5 Underpants Jump

Hello,

The minus 5 bar actually turned out to be a lot colder (originally they kept it at -5 degrees Celcius but things were still melting so its a lot colder than that now). We split off with the original group and i'm so glad we did. There were only 12 people total and we were 8 of them. We got to know the others quickly and had a great time surrounded by ice. There was only one rule: don't fart because it doesn't leave the air for about an hour. Apparently someone in our group wasn't listening and near the end there was a pretty bad smell hanging in the air. Luckily they turned on the air conditioner some more and got the bad air out of there pretty quickly. I took about 20 or so photos so one day they'll be posted. I think the ice glass was one of the coolest parts. When we were leaving the group we split from was going in...all 27 of them, which i think would not have been fun.

Minus 5 bar such a weird place.



I've done my last jump(s) for queenstown and it feels like i've done all that i can. I skipped out on one of the bungys because, really, there's not much difference between 2 and 3 jumps. that and i need to leave something for next time. Yesterday I went with Laura to the Canyon Swing and I think that if you do one thing in queenstown the canyon swing is it (with the nevis close behind). Its about 15 minutes away from q-town in a massive canyon. You get all strapped up, jump off a ledge, free fall for 60 meters, and then swing in an arc for about 200 meters going 150 kilometers/hour. i don't know how fast that is, but its dang fast. Now, it would be nice if all you had to do was jump, but thats too easy. Their goal is to find the jump that will scare the most crap out of you (they rate all of the different kind of jumps by number of underpants). My "jump" was hanging upside down over the ledge, with my feet wrapped around the top of the cord and my head looking straight down into the river below. They pull the cord and then you fall headfirst down the canyon. They call it "Gimp boy goes to Hollywood"

The next jump only costs $20 dollars more, which lead me back to the ledge to do a backwards jump off. The fall itself wasn't that bad; gimp boy was definitely more exciting. But making myself jump off of the ledge was really intense. Somehow on jumps with a countdown it makes it easier because its almost like someone else is deciding when you do it. No countdown on this one. "Lock your fingers behind your head, lean back, and push off the legde as you're falling" ...small talk...small talk... "So I'm good to go?" "Yeah" ...a few silent moments to harness my chi, and then a backwards jump.

I'm happy to be leaving Queenstown. Its a great place to be busy and do everything, but its crazy expensive (no one thing is expensive, it just adds up so quickly) and doesn't feel like a place I would like to live. My ratings: Q-town good; Wanaka great.

Milford Sound is next: voted the second most beautiful place in the world by national geographic (Norway's Fiordland was first). It rains about 230 days a year there, so hoping I can slip in there rain-free.

have a good day

chad