Peculiar Perspectives
“’Tis the perception of the beautiful, A fine extension of the faculties, Platonic, universal, wonderful, Drawn from the stars, and filtered through the skies, Without which life would be extremely dull” Lord Byron
I have definitely challenged my perception of the earth, of the mountains, of what’s up and down and front and back. I’ve done it so thoroughly that I close my eyes and feel myself rolling, diving, bouncing, semicircular canals still conferring about how to keep me upright. You can call it disorientation, call it drunk on adrenaline, call it Queenstown, or call it as it is—FUN!!!
Yesterday I climbed into a little “Pitts Special” stunt plane, seated in the front, but denied controls. The one who had them used them well though. Once 4000 meters above Lake Wakatipu ringed by the Southern Alps, the little plane began to loop and roll and turn the view into a 720 degree feast for bugged eyes. Flying has, and likely never will be, this intense ever again. Herb! You forgot to teach me these maneuvers!!
Today, it was time for a bit more active aerial adventure, The Nevis Highwire Bungi. I’ve put off bungi jumping until now, always assuming it’d be too brief and unsatisfying. Or maybe I just had that terrible image of the extra-large woman at the Puyallup Fair hanging like a fish, shirt pinning her arms over her head. Whatever the reason, I decided to ignore it since I am now in “the birthplace of the bungi.” And I’m so glad I did. No expletive, photo, or scream can fully describe the feeling of leaping off a platform 440 feet over a river valley. Maybe just my after-glow face can give a hint.
There are MUCH worse addictions to have than sugar and adrenaline. 😀
Tags: New Zealand, Queenstown
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