Jamaican Jumps off Macau Tower! | A travel narrative by Walt F.J. Goodridge

Are you anticipating hearing I chickened out? Think I’m about to use the old “uncooperative weather” excuse? Do you think that a person would have to be slightly off-kilter to jump off a structurally sound building? Do you expect, therefore, that I’m rescheduling it to some undetermined future date for some unfathomable random reason? Or, do you simply believe that Jamaicans may run, and Jamaicans may bobsled, but they don’t fly? Well….

…..YOU’D BE WRONG!!!! ON ALL COUNTS! For today, July 27, 2018, the weather forecast for Macau, China will read “partly sunny, partly cloudy, 28 degrees Celsius, chance of afternoon showers, and a very high likelihood of falling Jamaicans!” IT”S ON!!

WARNING: This blog post is replete with all the obligatory one-liners, song and movie references, puns and superhero references you no doubt expect in a blog post about bungee jumping.

First, thanks to Jeff for his help setting things up! Cool guy!

Getting suited up with t-shirt and shoes by Freddie (aka “Not Kruger”). (Red t-shirt and sneakers? Definitely not my style, but….)

First class, one-way ticket! 62kg (137lb)?? Glad I had the harness and weights to add about 4-5kg(8-10lb), or I might not make it down on my own!

Awaiting my turn and practicing my cool superhero arm moves for the trip down!

Getting harnessed 233 meters up! *“I’m on the top of the world, looking down on creation and the only explanation I can find…”* (The Carpenters)

Macau Tower Convention & Entertainment Centre (Chinese: 澳門旅遊塔會展娛樂中心; Portuguese: Centro de Convenções e Entretenimento da Torre de Macau), also known as Macau Tower, is a tower located in Sé, Macau. The tower measures 338 m (1,109 ft) in height from ground level to the highest point. Its observation deck features panoramic views, restaurants, theaters, shopping malls and the Skywalk X, a thrilling walking tour around the outer rim. It offers the best view of Macau and in recent years has been used for a variety of adventurous activities. At 233 metres, the Macau Tower’s tethered “skyjump” and Bungee jump by AJ Hackett from the tower’s outer rim, is the **highest commercial skyjump in the world (233 metres)**, and the second highest commercial decelerator descent facility in the world, after Vegas’ Stratosphere skyjump at 252 metres. The tower was created by the architecture firm of Moller Architects.
The tower is one of the members of the World Federation of Great Towers. Besides being used for observation and entertainment, the tower is also used for telecommunications and broadcasting. It and the Grand Lisboa hotel are the most recognizable landmarks in the Macao skyline. (Source: Wikipedia)

(You say bungy, I say bungee…”tomato,” “tom-ah-to…”)

*“Too late to turn back now! I believe, I believe, I believe I’m falling in Macau!”* (Cornelius Brothers)

Um, excuse me, guys…is it too late to use the restroom first?

“Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No! It’s that skinny Jamaican guy!”

*“Fly like an eagle!”* (Steve Miller Band ’73)

Video of the jump from the waiting area:

Now, here’s what you’ve been waiting for: the video from the GoPro camera strapped to my wrist: (Direct link to download video)

Yep, it was waaaay cool! I’m actually thinking about doing it again! I’m sure it will be more fun now that I know what to expect!

I always imagined that the actual sensation of falling would be the uncomfortable, overwhelming part, but for me, it was that single second right before I stepped off the ramp that was the most unnerving. Then, once I was actually airborne it was pretty easy to get into the moment and be fully conscious and aware of what I was doing (i.e. arms extended in front like Superman, etc., the scream, etc.)

And the grand finale: the official AJHackett video created for my jump: (Direct link to download video)

After my jump, Sam from Nepal and Alex let me hang around at the base of the tower to watch the next jump.

A new friend from China, Wuxi who jumped right after I did!

Review: Great, professional, fun crew! Nice atmosphere! Excellently-produced video! Highly recommended! In fact…

Lesson for today: a bungee jump is not something you do just once, so yes, I’ll have to do it again! The next two jumps are discounted, and the FOURTH jump is FREE! I was also told that on subsequent jumps, my feet won’t be tethered together and I can actually walk and dive off. This could get addictive! Hmmm. I know what you’re thinking….Seems there are quite a few songs with the theme of “crazy!”

“Crazy” (Gnarls Barkley; 2006)

“Crazy” (Seal; 1991)

and, my personal favorite, “Crazy” (Patsy Cline; 1961)