Eight Feet and Two Weeks On Crete Part 2 (3/3) By Steve Rudd

(1/3) (2/3) (3/3) Part 1

Visiting tourists, for the large part, have to be over 25 to be able to drive a vehicle over in Crete, or at least they do with the Avis rental company. Simon, Matt's younger brother (and the other daredevil determined to 'take flight'), wilfully joked that after negotiating the nightmare roads just to get to Aradena, it would be understandable that Matt would want to hurl himself off the bridge out of sheer road-induced stress and strain - regardless of whether or not he was attached to the all-important bungee cord. Still, upon arrival at Aradena, both Matt and Simon initially had second thoughts.

I'd vowed to jump too before we arrived there, but my eyes wouldn't stop watering upon arrival, as if that excuse really washes. No, I wasn't crying in fear, but had rubbed sun cream into them. No - honestly, I had! Admittedly though, I was chicken too!

The amazing Aradena gorge might be very narrow but it is frightfully deep, and from the sides of the wooden-rutted bridge it's very hard to see the bottom from multiple vantage points. The area is home to eagles and goats, but for a few days the gorge was also a home-from-home for bungee enthusiasts. Matt and Simon had never jumped before and were virgin jumpers. A riot of 'second thoughts' ploughed through their minds immediately before their respective take-offs, but they both thankfully survived without any consequential injuries or whiplash - only a little chaffing around the crotch area from the moment the bungee cord hits its full length and twangs back with a vengeance.

Organised by the Liquid Bungy team that routinely travels the world with their gear in search of the ultimate thrill-jumps in naturally breathtaking locations, the cost per jump was 70 Euros, which - both Matt and Simon agreed - was great value for money given the fact that included in the price is a T-shirt, certificate and DVD copy of their jump which was filmed by one of the team. The jumps were great to watch, but standing on the side of the gorge was enough for me. No sir, I really didn't feel like jumping, having convinced myself that what could go wrong probably would. I might regret not having indulged in such an experience now, but that's by the by.

They jumped, I watched, and we all went home happy. Only a few days later, both brothers then had a stab at deep sea diving whilst severely hungover from the night before. I hasten to add that neither of them would recommend such an approach, for they both discovered to their detriment that being sick underwater isn't all that easy when you've got life-giving breathing equipment strapped to your back and clamped to your face. Again, I refused to partake in such madness, and instead headed for the city of Hania to explore on my own. I feel safer on dry land than in water, even if the driver of the public bus to Hania seemed to have a death wish that none of the unwitting passengers were warned about upon boarding. Ah well, it could have been worse. I could have been six feet under the surface of the sea, with not a hope in hell…

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