I didn’t get much sleep the night
before. I wasn’t nervous; it is just always hard for me to sleep on the road
(or at sea). One problem with my work is when I have to sleep on the road more
than one night because I don’t sleep well. I had a wakeup call at 6:30 and they
delivered breakfast at 6:40. After breakfast I went out to see where we were
and we were pulling into the dock. I watched them slowly move towards the dock
and then the guys threw a small rope to the shore and they missed so had to do
it again. The second try was successful and they used that small rope to pull
the large mooring ropes to the dock. I watched all this and then got ready to
leave. There was a group of 13 from the ship and 7 from hotels in the area that
went on the Outdoor Adventure. The write up for this excursion was:
“Wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes (athletic shoes or
boots). Tour consists of a series of seven zip lines as well as two rappels
through waterfalls, a double cross, mule ride and 20-minute hike. Guides help
you to use the equipment and show you the required techniques. Elements are
situated between 10 and 250 feet above the ground. This tour is physically
demanding and is not suitable for young children, overweight or unfit people.
Guests who are pregnant are not permitted on this tour. Not recommended for
those with heart, seizure or balance disorders, or back, neck or shoulder
problems, or a fear of heights. Maximum weight is 250 lbs; minimum age is 10
years; minimum height is 4’0". Tour operator reserves the right to refuse
those who they do not feel are fit to participate. A light snack and water
bottle is included. Cameras are not permitted for safety reasons. Photo service
is available for purchase. Bring a change of clothes and insect repellent.
Waiver must be signed and medical conditions disclosed.”
It was a bummer to me that we couldn’t take cameras, but I
took my cell phone and took pictures from that. We started out on one of those
boats that has blown up sides and went very fast over the water. Then got off
the boat and got into open air trucks to drive up the road to the adventure
area. The ride was fun and I got to see a lot of Mexico. They have speed bumps
on the freeway!! Most of the streets in towns and villages were cobblestone,
and there were people using mules for transportation into town! I guess it is a
different life and things move much slower. When we got to the adventure area
they gave us wetsuit shirts to wear and had us take everything out of our
pockets. I was hesitant to leave cash, but I eventually relented and was glad I
did. I was sorry I didn’t bring the change of clothes like they had suggested
on the excursion description. We got outfitted with the gear we needed and safety
briefing and headed out to our mules. They had all sizes of mules and I was
glad they gave me one that didn’t have my legs dangling. We start out by riding
up this steep slope and it only got steeper. The description said we would walk
for 20 minutes and if this was where we were supposed to walk then I bless
mules because I’m not sure I would be able to make this walk on my own two feet
rather than the mules 4. One person asked why we use mules rather than horses
and the guide explained that donkeys and mules always have 3 feet on the ground
and horses often only have 2. The reason we use mules rather than donkeys is
because they are a cross between donkeys and horses so go faster than donkeys.
It was a great ride and my mule was the slowest so I held up the people behind
me often. But, we eventually got there ok. When we got off the mules we had
another 5 minute walk until we got to the first zip line. I had been on one
before so I wasn’t so scared of the unknown. A zip line doesn’t feel scary because
you sit down in the harness just like a chair and just ride it down. At the
very end you pull down on the back hand and it slows you down. NO PROBLEM. Then
we went to another two zip lines then went to the next one which was 45 degrees
down. The guides are terrific and very helpful. I never felt hesitant to do
anything because they were there all the time. I liked how the guides were as
safety conscience and they wanted us to be and I felt they were safe and so
were we. Then we wert repelling down a waterfall and into the cold water. We
had to swim to the safety line and that is when I was glad to completely empty
my pockets. Then we went on a water slide and then over a rope bridge. The one
place I felt a little hesitant was where they had you walk over a bridge that
was just one rope you stand on and one rope you hold onto. All was good and
fun. They had refreshments in a couple of places along the way and right before
the final water slide that was long and had a couple of loops in it. All the
way they had a photographer taking pictures for us and we were able to get the
pictures on a disk for $25. It was a nice day. We took the trucks back and then
the boat and got back to the ship. I was worn out!! I have been coughing ever
since I got on the ship and realized I was really sick now. I got lunch when I
got back to the ship and then went to bed. After 2 hours I went up for a little
dinner and then went back to bed. I had a fever and chills and constant cough.
I slept until noon the next day.
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