Dubai Post 48: The Drive to Last Resort

Andy and I as we depart for our trip.  He was in the
worse shape out of us all for the bungee. 

As I asked people whether I should bungee jump over the weekend, I received many different responses.  Many friends and family members voiced their disapproval of the jump for one main reason: it was dangerous.  However, had they seen what the drive to the Last Resort was like, they would have flown to Nepal and prevented me from going to the resort altogether.

As I have mentioned, Nepalis are not the safest drivers.  Rules are not followed, especially with regard to speed restrictions.  Add in a few obstacles and steep mountain cliffs and you have yourself a heart pounding three hour bus ride.  Oh yah, and let’s not forget you were going to do this to jump off a bridge. 

The bus taking us into the mountains. 

The pit stop before we really started to climb. 

The views along the way might have
been scary but were unbelievable. 

The first half of the ride was fine, other than the fact everyone was nervously discussing the bungee jump.  It was fine for being in Nepal, only occasionally having to stop for cows or sheep crossing the road.  Then we started to climb.

The road carved into the mountainside like a snake through sand.  Blind turns, no guard rail and cars coming from the other direction added plenty of frightening moments.  You suddenly would forget about the jump, look down, gulp, and hope you even made it to the Last Resort. 

Cows frequent the side of the road in Nepal.  We had to
stop for over a minute one time due to a herd of about 7.

The same goes for goats. 

For a majority of the ride I tried not to think about how unsafe it really was.  This was because we were provided with extraordinary views of the Nepal countryside including local villages and farms.  Even as we were hundreds of feet up, we would pass by a local town with seven or eight huts filled with Nepalis enjoying their daily lives.

Looking down over the edge. 

Every now and then when the bus was extremely high, Andy and I would turn to each other and wonder if this is how high the jump would be (it was higher).  We also saw a few suspension bridges along the way always wondering if that was the bridge.  Then, when the bus slowed down and we could see the bridge, everyone’s draw dropped.

A view of one of the villages along the way. 

P.S. Statistically, bungee jumping is about as safe as driving 100 miles.  I can guarantee you my ride to and from the Last Resort was more unsafe than any activity we would have participated in. 

A statue at the top of a mountain on the way to The Last Resort.