Put to the test

Forest Adventure: An obstacle course through a jungle on top of Onna. This was not a place to be for weak hearts and those fearful of heights. We took a bus up to the mountain top where the Forest Adventure staff gave us a short briefing on how to use our harness and safety ropes. After just 5 minutes of instructions, they sent us off to the jungle. The high altitude made the weather even hotter and stickier.

The obstacle course consisted of zip lines that whisked you over the tree tops. The landings were really rough and I was always landed backward into the pile of tan bark. After doing it a few times, I was able to let go of my hands and it felt like I was flying through the jungle and was able to appreciate the lush, green surrounding. There were points where you had to climb these narrow 90 degree ladders that led up to a standing post. It was SCARY but once I got to the top, I looked around to see the beauty of the island and it was well worth it. The most intense part of the forest adventure was the "Tarzan Swing". You had to climb up this very high post and secure your harness to a rope and then jump off to a free fall. It took me a few minutes to gather enough courage to do it. I almost cried because I was so scared. Everyone was cheering me on and my sister was making fun of me. So I had to prove her wrong! I took a deep breath and leaped off the stand. It was a rush of adrenaline and it felt like a roller coaster ride. I was supposed to grab on to a net on the other side but my hands slipped and I dangled in the air for a little bit =) I was really proud of myself for going through it. Nearly 2 hours of climbing through rope bridges, zooming through zip lines, and swinging tree to tree was the biggest workout of my life. By the end of it, I had about 4 new mosquito bites, my shirt was drenched in sweat, my shoes all brown and dirty, and rope burns on my hands. I would do it all again in a heartbeat.