I usually boast that I love high places but as I stared down the waterfall, I literally felt weak at the knees. "Are you serious? Me? Cascading, no, DROPPING, down this waterfall! This can't be happening!"
I said to myself. The twenty-meter-drop, cushioned by dark flowing water and trees below, was simply daunting. I didn't expect this on my first time.
"Don't worry," Tatsu, our instructor, reassured me. "Everyone goes through this.
You don't have to dive from here.
I'm going to bring you down with some rope."

Tatsu then presented me with three choices: Hard, Medium, or Easy.
"So what will it be?" pressed Tatsu.
"Easy," I mumbled timidly, my voice seemingly lost in the rumble of the fierce water below.

I soon found myself roped up and suspended in the air. "OK, smile!" shouted Tatsu nonchalantly from above; I somehow forced out a smile in reply.
As I approached the mid-point, the rope stopped and I realized that it would no longer be under Tatsu's control.

Suddenly, my body floated in the air and before I knew it, I was in the water. My companions were waiting for me and greeted me with smiling faces. In the end, my ten second trip finished before any fear could creep in.

This is, of course, just one example; not all activities offer this kind of adrenaline rush.Slipping down leisurely, floating, or relaxing in a bogey hole can be equally fulfilling.

For me, it was a day to pause and reflect on the natural beauty around me; I was able to realize the things that I took for granted. (I realized how small I was). This is something that I cannot experience in every day life-gazing at the sky from between the trees by the river; the feel of the cool, crisp water; and the negative ions flowing through my body.

This is for people who want to experience something new; for those feel confident in the outdoors; and for those who want to escape the high rises of the city and explore nature. If you feel that have the courage to tackle a canyon, or simply enjoy nature, try a Sunrise Tours Canyon Tour and get away from the stress of the city.