I jumped off a cliff!
Today's Cyprus field trip focused on the young sedimentary rocks, so we spent the day along the coast visiting various outcrops. One of the stops brought us to the top of a cliff which curved gracefully around some lovely blue water. In the initial discussion the trip leader commented that the students were to look at the five different sediment layers exposed here and determine how each wa different from the other. He then pointed out that there were two ways to get down to the bottom "one of them is not recommended" he commented, as a random guy, who was also on the cliff top, jumped out into the water, far below. He then pointed out that if we walked around the curve of the cliff to the far side there was a sloped bit that made for an easy climb that would take one past each of the rock units in turn.
As we chatted a bit more one of the boys in our group jumped down into the water. I commented that I wasn't going to--wearing too many clothes, and the pack full of food and tablet (since it was way too hot to leave it in the car). Then another of our boys jumped. Then one of our girls startd to, hesitated, pulled back, approached the edge again, hesitated, pulled back again several more times before another of our girls went ahead and jumped (without hesitating) to show her it was ok. By this time I was gettin more and more tempted. That water looked very inviting. I was hot. I used to love jumping off the roof of the house onto the grass when I was little. Jumping off the Pipline into the snow was fun, too. Yet this was ever so much higer...
The first girl looked like she wanted too, but still she hesitated, and something inside me clicked into place, I would do it. I took off the pack, stripped down to my bra, panties, and sun hat (a wet hat would feel good later!) and put my hearing aids safely into their case. I entrusted the stuff to the students, and over I went. I wanted to hesitate, but the sun was shining on me, and I no longer wore my long trousers or long sleeved silk shirt to protect my skin, so there wa no time to delay, only to do, off I went!
I have never before lept off of something that high before, and it surprised me just how *long* I fell before hitting the water. There was more than enough time while falling to think about just how long it was taking, to wonder if I really just did that, and when I would eventualy reach water. In addition to all of that pondering I must also have curled up and tensed up my neck and shoulders, since while my feet did hit first, my bottom hit firmly enoug to feel the slap of the water, and when I swam over to where people climb back up I noticed that the muscles in my shoulder/neck were a bit sore. Only onthe rigt side at first, but now, hours later, the tightness extends all the way across the tops of both shoulders. I have rubbed them with tiger balm, and will soo go do yoga and get some sleep, which should make them feel better.
One more field day, then 1.5 travel days and I will be at Double War. lord_kjar and the Frostheim bus got there today. He set up the pavilion (without me :-( and sunshade. He tells me the sunshade is huge, and promises to upload photos soon so that I can see it.
I woke up from an odd dream this morning, wherein he and I were setting up the sunshade for the first time at an SCA event with a really odd layout. The site was long and narrow, with a drop-off on each side of it (rather like the narrow hotel bed upon which I wa sleeping). The land was just wide enough to set up the sunshade, with the skinny width filling the land width. Therefore it was necessary to put it up on some sort of scaffolding, so that people would be able to walk under the ends which stake to the ground (same style at the BC) as they walked around site. This made the roof *really, really* high. Sadly, I woke up before I managed to get to a place where I could actually look at it...
As we chatted a bit more one of the boys in our group jumped down into the water. I commented that I wasn't going to--wearing too many clothes, and the pack full of food and tablet (since it was way too hot to leave it in the car). Then another of our boys jumped. Then one of our girls startd to, hesitated, pulled back, approached the edge again, hesitated, pulled back again several more times before another of our girls went ahead and jumped (without hesitating) to show her it was ok. By this time I was gettin more and more tempted. That water looked very inviting. I was hot. I used to love jumping off the roof of the house onto the grass when I was little. Jumping off the Pipline into the snow was fun, too. Yet this was ever so much higer...
The first girl looked like she wanted too, but still she hesitated, and something inside me clicked into place, I would do it. I took off the pack, stripped down to my bra, panties, and sun hat (a wet hat would feel good later!) and put my hearing aids safely into their case. I entrusted the stuff to the students, and over I went. I wanted to hesitate, but the sun was shining on me, and I no longer wore my long trousers or long sleeved silk shirt to protect my skin, so there wa no time to delay, only to do, off I went!
I have never before lept off of something that high before, and it surprised me just how *long* I fell before hitting the water. There was more than enough time while falling to think about just how long it was taking, to wonder if I really just did that, and when I would eventualy reach water. In addition to all of that pondering I must also have curled up and tensed up my neck and shoulders, since while my feet did hit first, my bottom hit firmly enoug to feel the slap of the water, and when I swam over to where people climb back up I noticed that the muscles in my shoulder/neck were a bit sore. Only onthe rigt side at first, but now, hours later, the tightness extends all the way across the tops of both shoulders. I have rubbed them with tiger balm, and will soo go do yoga and get some sleep, which should make them feel better.
One more field day, then 1.5 travel days and I will be at Double War. lord_kjar and the Frostheim bus got there today. He set up the pavilion (without me :-( and sunshade. He tells me the sunshade is huge, and promises to upload photos soon so that I can see it.
I woke up from an odd dream this morning, wherein he and I were setting up the sunshade for the first time at an SCA event with a really odd layout. The site was long and narrow, with a drop-off on each side of it (rather like the narrow hotel bed upon which I wa sleeping). The land was just wide enough to set up the sunshade, with the skinny width filling the land width. Therefore it was necessary to put it up on some sort of scaffolding, so that people would be able to walk under the ends which stake to the ground (same style at the BC) as they walked around site. This made the roof *really, really* high. Sadly, I woke up before I managed to get to a place where I could actually look at it...