I arrived at Dalat Family Hostel in the morning and was welcomed by Mama with bowls and bowls of food which I ate with other new arrivals to the sound of her wild singing and Crazy giving everyone lots of hugs and kisses. At 5:30, everyone gathered (or squashed) round mats on the floor and ate the huge spread Mama had prepared for us. Unfortunately we arrived late and ended up eating on little stools in the street as there was no room. We all drank into the night.
The next day was canyoning day! We got a minibus into the hills and donned our helmets, harnesses, life jackets and gloves. Next, we practised attaching the rope and walking/jumping backwards. We were ready! We stomped down a steep hillside into the jungle, clambered down rocks and over twisted tree roots, until we came to the first abseiling spot. It was a waterfall, but we were to abseil down the 18m dry patch of rock next to it. I'm not going to lie, I was terrified. I watched each one of the group disappear over the edge until I'd freaked myself out enough that I just had to go for it. Walking up to the edge proved nerve-wracking enough. Then I had to go over the edge. The first few metres sloped off fairly gently and then the vertical face appeared. Funnily enough, once I'd got to the vertical section and started jumping, I calmed down. I then had to let go of the rope and drop the last metre into the cold, swirling water below.
Throughout the day, I abseiled down another 16m dry wall, did a 3.5m jump into a lagoon, slid down 3 "natural slides", abseiled down a 25m waterfall and "the washing machine"; both of which involved plummeting into the water at the end. We had a picnic lunch by the side of the river and a mammoth climb back up to the top of the canyon. I ended the day sore, exhausted, but extremely proud of myself.
The next day was canyoning day! We got a minibus into the hills and donned our helmets, harnesses, life jackets and gloves. Next, we practised attaching the rope and walking/jumping backwards. We were ready! We stomped down a steep hillside into the jungle, clambered down rocks and over twisted tree roots, until we came to the first abseiling spot. It was a waterfall, but we were to abseil down the 18m dry patch of rock next to it. I'm not going to lie, I was terrified. I watched each one of the group disappear over the edge until I'd freaked myself out enough that I just had to go for it. Walking up to the edge proved nerve-wracking enough. Then I had to go over the edge. The first few metres sloped off fairly gently and then the vertical face appeared. Funnily enough, once I'd got to the vertical section and started jumping, I calmed down. I then had to let go of the rope and drop the last metre into the cold, swirling water below.
Throughout the day, I abseiled down another 16m dry wall, did a 3.5m jump into a lagoon, slid down 3 "natural slides", abseiled down a 25m waterfall and "the washing machine"; both of which involved plummeting into the water at the end. We had a picnic lunch by the side of the river and a mammoth climb back up to the top of the canyon. I ended the day sore, exhausted, but extremely proud of myself.