The team bonding
I never thought I would say this but: something I learnt as a person through this adventure was my graduating classmates were not just any group of friends, they were my family. This three-day trip challenged us all in different ways, from the scary jumps off cliffs, to abseiling down a 20-meter waterfall. But we got through it together, as a team. My love from these individuals exponentially grew, and so did the connection of trust between us. I am unbelievably grateful for them. The trip would not have been the same without them, and it is an unforgettable experience. Just remember: this wasn’t mine or anyone’s cup of tea, but through the support of my friends and the awaiting rush of adrenaline, you can do anything, even jump off a cliff. Because if my friends jump off a cliff, so will I (sorry mom).
Canyoning
Canyoning may seem fun but wait till you have to walk through a trail of slippery rocks. I promise you: your life will flash before your eyes the second you slip or put your foot down on the wrong rock. Lucky for me, I had friends that guided me through every single wet rock path we passed. BUT… no matter how scary the slippery rocks seem, if you did not go canyoning in Borderlands, you never really went there. One of the best things we did in Kitulgala is enjoy their water stream slides and rock pools. The rainforest is one of my personal favorite Sri Lankan beauties, and it is absolutely amazing for waterfall trekking, stream slides and jumps. Trust me, from experience, I know the fear of jumping is only the temporary for what truly awaits is the wave of adrenaline that hits you after. It’s one of the best feelings ever, and makes you stronger, more confident, and can boost your ego entirely.
Abseiling
Forget all the times I said some other activity was scary because I was contemplating all my decisions once I got my harness on. The thoughts running through my head before I started to abseil down went something like “this is life or death, Tan”. I was so scared and sweating more than I was from the 3km hike I had done to get up to the waterfall. Of course, being me, I volunteered to go first. I paid close attention to the instructor and tried follow his every exact instruction. Good news being I only slipped twice, and bad news being I nearly died the second time, but I might just be over exaggerating.
Anyways, I reached the bottom of the waterfall in one piece and felt my heart pounding so hard that I questioned if it could actually come out of my chest. The experience was nerve-wrecking, scary, and made me question if I would make it alive but it was honestly one of the best experiences ever. Again, if you know me at all, I’m the type of person that chooses to risk her life, but this was something completely new and different. Last, but definitely not least, I would like to warn all of you reading this that the abseil is all fine and there isn’t too much to be scared of. What you should be really scared of is the walk from the bottom of the waterfall to the hiking trail. There is a small pathway of slippery rocks between where the end of the abseiling point and the continuing of the waterfall. You need to crawl/walk/cry/climb your way using those rocks from the rock pool to the hiking trail. And believe me, you will think that the abseil was just the calm before the real storm.
