{"id":3653,"date":"2018-07-23T12:49:48","date_gmt":"2018-07-23T19:49:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/calirose.com\/wackyworld\/?p=3653"},"modified":"2018-07-25T11:42:02","modified_gmt":"2018-07-25T18:42:02","slug":"zip-line-oopsie-in-kauai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/calirose.com\/wackyworld\/zip-line-oopsie-in-kauai\/","title":{"rendered":"ZIP-LINE “OOPSIE” IN KAUA’I"},"content":{"rendered":"

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One of my dear friends implores me to go zip-lining in Koloa. \u201cMy husband went upside down,\u201d she tells me gleefully. For most people that would NOT be a tempting invitation\u2026 But I am intrigued. Craig and I have zip-lined once before on the North Shore of Kaua’i and it was spectacular. I want to do it again. This time on the south side.<\/p>\n

Now you gotta know there’s no way I\u2019m going upside-down<\/em>. “Okay got that Cali?” I tell myself over and over. Hey we can<\/em> \u201cfly like a bird\u201d or just do the standard \u201chang there\u201d thing and that does sound mighty fine. Our tour guides, Coco and Sierra, are confident, funny, kind and very patient. I get fitted with a harness\u2026a HEAVY harness\u2026and presented with my very own zip-line-pulley which I will carry with me on the trip. Mine is etched with the initials “1 FK.” Is this a prescient sign of things to come?<\/p>\n

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My very own zip-line pulley gizmo that keeps me on the cable and off the ground…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We pile onto an open-sided truck that hauls us into what I will call a JUNGLE. We climb a platform to our first zip-line. It\u2019s short and not very high but you still leap into the air and hope for the best. There are nine of us on this tour and one lady is a Russian ballerina with a sense of humor that doesn\u2019t quit. She announces to anyone who will listen that she is doing this zip thing to conquer her fear of heights. Upon arriving at the end of the first zip-line she declares, \u201cI need a VOdKa! I need a VOdKa!\u201d<\/p>\n

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Coco & Sierra<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And so it goes. We trudge up up up, eventually landing above tree level. I thought I was in pretty good shape. Until today. It\u2019s hot and muggy and I\u2019m lugging some ten extra pounds of metal and strappy gizmos on my body. At one point I can\u2019t catch my breath as the rest of the zippers navigate around me and disappear up the trail. Both Sierra and Coco stay behind, snatch the pulley from my hands and give me water. Lots of water. I tell them to “go ahead, I\u2019ll catch up.\u00a0Gasp<\/em>. Gasp<\/em>.” But they aren\u2019t having any part of THAT. They wait. And wait. They regale me with stories about the beautiful valley we are in and about themselves. They are newlyweds and just got married a few months ago. My heart is going \u201cawwwww<\/em>\u201d and I snap their picture. They love their jobs. They love Kaua\u2019i. Finally I muster the energy to climb up to the next platform as they follow behind.<\/p>\n

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Climbing one of the platforms with Coco (doing the selfie)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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“Sitting up” on the baby trainer-wheel zip-line…a piece of cake!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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And I get my mojo back. In a very big, stupid way. Yes I decide I\u2019m going to zip upside-down. Well, let\u2019s just say\u2026it doesn\u2019t turn out that way. My husband, who zipped just before me, happens to be on the platform taking a video of my descent. A video of the WHOLE thing. I have added humorous asides and you\u2019ll hear lots of voices in the background–that\u2019s my husband and Sierra. The precocious kid asking all the questions is Miss VOdKa\u2019s son\u2026<\/p>\n