Monday, August 16, 2010

My Top Ten Adrenaline Junkie Moments:



I’m a self proclaimed adrenaline junkie. I love the feeling I get when my blood’s all pumped up and my heart’s beating faster than a hummingbird’s. Without further ado I give you Anjana’s Top Ten Adrenaline Rush moments in no particular order. Trust me, they were a hell of a lot of fun.
1) Parasailing over the Great Barrier Reef-Last year in a spurt of unexplainable madness I decided to parasail over the GBR off the coast of Eastern Australia.(Cairns to be precise).If I’d put my list in order this might make it to the top. By far one of the craziest things I’ve ever done, the sheer thrill I experienced while going up in a chute, 200 metres above the ocean, is unexplainable. I did feel like I was going to die at any moment but that’s besides the point =/
2) Diving with the Great Whites- Gaansbai is one of the coolest places on Earth! Located right at the tip of South Africa, it’s home for the world’s deadliest predators-The Great White Shark. And oh hell, I dived with THEM! Yes you heard that right! I went down into the freezing cold water, in a tiny little cage with 6 other people (who kept puking), and got within two feet of these colossal beauties. Whatte sight! Pure bliss to the power of infinite. The cage was small and annoying, and some people out on the boat thought I was stubborn and would get eaten up, but who cares! All those as mad as me out there, please do attempt this atleast once in your lifetime.
3) Handling a snake for the first time in my life-Ah this makes it to my list without any doubt. The first snake I handled was a rat snake, around 5 feet in length, around 2 years back. It was found in my backyard and we called the Forest Department, who then allowed us to handle it. She/he (not sure what) was magnificent!
4) My first swimming lesson-Ok this may sound boring compared to the other stuff on my list but it was one of my first junkie moments. The swimming instructor made us all dive off a 20 foot diving board into a REALLY deep pool when I was just 7 or 8 (technically I learnt how to swim when I was 3 or 4 but tiny tot pools don’t count). I was shit terrified but managed to jump, after watching my eternally unmoved brother dive in with such nonchalance.
5) Jumping into a pit full of crocs-Imagine 400+ muggers (fresh water crocs) in a tiny enclosure, all grappling for space and food. Now imagine jumping into that space.Yes I did that and I’m lucky to have done so. Crocodiles are another species of animal that I absolutely adore.
6) Spotting a White Rhino and her calf up close and personal in the Kruger National Park- Bush walks in the savannah! Oh what joy! At 6 in the morning my family and I faced the harsh weather of the Southern Hemisphere (South Africa again), and went out to spot some animals at the coolest National Park in the world! We managed to get within 20 feet of a female White Rhino and her small, adorable calf, without being charged at. Thank the good lord for the mommy rhino's poor eyesight.
7) Watching the World Cup with over 50,000 other people, LIVE in Johannesburg-Brazil vs. Chile round of 16 LIVE. You want me to say anymore? Crazy fans, crazy vuvuzelas, crazy fun. Period.
8) Tracking the King Cobra in a forest and getting within 10 feet of a captured one-Agumbe is one place I will always cherish. Located a few hours away from Mangalore, this King Cobra Sanctuary is a must visit for any wildlife lover. Now I sound like I’m a travel agent or something. Anyway, on a camp at Agumbe I learnt how to telemetrically track the King in the forest and was allowed to observe another one at a (safe) distance of 10 feet. You need to see them to understand why they are called so. Sigh.
9) My first Ultimate Frisbee game =) – Why is this on my list? Because I love the game, love running, love the feel of the beach sand and the Frisbee in my hand when I score a point. Love everything about ultimate including the people. My first game was an eye-opener as to how unfit I was and how awesomely fit others were. All the games thereafter would also make it to my list but unfortunately I have to shrink it all to one point.
10) And this last point is dedicated to all those unexpected, unexplainable, irrational ‘looney’ and ‘high’ moments of mine. Those who know me know what I’m talking about. Those who don’t you’ll find out eventually =P Hint-yelling at strangers and singing Beatle’s songs from the back of a bike, walking on the Marina Beach with a bunch of lunatic friends of mine.You get the drift…
Anyway here’s where I’m supposed to advise you not to repeat the above whacko/psycho/whatever-you-want-to-call-it, junkie moments. But alas! What’s not there about adrenaline to love? Go right ahead and try it out. Just don’t blame me if anything happens.




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