Well, when I left you last I was headed into the crew bar. It was only a glimpse for me as we only stayed about an hour. We got what we needed and headed out. It was a little strange to be in “their” space. I felt like an intruder. I mean, this is the one spot all these people have to get away from everyone and let their hair down and there we were filming it! I was feeling a little guilty, so we made it fast. But I can tell you this, it is a nice, with cheap drink, people from all over the world, a great DJ, lots of dancing and I am sure plenty happens there! So, while I didn’t get to experience the full crew bar madness, at least I can say I have been there!
The following day, it was off to Mazatlan. We drove about 40 minutes up into the mountains, through many poor areas, past dilapidated homes with clothes hanging everywhere, metal roofs falling off. It was sad to see, but not entirely unexpected. We had a great guide who pointed out any sights along the way, including the Pacifico Brewery. We arrived eventually to a lush beautiful ranch that is home to the Huana Noa Canopy Tour.
There were fields and fields of blue agave plants (which are used to make tequila), much like you would see corn in the Midwest. It was amazing because for a distance, it painted the fields a cold blue shade. It was an amazing sight. Outside the main building was a HUGE, intricate Banyan tree. It was just so stunning, with little lizards resting cozily within its many branches. All around us were the Sierra Madre Mountains, rising in the distance, silhouetted against the blazing sun. What a perfect day!
So, we got outfitted in our harnesses and helmets, had a safety briefing and then it was off to 10 zip lines in the woods! The longest one was 900 feet in length over a valley of cactus and dense foliage. It was gorgeous. Each line had something unique whether it was the view, the distance or the speed. The fastest one, called “the Bullet” was just so exhilarating. I went speeding down this line, absolutely flying fast, so fast that I was unable to break myself as I approached the landing platform and I thought I nearly knocked the guide off the platform with the force with which I pelted him as he tried to catch me!
Though I am afraid of heights, this didn’t scare me at all. Or so I thought as we approached line 9. The platform was built into a tree about 50 feet off the ground! You had to walk around the whole tree to get to the other side of the other zip on a metal platform measuring about 2 feet in width! I was so scared of it. I was trying to scurry around the tree, hugging in as close to it as I could. I felt like such a baby, but I couldn’t even look down. Once I was hooked into the next zip and ready for takeoff, I thought the worst was behind me…..and I was wrong again!
I must interrupt this story. I am sitting at the pool bar on a beautiful night typing this. Picture it, the pool deck is very very quiet and empty as it is the dinner hour, and I am enjoying some quiet time and a warm Mexican breeze (and a Gin and soda) just feeling lucky to be alive. Suddenly, these 7 children just arrived screaming (and I mean literally screaming) for Shirley Temples. They must be about 11 years old and they are sooooo obnoxious. Where are these kids’ parents I wonder? And where do they get off being this annoying at such a young age? Ok, they just left and I think I am now deaf. Really???
Anyway, back to the final portion of the zipline. We go down the final line and all of us are gathered on the platform, again bolted into the side of a tree, and looking around. We know this is the final run but there doesn’t seem to be anywhere to go from here. The guide says he is going to show us how to get down. He is standing next to me on the platform and then he jumps and is gone. I am not exaggerating. He is just gone. It is a 30 foot drop to the ground and he has apparently jumped onto a separate rope and slide down. He then yells up that this is how we are expected to get down! For the first time, my heart starts pounding. I begin feeling faint. I can’t look down, much less jump off this platform into the sandy abyss below. I am having a hard time breathing. I am not practically sitting in the tree, willing it to hold me there until a helicopter comes and picks me up, of at least the fire company come with a ladder and a strong man to get me down.
So, the cameraman goes down first, he seems nervous, but makes it look easy. Then our teenager goes. She squeals quite a bit on the way down which does nothing to bolster my confidence. Then the mom goes. She and I exchange notes on the level of pure fear we feel before she drops out of sight. It is now my turn. I get harnessed in and told to walk to the edge of the platform. I am TERRIFIED. Literally, tears are starting to gather in the corners of my eyes. Our second cameraman is filming me for his own entertainment. I am shaking, feel nauseous, am on the verge of breaking into tears and I am silently trying to figure out how to push the tiny little guide that is asking me to walk to the edge off the platform so that I won’t have to do it. I slowly move to the edge, with tears overwhelming my eyesight. She tells me to “just sit” down in my harness and gently move off the platform. What?????? I slowly, very very s-l-o-w-l-y sit and let all my weight become the responsibility of guide one on the ground with a rope that will theoretically lower me to safety. It is at this moment that every thought I have ever had about my high register in the scale occurs to me: what if I am too heavy for him to hold me, what if I break the rope, what I go crashing down on top of him, what if I disturb the entire rotation of the earth with the enormous thud my gigantic body is sure to make on impact with the hard earth? All absurd thoughts I know, but I can’t control them.
I now sit in my harness, hovering like some bee over a flower, 30 feet above the ground yelling “get me down get me down get me down”. He holds me there for a bit because my terror is amusing to him. Finally, after what seems like hours, he starts to lower me and suddenly, it is fun! I am just dropping to the ground, weightless and flying. So fun! I landed and almost wanted to do it again, almost! Overall, what a great excursion!
The following day, it was off to Mazatlan. We drove about 40 minutes up into the mountains, through many poor areas, past dilapidated homes with clothes hanging everywhere, metal roofs falling off. It was sad to see, but not entirely unexpected. We had a great guide who pointed out any sights along the way, including the Pacifico Brewery. We arrived eventually to a lush beautiful ranch that is home to the Huana Noa Canopy Tour.
There were fields and fields of blue agave plants (which are used to make tequila), much like you would see corn in the Midwest. It was amazing because for a distance, it painted the fields a cold blue shade. It was an amazing sight. Outside the main building was a HUGE, intricate Banyan tree. It was just so stunning, with little lizards resting cozily within its many branches. All around us were the Sierra Madre Mountains, rising in the distance, silhouetted against the blazing sun. What a perfect day!
So, we got outfitted in our harnesses and helmets, had a safety briefing and then it was off to 10 zip lines in the woods! The longest one was 900 feet in length over a valley of cactus and dense foliage. It was gorgeous. Each line had something unique whether it was the view, the distance or the speed. The fastest one, called “the Bullet” was just so exhilarating. I went speeding down this line, absolutely flying fast, so fast that I was unable to break myself as I approached the landing platform and I thought I nearly knocked the guide off the platform with the force with which I pelted him as he tried to catch me!
Though I am afraid of heights, this didn’t scare me at all. Or so I thought as we approached line 9. The platform was built into a tree about 50 feet off the ground! You had to walk around the whole tree to get to the other side of the other zip on a metal platform measuring about 2 feet in width! I was so scared of it. I was trying to scurry around the tree, hugging in as close to it as I could. I felt like such a baby, but I couldn’t even look down. Once I was hooked into the next zip and ready for takeoff, I thought the worst was behind me…..and I was wrong again!
I must interrupt this story. I am sitting at the pool bar on a beautiful night typing this. Picture it, the pool deck is very very quiet and empty as it is the dinner hour, and I am enjoying some quiet time and a warm Mexican breeze (and a Gin and soda) just feeling lucky to be alive. Suddenly, these 7 children just arrived screaming (and I mean literally screaming) for Shirley Temples. They must be about 11 years old and they are sooooo obnoxious. Where are these kids’ parents I wonder? And where do they get off being this annoying at such a young age? Ok, they just left and I think I am now deaf. Really???
Anyway, back to the final portion of the zipline. We go down the final line and all of us are gathered on the platform, again bolted into the side of a tree, and looking around. We know this is the final run but there doesn’t seem to be anywhere to go from here. The guide says he is going to show us how to get down. He is standing next to me on the platform and then he jumps and is gone. I am not exaggerating. He is just gone. It is a 30 foot drop to the ground and he has apparently jumped onto a separate rope and slide down. He then yells up that this is how we are expected to get down! For the first time, my heart starts pounding. I begin feeling faint. I can’t look down, much less jump off this platform into the sandy abyss below. I am having a hard time breathing. I am not practically sitting in the tree, willing it to hold me there until a helicopter comes and picks me up, of at least the fire company come with a ladder and a strong man to get me down.
So, the cameraman goes down first, he seems nervous, but makes it look easy. Then our teenager goes. She squeals quite a bit on the way down which does nothing to bolster my confidence. Then the mom goes. She and I exchange notes on the level of pure fear we feel before she drops out of sight. It is now my turn. I get harnessed in and told to walk to the edge of the platform. I am TERRIFIED. Literally, tears are starting to gather in the corners of my eyes. Our second cameraman is filming me for his own entertainment. I am shaking, feel nauseous, am on the verge of breaking into tears and I am silently trying to figure out how to push the tiny little guide that is asking me to walk to the edge off the platform so that I won’t have to do it. I slowly move to the edge, with tears overwhelming my eyesight. She tells me to “just sit” down in my harness and gently move off the platform. What?????? I slowly, very very s-l-o-w-l-y sit and let all my weight become the responsibility of guide one on the ground with a rope that will theoretically lower me to safety. It is at this moment that every thought I have ever had about my high register in the scale occurs to me: what if I am too heavy for him to hold me, what if I break the rope, what I go crashing down on top of him, what if I disturb the entire rotation of the earth with the enormous thud my gigantic body is sure to make on impact with the hard earth? All absurd thoughts I know, but I can’t control them.
I now sit in my harness, hovering like some bee over a flower, 30 feet above the ground yelling “get me down get me down get me down”. He holds me there for a bit because my terror is amusing to him. Finally, after what seems like hours, he starts to lower me and suddenly, it is fun! I am just dropping to the ground, weightless and flying. So fun! I landed and almost wanted to do it again, almost! Overall, what a great excursion!
Before returning to our floating home, we stopped for some food and shopping. I got some great trinkets and a gorgeous present for my beautiful niece! We then went to an ocean side restaurant to watch the sun set over the outlying islands while eating the BEST fajitas I have ever had, washed down with cold Coronas! Seriously, this is my job?
1 comment:
You finally made it down to the crew bar!! Sorry it was such a short visit!
Post a Comment