Quad biking by the Tradouw Pass
So, yesterday i went quad biking.
I've wanted to go since i was about 6 and saw it on TV - one one of those Saturday morning shows - Going Live or Saturday Superstore, one of those sorts of things - i don't remember which!
I sort of wish I'd gone when younger, as i think I'd have been better at it. The older we get, the more we are aware of our own mortality, and the possibility of injury, and the lest we trust our instincts and muscle memory - it becomes much harder to do adventurous things. At least, that's my theory.
Considering I'm also very nervous in cars, and can't drive (I'd had two lessons when the instructor said 'Don't worry, some people just aren't meant to drive') i think i did rather well.
It took me ages to get the hang of the gears, and i got confused regularly as i kept forgetting which gear i was in. Also, you don't get much practice before you're taken out up the mountain. I almost came a cropper twice, once driving off the path onto a rock, once driving up a small hill and into a tree - at which point the guy had to come and put me in reverse and drive me out. One other part was REALLY scary -you had to head down a short but very steep hill, with a bend at the bottom, and on the right hand side there was a pretty steep drop off going about 30 feet down the mountain. i sat at the top for a while, trying to psyche myself up for it -and thought for a minute that I'd just have to walk back. But i made it down, and up again, and was really pleased with myself when the guy said that he often had to drive the quad down and up that bit for other people as they just couldn't do it thought fear.
But i laugh in the face of fear. Only very quietly, and with the brakes on.
I'd paid for a 2 hour ride (got a bit of a discount, because a lot of business comes to them via Impangele) and I'm glad i did- although it was bloody hard work, because it took me most of the ride to get the hang of it, and feel confident. By the last half hour, i was really enjoying it, and now i need to go again, so i can enjoy it properly.
Anyone up for some quad biking when i get back? It's fun, honest!
When I was picked up, mum was actually astonished that I was not dead, limping, broken, scarred or injured in any way. She was utterly convinced i would be. My own mother has no faith in me! Still, it's based on sound knowledge of my clumsiness...
But i didn't hurt myself or anything. Hurrah! The photos of me looking glamorous covered in dust with my blue hairnet and slightly-too-big helmet (i have such a small head!) are on mum's camera, so I'll post them when they're uploaded.
I've wanted to go since i was about 6 and saw it on TV - one one of those Saturday morning shows - Going Live or Saturday Superstore, one of those sorts of things - i don't remember which!
I sort of wish I'd gone when younger, as i think I'd have been better at it. The older we get, the more we are aware of our own mortality, and the possibility of injury, and the lest we trust our instincts and muscle memory - it becomes much harder to do adventurous things. At least, that's my theory.
Considering I'm also very nervous in cars, and can't drive (I'd had two lessons when the instructor said 'Don't worry, some people just aren't meant to drive') i think i did rather well.
It took me ages to get the hang of the gears, and i got confused regularly as i kept forgetting which gear i was in. Also, you don't get much practice before you're taken out up the mountain. I almost came a cropper twice, once driving off the path onto a rock, once driving up a small hill and into a tree - at which point the guy had to come and put me in reverse and drive me out. One other part was REALLY scary -you had to head down a short but very steep hill, with a bend at the bottom, and on the right hand side there was a pretty steep drop off going about 30 feet down the mountain. i sat at the top for a while, trying to psyche myself up for it -and thought for a minute that I'd just have to walk back. But i made it down, and up again, and was really pleased with myself when the guy said that he often had to drive the quad down and up that bit for other people as they just couldn't do it thought fear.
But i laugh in the face of fear. Only very quietly, and with the brakes on.
I'd paid for a 2 hour ride (got a bit of a discount, because a lot of business comes to them via Impangele) and I'm glad i did- although it was bloody hard work, because it took me most of the ride to get the hang of it, and feel confident. By the last half hour, i was really enjoying it, and now i need to go again, so i can enjoy it properly.
Anyone up for some quad biking when i get back? It's fun, honest!
When I was picked up, mum was actually astonished that I was not dead, limping, broken, scarred or injured in any way. She was utterly convinced i would be. My own mother has no faith in me! Still, it's based on sound knowledge of my clumsiness...
But i didn't hurt myself or anything. Hurrah! The photos of me looking glamorous covered in dust with my blue hairnet and slightly-too-big helmet (i have such a small head!) are on mum's camera, so I'll post them when they're uploaded.