daily highs and lows

who wouldn't want to spend an entire day in Coffee Bay, SA cliff-jumping?
well...plenty of people, I'm sure, but this story is about me and my amazing day cliff-hunting. and then jumping. jumping. jumping.

woke up around 8 and had a relaxing shower, breakfast, played a game of pool with some travel friends and hopped in the truck for our drive into the hills.
it was a short drive, maybe 10 minutes, until the truck couldn't handle the crumbling road any longer. from here it was on foot. we hiked for what seemed like forever through the hills and down steep cliffs until we finally hit a small cove along the coastline. here we took a quick break and claimed 'camp' for later. on we went through thick brush, up and down hills, along the coast and scaling shale walls to reach a nice beach backed by a tremendous cave...home to the local bat community. we explored the cave a bit but eventually moved on because the tide was rising fast and jump 1 on our roster was low-tide sensitive. eventually we made it along the steep rock cliffs to the place we would be jumping from. only three people out of the entire group had the courage to jump here...and one of them was the guide. this cliff was maybe 9meters high and plunged you straight into the ocean. I did this jump a few times and eventually the group was ready to move on. up up up we went and eventually we hit a bit of a rock wall. while an easy climb for me I couldn't say the same for the rest of the group. I was definitely the only rock climber (guide excluded...he could hold his own but I still spotted him while he climbed it.) so I helped everyone get up and from the top we found ourselves at jump 2. again just two people this time. it was an exhilarating 10m fall into a beautiful cove cut by the rough ocean waves over countless years. After two go's I wanted more. the guide told me about a jump that even many locals won't do. immediately I was interested. he pointed out the wall I would have to climb from our safe spot across the cove. it was a rough shale wall, steep as it could be without overhanging more than once or twice...and just slightly then... and the first potential jump spot was easily 35 feet up...maybe a touch more. I needed to do it. he gave me the 411 on the rocks in the water and I was ready. my jump into the water this time was just a warm up. I hit the water and immediately swam to the other side and began to climb. immediately I slipped on the wet shale and cut my knee open a bit. I wasn't about to let that happen again. Carefully placing my hands and feet I worked my way up and across the slippery wall barely hearing the gasps from my hiking companions from (now below me) across the cove. I made it flawlessly to the jump spot and sat there for a minute just enjoying the view of the ocean from my rock perch. looking up I found another jump spot maybe 5 feet higher up. I knew it was for me. I climbed my final leg, took a deep breath and without a care in the world I fell fell fell fell fell.
splash.
amazing.
all I can remember is thinking to myself "wow, I'm still falling." and then I was getting roughed up by the waves at the bottom. I climbed out, looked through pictures that everyone took and off we went.
cake. yeah. it was amazing.
we hiked up for an eternity and eventually trekked our way back to camp for lunch. grilled tomato, onion and cheese sandwiches could never taste better than after that jump. I ate an apple sitting in a tree, countered a few monkey remarks and watched the ocean.
while everyone was relaxing on the beach I spotted a long cliff peninsula running out pretty far into the water. instead of hiking out to it I opted to swim to it and climb up. it took me a while to get out there, and a bit less time to carefully climb up it but eventually I was on the top. I explored the rocks for a bit and eventually relaxed and listened to the waves breaking on the cliff face below.
my hike back was eye opening. it took almost an hour and a half to navigate my way back across the rocks, through the woods, up and eventually down the hill back to the camp and the beach. I've never felt to close to nature as I did walking barefoot and only in a bathing suit across fields and through rocky terrain. it's a feeling that almost nothing could replicate. the scenery and events of the day only helped to wrap me up in love for this earth and for the opportunities I get to enjoy. I got back to camp rejuvenated and ready to keep hiking.
donning some clothes and shoes I joined the group across some steep terrain until we got to a river where spot 4 was located.
yep. more cliff jumping. what could be better?
this one had two jumps...a really small one (maybe 10 feet?) and a big one.
naturally I was right at the top and ready to take my 8 meter fall. this one actually freaked me out a bit because I had to jump through some branches of a tree and still get far enough out to avoid the sharp rocks beckoning from the water below.
there's no suspense here...I'm typing, I'm fine and I'm incredibly happy. I did the jump two times and actually convinced a girl who swore she would never jump to go off the smaller jump into the water. she was happy she had done it, but was scared enough that I'm pretty convinced she would never, ever, try it again. oh well...always try anything once, but if you don't like it then pack it away and try something new.
the hike back was beautiful, long and tiring. I was exhausted from a day of hiking, climbing, swimming and adrenaline usage.
well...I still am.
I'm going to sleep like a baby tonight.
=D

other than that all I have to report that the food here is fantastic, the people are amazing (it's considered VERY rude if you don't wave, honk and say hello to everyone you pass...and if a horn isn't available then an excited wave and enthusiastic hello will suffice.) and the atmosphere is truly perfect.
I'm considering coming back and volunteering in the orphan school here for a bit. I think it would be a great experience.
oh, and we get one extra unexpected day here tomorrow because for some reason the Baz Bus doesn't come here on fridays. it makes our plans into travel gumbo, but I'm excited to stay and also VERY excited to not have set plans again. I feel like Marissa is way too planned for me. not that she makes plans, but she NEEDS plans. she needs to know where we will be, at what time, what we will be doing and even sometimes what we will eat. it kills me, but it's a lesson in travel planning, humility and patience that I think I'm taking pretty well considering. ahhh traveling. =D

time to go sign up for dinner and maybe read on the beach a bit before eating and sleeping. I have an even longer hike ahead of me tomorrow.
<3