Adrenaline junkie? South Africa is the perfect place to experience sports from strategic to the extreme.

Cricket. The words wicket, overs, and googly were foreign to me before today, but happen to be widely-known thanks to the worldwide popularity of cricket. It surprised me to learn cricket was the sport of choice in the U.S. in the 1800s. After the Civil War, baseball became widespread and cricket lost its popularity.

I slapped on some cricket pads and got a lesson from two professional players on how to bat and bowl (or throw) the ball. The batter’s swing is more like that of a golf club than a baseball bat. It took a couple tries before I managed a decent hit, but Christopher knocked the ball on the first try!

Surfing. Salty sea air enveloped me, as I headed to the suburb of Muizenberg for its famed beaches and surfing. Christopher slipped on a wetsuit and prepared to train with a real pro. Gary Kleynhans of Gary’s Surf School gave a quick lesson on balance and safety in the water. The sharks off South Africa’s coast are notorious the world over, which made Christopher a little nervous. Gary assured him that shark attacks are rare - glad I opted to sit this one out.

Bungee Jumping. I couldn’t believe my ears when fellow traveller Jenny told me she wanted to bungee jump. Before I knew it, I was standing at the base of Orlando Towers in Soweto watching her rise 33 stories to the platform between the two structures. I watched in disbelief.

After strapping on a safety harness and receiving instructions, the crew attempted to give Jenny a countdown of 5-4-3-2-1. Unlike many people who wait until the last possible second, hesitating on their last shivering nerve, Jenny leapt immediately.

The rope used is based on the jumper’s body weight. This determines how much the rope stretches when the person falls. So, there is no need to worry about too much rope and too little air-space - so I was told.

Her first words back on solid ground were, “Awesome!” Bodies aren’t supposed to drop 33 stories and bounce around. Am I missing the point?

Keep on movin’: Head to Table Mountain.

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