As if going to the Amazon Jungle was not exciting enough, the travel agency that organized our trip to Manu NP decided that we needed an extra dose of adrenalin, and it offered us zip-lining above the jungle.
Zip-lining is one of a few things that I've never tried before, and I also chickened out from doing it during that trip. I'm not sure if there is a medical term for it, but I seem to suffer from a fear of man-made-high-altitude-structures. I hate bridges (all bridges, not only the suspension type), I feel anxious in elevators and at the top floors of skyscrapers, and I would feel super-uneasy hanging on a line 100 meters above the Amazon forest. It is not pure fear of heights, however, as I do not mind flying, paragliding, or getting to the edge of a mountain cliff.
After hours of self-analysis, I concluded that I am a very scared/anxious/fearful person, who convinces herself to do crazy things only if she feels that the value added by these experiences is higher than the regret of not doing them. In this particular case my precise calculations pointed against zip-lining. I truly enjoy my earthly life, and I decided that I do not want to risk losing it for a thrill of zip-lining on old, rusty equipment. Anil and others did it, however, and lived to tell me how great it was. They told me they loved the different perspective that zip-lining offered, and that from up above they could also see the monkeys much better. So I guess, maybe–but just maybe–I should have overcome my fear and tried it as well.
My Love and I, waiting for our turn:
Zip-lining above the Jungle:
Zip-lining is one of a few things that I've never tried before, and I also chickened out from doing it during that trip. I'm not sure if there is a medical term for it, but I seem to suffer from a fear of man-made-high-altitude-structures. I hate bridges (all bridges, not only the suspension type), I feel anxious in elevators and at the top floors of skyscrapers, and I would feel super-uneasy hanging on a line 100 meters above the Amazon forest. It is not pure fear of heights, however, as I do not mind flying, paragliding, or getting to the edge of a mountain cliff.
After hours of self-analysis, I concluded that I am a very scared/anxious/fearful person, who convinces herself to do crazy things only if she feels that the value added by these experiences is higher than the regret of not doing them. In this particular case my precise calculations pointed against zip-lining. I truly enjoy my earthly life, and I decided that I do not want to risk losing it for a thrill of zip-lining on old, rusty equipment. Anil and others did it, however, and lived to tell me how great it was. They told me they loved the different perspective that zip-lining offered, and that from up above they could also see the monkeys much better. So I guess, maybe–but just maybe–I should have overcome my fear and tried it as well.
My Love and I, waiting for our turn:
Zip-lining above the Jungle:
