Why would we go to the Macau Tower, one might ask? Why else, of course, but to go bungee jumping! As the website proudly proclaims, the Macau Tower boasts the highest bungee jump in the world at 233 meters. The Hackett company also offers several other adrenaline-pumping options, such as walking around the top of the Tower, or even climbing the mast. I was wearing a dress, so clearly I wasn't about to go, but the four of them opted for the deluxe bungee jump package, which includes photos and a DVD of your jump. An interesting psychological point: you have to buy the tickets at the base of the tower, and they're non-refundable, so you mentally commit even before you get to the top =P
While at the base, we paused to take a couple photos of the many model Macau Towers around:
Lego Tower (next to the Toys 'R Us entrance)
A larger model one level down"Oh great, we have to carry a spear and have our feet on fire?"
The elevator ride up was slightly disconcerting, even for me. They run on the outside of the Tower so you can get glimpses of the surrounding area, showing just how high you're going...
Fifty-something stories up and counting...When we finally got to the observation deck, the view was kind of hazy, but still pretty awesome:
Macau (easy to spot the Grand Lisboa)
Taipa (the NW corner)
Taipa (the NW corner)The jumpers, however, had other things on their mind. This teddy bear (one of several hanging around the deck), was not exactly inspiring =P
Whee!After filling out the usual waivers and such, they all got harnessed up and ready to jump: first Jesse, then Allison, then Charlie, then Layton. The guy actually offered to let me put on a harness and go out to the balcony for free, but I elected to stay safely inside and just photograph from there =P
In the (indoor) waiting area
L->R Charlie, Allison, Jesse, Layton
L->R Charlie, Allison, Jesse, Layton
Jesse had a mildly frightening moment even before getting outside - one of the more senior staff suddenly pulled him out of the waiting area saying, "You have the wrong harness on." That fixed, they got outside, had their feet Velcro-ed together, and all successfully made the jump. What amused me most were the other non-jumping tourists on the observation deck who would all collectively gasp anytime someone jumped...obviously, after seeing all four of my friends jump (and a few people before that), I was a bit jaded.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1...
Layton spotted me while getting his feet Velcro-ed
Layton spotted me while getting his feet Velcro-edAfter they got to the bottom, all four came back up to meet me, get their bags back, and review their photos/videos. They all got certificates showing they had made the jump, which they can now show off with pride =P As scary as it sounds, the process is actually quite safe - dozens of people do the jump every day, and as far as I know, they haven't had any accidents. Besides the bungee cord, there are also multiple guide wires, so it's not possible for a gust of wind to blow jumpers into the Tower or out into the water. Obviously, if there was a typhoon warning, they'd shut down the whole operation. I still doubt that I'll ever do it myself, but it's nice to know that others have survived.
The rest of the day was quiet by comparison, but still a lot of fun. We stopped for lunch at Dumpling Town (it's so sad that they haven't found a decent dumpling place in HK, because they're all the way out in Tai Po) and walked around Senado a bit, then met up with the others at Venetian to catch the 6:00 Zaia show (yay for a 200 MOP discount!). I couldn't take any photos of Cirque de Soleil, but the acts were incredible even though the storyline was tissue paper-thin. All my YAGS buddies definitely would have appreciated the fire juggling: staffs, poi, jump ropes, and more ;-)
After a late dinner in the Venetian food court (first decent Mexican food I've had in Macau!) and singing Happy Birthday to Emily (over a chocolate Starbucks donut =P), most of the HK folks hopped on the convenient Venetian shuttle bus to the ferry terminal, with just Jess M staying overnight. From the fun we all had, though, we know they'll be back for more!
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when i started reading i was like. "jen went bungee jumping? whaaaat?"
ReplyDeletebut you didn't. the world didn't stop spinning... phew.
t
the Cirque is amazing! I'm so sad that I'm not living in SF anymore, I don't know if they come out to Wisconsin. something tells me no. Although, they probably do go to Chicago..
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you're having so much fun and learning so much over there! I'm so sorry that I won't be able to go to Taiwan in January, but I know Mom and Dad will be able to show you around =).