's perspective. However, the section we rafted was 3-4 level (The highest navigable rapids are a level 5. We read in a magazine that if someone survives a level 6 rapid, it automatically becomes classified as a level 5). I couldn't believe Rusty could do those waves! He'd only been down a river 3-4 times before about 5 years ago. It's weird how guys have so much less fear than girls.

Two other quick interesting parts to the Trisuli river experience: 1) It was a full moon so Rusty joined in for a night run on the raft down one stretch of rapids - pretty cool! I was too sleepy and cold. We didn't get a chance to warm up yet since our climbing - it's still pretty nippy even down off the mountain. Also, Kayaking is very physically demanding and that made me sleepy! 2) We rode on top of a bus 3 hours back to Kathmandu. That's the local way when there's no more seats available and it's better to take what you can get -

My next adrenaline drainer... After Kayaking, there were 2 more unique things left to do before moving on from Kathmandu: Canyoning and Bungee Jumping. The canyoning was pretty fun and very structured for safety. We rappelled down 7 waterfalls with the longest one measuring 150 feet. Our camera battery died so we didn't get good photos. Here's a photo of me going down one of the smaller waterfalls:

Then came the bungee jump... After burning up so much adrenaline kayaking, I just don't know how I managed to jump 500 feet off a suspension bridge upside down! We keep hearing different stats, but the latest is that this is the 2nd highest bungee in the world behind one at Victoria Falls in Africa and higher than the highest one in New Zealand. I seriously don't understand how Rusty just waved with a smile at me and jumped right on the count of 3. The guy operating the jump had to talk me into jumping and count to 3 two times. I didn't know if I could do it. But I did! And it was crazy! Two factors helped me jump: 1) I'd already paid a pretty decent price and it was non-refundable. 2) This was a unique opportunity and it really was quite safe, so what's the big deal (It seemed safe since 20+ people already jumped just that same day). Oddly, it was more scary than skydiving. Maybe that isn't odd? I'm not sure.

Here's a picture of Rusty and I on the bridge we jumped from. You can't see the creek at the bottom.

Here's a picture of me on the edge of the jump trying to talk myself into going for it. Rusty jumped so quickly that our friend didn't even get a chance to get his picture.

Needless to say, I didn't mind too much that we had to spend an extra day in Kathmandu recuperating my nerves before heading on to our next leg of our journey. The past 2 days in Kathmandu everyone has been on strike since 2 people were found dead, likely from some Maoist crazy mid-level leaders. The locals are upset the government did this and is denying it. So no buses left the city, including ours, and most businesses closed. But we didn't see any riots or anything like that, and the strike gave us extra time for a nice Thanksgiving dinner of steak and pizza... We decided to start our first tradition of having pizza Wednesday night every year before Thanksgiving. We were kind of just in the mood for it last night, but then we thought, hey that's a good idea since Wednesday before Thanksgiving will likely be busy getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner, so let's call this pizza thing our first holiday tradition :) Also, there's no Turkey to be found in Nepal. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!