77. Things to do before you get really Old!!

This blog is for the things that you can do when you are young!!  A kind of a bucket list for people who want something extra in their life.  There is a kind of adrenaline-rush in doing these things and is not recommended for everyone.  

For a long time, I had been wishing to do these things and whenever I got an opportunity, ensured that I did these things.  The things are as follows: -

a)       Paragliding – There are three variables to this, as far as I know and have seen/experienced.  One is you start in a plain surface and your parachute is tied to a Jeep or any vehicle.  As soon as the vehicle speeds up, the parachute opens up and you start flying in the air!!  I did not do this, but ensured that my son did this when he was 6 years old!  Second one is where your parachute is tied to a speed boat and you start flying when the speed boat takes off.  I was able to do this in Pattaya in Thailand when I had gone for a vacation there.  My wife also did this stunt once!  The third is where you are on top of a mountain and do a jump from there with your parachute!!  I was able to do this last month when I had gone to Manali on a vacation with my family.  Of course, I did not do the jump.  The trainer did and I was attached to him with some cables!!  Needless to say, all my family too did this stunt – my wife and 2 kids!!  It is simply exhilarating and needs to be there on one’s bucket list!!

b)      White Water River Rafting – This has been at the back of my mind after I had seen some ads on magazines and some websites.  Last month, I was able to put a tick mark in my bucket list on this activity too!!  We did the Rafting in River Beas in Kulu.  A very very nice experience.  I also ensured that my mother of 70 years too participate in this.  Of course, the river was not that strong-flowing, but we had our fun getting wet during the trip!!  

c)       Bungee Jumping – I did a “desi” version of this sometime in 2006.  While my son did the paragliding on a vehicle, I did the bungee jumping from a “Crane”. Yeah that is right!! The crane that is used for help in building buildings!!   At the top of the crane, your legs are tied to each other and it is further attached to the crane.  You jump from the top of the crane and fall down!!  It was quite an experience.  The rope is kind of stretchable so that once you fall, you do some yo-yos going up and down!!  Once your fall is done, the rope is slowly sent down so that people below can catch you and get your feet on the ground!!

d)      Zipline – I narrowly missed doing this in Manali. Someone said it can be done in Kulu but when we reached Kulu from Manali, I came to know that it is only available in Manali!!  Anyways, a couple of days back, I had taken mine and my friends’ kids to a Water Park in Hyderabad.  There I was able to do this activity too!!  The maximum weight for the activity was 80kgs and I was, ahem, somewhat more than this requirement!! However, I convinced the operator that I will do it on my risk and he let me do the activity.  This was also quite an experience.  Just when the ride was about to end, I was thinking that I am going to bang against the wall with full force!!  But at the last moment the brake on the zipline kicked in and the zipline stopped well before the wall!!

Now only Jumping out from an airplane and ride on a hot-air balloon remains in my bucket list, as far as adventure sports in concerned!!  Hopefully I should be able to tick these off too, sometime in the foreseeable future!!

Cheers until next week!! 

Today’s Daffy Definition

Temptation – One who enters as a stranger, lingers as a guest and stays as a master!!