Freefalling in Paradise - the best experience of my life

I never thought I would actually do it, I meant to do it, I WANTED to do it but I was absolutely petrified. There are many people who will testify to my fear of heights, some have seen me lose it on fairground rides, or quiver whilst going up stairs that have gaps in between the steps. I was getting Facebook comments from friends telling me to try a sky-dive in New Zealand and how I would be fine, but I really wasn't sure. However, whilst lying in bed in Kaikoura, sober, I just decided that once I reached Queenstown, I absolutely had to do it. I might never have the opportunity again and that's what this entire trip was about.

So I arrived in Queenstown on a beautiful summer's evening at 5.45pm. I walked straight into the tourist office and asked which company I should go with and how high should I jump from. The woman asked what my budget was and I told her I couldn't afford it anyway, so aside from price, what were my options. There were three companies and three choices - 9, 000ft, 12, 000ft and 15, 000ft - the highest you can go for a tandem without oxygen. I decided to throw caution to the wind (absolutely literally in this situation) and I booked for 15, 000ft with Skydive Paradise the following morning.
http://skydiveparadise.co.nz
For those not familiar, you have to do 10-15 tandem jumps from this height before you're allowed consider going it alone.

I woke up and felt a tightness in my chest, I felt rather out of sorts and unbalanced. These are all the things they tell you to check for if you're doing a jump but I convinced myself it was psychological. One of the guys who was supposed to come with us was turned down due to the fact that he was over 100 kilos and he was really gutted, I felt for him but I was glad they took their safety seriously. So off we went, to Paradise, in Glenorchy, about 45 minutes from Queenstown. On the way we stopped for pics beside Lake Wakatipu

It was really breathtaking, when you're here it completely makes sense why it was chosen as Middle Earth and I was getting to fly over it!

There were nervous jokes about landing in the glacial waters but then we arrived and it was time for our brief (too brief - my nerves) safety instruction and getting suited up. I was almost mute with fear, I had gotten to the point where I was scared that I would be too scared to enjoy it. I desperately wanted to enjoy this and conquer my crazy fear once and for all, but I actually considered the fact that I might have a stroke in mid-air and be a dead-weight on my tandem instructor. I was a little relieved when I saw the big strapping men that we would be attached to. The two Danish girls (yes, both blonde, kind of attractive) that had been on the bus were first up and I watched the tiny plane rise through the air, climbing until it was out of view.

SEE - TINY - A TINY, TITANIUM TUBE!

Shortly afterwards a guy arose from laying on the grass and approached me. He introduced himself as Matias and said that I would be jumping with him. I was confused, was I not going to be attached to one of those big, muscular men I'd seen with the girls? Matias was slight, about 5'6" and at best could be described as lean. I know I'm no Amazon, but if the guy had 5 kilos on me I'd be surprised! In the plane (tube) I actually asked him if he would be able to feel my weight as we fell. He assured me that he wouldn't!

I tried not to look down as we ascended but I couldn't help but notice the snow-tipped peaks growing ever smaller below us and I couldn't breathe. I whispered "I'm not sure I can do this," and had awful visions of the plane having to return to the ground and having failed to confront this fear. Matt simply patted me on the shoulder and told me to move to the door. It's a good thing we were strapped so closely together because rather than sit at the door for a moment I threw myself out, wanting to get it over with and not experience the horrible anticipation any longer.

Surprisingly, my first sensation was absolute freedom. I loved it. I wanted to whoop and scream and I tried, but it's not very easy when you're flying towards earth at about 214 km per hour. All I could see was the blue of the lake but it didn't feel like I was hurtling towards it. It honestly felt like flying. When Matt tapped me to put my arms and legs out I didn't hesitate, my fear was gone. When he pulled the chute, I was disappointed, I wanted to free-fall the entire way - but that of course, was crazy. That's how I felt though - I was completely high on adrenalin and happiness. Delighted that I had confronted my fear and that I was enjoying so much.

We twisted and turned whilst we glided down towards the ground and I had time to take in the absolutely stunning scenery that surrounded me. I'm sure most people think the same, but I honestly couldn't have chosen a better place to take that crazy dive.

I landed smoothly and even asked if I could go back up again but there was a queue waiting to do their dives so I decided that some other place at some other time would be better.

Most unfortunately my video and photos corrupted so I only have a few snapshots to show but every time I think of it, I remember how I was filled to bursting with happiness and the most free I have ever felt. No Go-Pro could capture that.

So, when I get the money again, I'll try again somewhere, maybe back in Dubai - apparently it's only 10, 000ft - pah! I can do that ;) I'm just afraid it will never feel as good as that first time.

On sleeping and a rough ride to Siem Reap

Sleep, or lack of, is very important to me, particularly when travelling. I always want to have the energy to do everything on the itinerary but I'm not 20 anymore so I can't go days without sleep. So some notes.....

Never, ever take a sleeping pill to grab 40 winks. You may find out you wake 4 and a half hours later and have missed something great. This happened to me in Phnom Penh, but more on that later. There are lots of corollary's to this however....
Don't ever take a sleeping pill or herbal sleeping aid before a night out, as you will likely be a little dazed and confused throughout the night and alcohol will not help.
Sleeping pills ARE actually super for napping on buses, trains, boats etc...just ensure your baggage is safe.
I also found them good for when you really do need to get some sleep (i.e physically demanding trek next day)
Valerian root is a good herbal alternative. Two of these and you'll be gonzo after about twenty mins... for at least 4 hours, even if you're a dreadful sleeper like me.

A well-travelled friend once told me how herself and friends used to lie perpendicular with their legs against a wall, the blood rushes to the head making it great for a quick nap. Whenever I think about her I can never get this image out of my head (4 girls in a hostel in India, asleep with their legs in the air).

When we left Koh-Rong we wanted to get to Siem Reap in the easiest manner possible. After our usual hour or two sleep, we got up and out of our hut (7am!), had breakfast a little further along the beach and then boarded our boat back to Sihanoukville, a little sorry to be leaving the paradise of the island. From there it was a minibus to town and we thought we might catch a bus to Siem Reap directly. We were wrong, even though it was only noon, it had already left. So hot, bothered and tired we decided to get a taxi. I may have mentioned this before but SERIOUSLY - Agree taxi fares in advance, say you will pay half first and half WHEN YOU REACH YOUR DESTINATION. April and I got nicely ripped off whilst on our way from Sihanoukville to Siem Reap. We said we would pay for a taxi the whole way {thinking it would save time and be more comfortable...ah the naivety of the little travelled}. We paid USD 130. This IS a rip-off. When your tired and realise you have probably about 7 hours of travel ahead, it seems a small price to pay. Our first taxi driver was on the phone constantly, he also didn't speak a single word of English. The A/C didn't work, as such I had guzzled 2 litres of water an hour into the trip and we were both soaked with sweat. Opening the window was infinitely worse as most Cambodian roads are dusty, and it was pretty humid outside too. We were unceremoniously dumped on the side of the road in Phnom Penh where another gent picked us up. He was very friendly but he was an absolutely chaotic driver and when it got dark we genuinely weren't sure if we would make it out of that car alive. There are no street lights on these roads, no railings and many places were flooded due to recent rains. We had two seriously near misses where he actually screamed, we landed (Yes, we had been slightly air-bound momentarily!) on the road and he laughed maniacally, telling us that had been close. April and I were actually holding hands at this stage. He also claimed many times that he hadn't been paid but I point blank refused to pay another cent. We had already paid 130USD for one taxi which had turned into two!! Also, rather than just get to Siem Reap we had to stop at a roadside restaurant for he and his friend to eat (oh yes, he also picked up a random friend on the way! Two girls with two men in a taxi in a foreign country at night, we were imagining the headlines). I just wanted to get there. I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep due to the wild driving and also I badly needed the toilet. In Siem Reap he wanted to bring us to another hostel, a usual ploy of taxi and tuk-tuk drivers, but again I stood fast on the place we had booked. I am sure the man thought I was an awful bitch but I hadn't slept properly for 3 nights, hadn't had a proper shower in the same amount of time and we had been travelling from 8am that morning (We reached Siem Reap around 11.15pm). I cannot express our manic delight when we checked into Siem Reap Rooms.
http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Siem-Reap-Rooms/Siem-Reap/31747
 It was gorgeous. Set down a quiet street, it was pristinely clean, there were sandwiches available even though we had checked in late and the gruff owner Phil was so helpful to us.
I will never forget how April and I were nearly delirious with glee to discover that hot water came out of the fully functioning shower in our lovely, clean, spacious room. We were actually giggling as we washed our feet together and then clambered into huge comfy single beds for hours of interrupted sleep.

Staying in a shack in Sihanoukvile

After a 7 1/2 hour bus ride through the country-side (which is very picturesque by the way, but after that length of time, and mostly in the dark it gets a little tiring) we disembarked in Sihanoukville. The town was larger than we originally thought and since it was by now 9.30pm we knew we weren't getting to the island of Koh Rong that night so we set about finding suitable accommodation. We teamed up with two Swiss guys and got a tuk-tuk down towards the sea, finding a hostel/guesthouse on the corner. We checked out the log cabins and it seemed clean so we booked in for the princely sum of USD12 each.

Our cabin in Sihanoukvile

After a quick bite we decided to explore the little coastal town, first coming across two cows wandering down the main street. I wished I had a camera as it was absolutely hilarious to watch. They walked up to a little bar and a man sitting down nearly jumped out of his seat. We saw many tourists/backpackers like ourselves in the bars dotting the seafront. It was like a really run-down version of the seafronts you see in Majorca or Ibiza. There were little shacks everywhere on the beach with various genres of music blasting out and people in various stages of undress, many holding joints, dancing to the rhythms being pumped out.


We found a place where we could book the boat to Koh Rong and also accomodation in some treetop huts at Coco's. As the boat departed at 8 we decided we should head back and get some sleep for our early rise. Unfortunately sleep was not to be that night....as soon as the lights went off I heard some scratching in my bed. Terrified of bed bugs, I decided I would sleep on the covers, but that didn't work either so I moved over to April's bed. She seemed to be sleeping soundly. Unfortunately her bed was near the window so I could hear our neighbours outside their room partying. I took a panadol night....then half an hour later another......then a Xanax, then another. Eventually I gave up and just read my book. Not a nice feeling. We struggled out of the room around 7am, without showers and made our way by tuk-tuk to the meeting place for the boat....where we were told that the bus had left. He'd mistakenly given us the wrong time (although he maintained that he hadn't). We asked if the tuk tuk driver would take us to the port.... It was a battle against time, we didn't know if the tuk-tuk would make it...we tore along the streets, maneuvering in and out of traffic, animals and people... we pulled up at the port and dashed to our boat just as they were pulling up the anchor. Relieved, we sat quietly in the sun, getting our breath back and watching the boats go by.

Bye Bye Sihanoukvile! We made it!

It was the first time I really realised how far away we were. It was a great feeling but also quite emotional. April and I had been rushing around since we'd met up but the stresses of the previous month (after the break-up) were getting to me and I had a little cry on the boat. It passed quickly - I think I just needed a little release. April was great, she put her arms around me and told me, as great friends do - that it would all be fine. Watching the pretty clouds pass by and the open blue sea ahead, I thought maybe she might have a point.

Wasps and Worcester

We took full advantage of the Cockliffe House breakfast on Tuesday morning before our road trip to Wales. There was a fire-engine outside but the fire officers assured us it was just a regular fire drill.
I got into the TransAm doing last minute checks of my handbag for the usual keys, phone etc. It was then I noticed a wasp on my lap. Gareth was just getting into the car when I let a blood-curdling scream out of me. He nearly leapt out of the car in alarm but I was straight out of the passenger seat, hysterical in the carpark. This garnered a few suspicious looks from the firemen mostly directed at Gareth, wondering what he had done to induce such a reaction! He coaxed me back into the car after awhile, I peered around anxious that another member of the wasp family would be back to greet me but I settled in. Gareth was a little in shock, given the fact I'd gotten used to the bushes beside the hotel populated with bees and we'd left the windows open on the two balmy nights we'd spent there which had encouraged a few long-legged spider friends to lurk around our room. Whilst he was settling me I saw a look of alarm pass over his features - I was about to berate him for winding me up, that this wasn't the place when he said ever so calmly "Get out, get out of the car,". Once again I leapt out shrieking, this time in tears. The wasp had been hiding in the T-bar of the car, awaiting my return!! Gareth managed to get the wasp out and stamp on him to death on the ground. It took a little longer to stem my emotions but eventually we took off on our journey. I was still shaking and hunched over; I have a full-blown phobia of wasps. He did his best to reassure me and after a bit even managed to have a little laugh about it with him telling me in loved me in spite of my crazy phobia.

We were speeding down the motorway, Gareth showing off about how the speedometer was off the mark in the TransAm and I drifted off to sleep for a bit in the heat of the summer sun (I wasn't allowing the windows open very much in case any other unwelcome visitors decided to appear). I woke up to a small explosion and the windscreen being completed flooded with an unrecognizable liquid....We quickly pulled in roadside and investigated. I, of course called Mum & Dad (although how they were likely to help, being in Ireland, I've no idea!) who said to call the AA, something Gareth was already doing. We had some fun with me steering the TransAm whilst he pushed (Fun for both given it's a HUGE old car) and sat on the side of the Motorway waiting for assistance. We were blessed with a beautiful day so I just people watched on the M5 in the hour and twenty minutes it took for the guys to arrive. I even had a read of Cosmo! There had been a mix-up with the AA, so the roadside assistance literally just towed us to the next exit, 1 mile away. After more communications with the AA we took a seat in the Three Pears Beefeater and decided no time like the present for a lunch break whilst they attempted to fix the ripped pipe (hence the over-heating and explosion). Unfortunately it couldn't be fixed, given that TransAm parts aren't exactly in the average AA truck these days but it meant Gareth could have a pint to ease the stress (and a vino for me!) and we climbed aboard the tow truck for the next leg of the journey.

After another little snooze we were informed that the driver could only take us over the border into Wales where we would make a change to another tow truck. I hadn't been told about the crossing of the Severn and it's beauty took me by surprise. On a gorgeous summer's day like we were experiencing I was surprised I didn't spot any wake-boarders! The stop was lucky in away as I got to freshen up a little before the final leg of the journey - it was over 8 hours since we'd left the hotel and I had a little bit to go before my first meeting with Gareth's family. I didn't want to arrive a stinky mess!! The last tow truck driver was a friendly man, full of chat about Wales and pointing out the sights. There were some tricky roads to manoeuvre coming to St Donat's but we passed through some quaint little towns and I could see the sea glittering in the distance. We eventually pulled up to St Donat's about 6.45pm, a little frazzled and at least 4 hours after expected and Gareth's Dad waved from outside the cottage as we disembarked, ready to meet the Cain family.