Final Post by Kyle W. - Day 7 Recap

On day 7 we went rappelling. On the drive there, there were so many cute dogs. They just run wild. Once we got to a trail we hopped in some 4x4s and drove to the set up station. We hiked up to the waterfall and waited in line until it was our turn (amongst the 35 students). Once it was my turn, I made the mistake of looking down. I learned there is a reason for the term “never look down”. It felt like there were a million butterflies in my stomach. But once I strapped onto the rope, I immediately gained the trust to jump down. As I rappelled I lost grip and started going down faster and faster. The best thing I could do was hold on tight and jump on and off of the cliff face. Once I got the hang of it I started to slow down. It was very fun and got my adrenaline pumping fast. The first rappel was next to a waterfall. On the second rappel you’re actually in a small waterfall. In the third. It was a 20 foot free fall and another 20 feet of jumping on and off of the rock. On the fourth, we were in a large waterfall. In the fifth rappel, you definitely get wet! The water blasting against your face is very refreshing. Once I got to the bottom the man who unclipped me asked if I enjoyed the shower. I absolutely did! On the hike back up to the top I was quite glad that I was so wet because it was HOT! On the way back we learned a man named Antonio wakes up at 4:30am every morning and checks all the harnesses, all the ropes and all the trails. By the time he is done, the tourists come in and he helps them repel down. Guess how old he is…71!!!!!! We made sure to thank him at the end. At the end of the day we had to sign a bunch of paperwork for customs. We got to bed at around 9:30 and had to wake up at 4:00am to go home. The long plane ride was fine because we had TVs! When we arrived at the airport I was welcomed by my family, even my dog, and was glad to be home. But this was a trip of a lifetime and I am so thankful to have gone!