It has been a long time since I did something that my brain felt was so stupid that it made my legs wobble. As I stood on the edge of the cliff, I could feel the long lost adrenaline hit my bloodstream, my brain’s way of hedging its bets to stay alive in case my body got injured and I needed a boost. It was a welcomed feeling, and it reminded me just how much I need that feeling in my life.

Yes – I need to work on my form!

Today we hired a taxi (US$10 return) to the cliffs on the West side of Negril where there is a place called “Pirate’s cave”. A restaurant/bar with an incredible vantage point on the cliffs. Below it is an awesome sea cave which was used in the movies “James Bond: Dr. No” and “20,000 leagues under the Sea”. The cave has reputedly been used by smugglers and pirates for years. We swam in the cave which had a stairway back up to the restaurant and hung out with the owner Sandra, a very cool woman. The current was quite strong in the cave and you had to stay on your toes to keep from becoming a future part of the decor.

I doubt that pirates use the cave any longer, but just in case they need a place to hide out, the entrance is now clearly marked with a sign.

The highlight of the day was me jumping from the cliff, a good 30+ foot drop into the blue water below. The water is so clear that you can plainly see huge boulders on the bottom, giving it the impression of being much more shallow. I stood at the edge for several minutes before finally getting my fear of the rocks under control and taking the step off into thin air. I have not felt that much adrenaline about heights since my 160 ft bungy jump in Chiang Mai.

Yup, that’s a long way down!

The rocks did not turn out to be as much of a threat as the water did. I tried to enter the water with my feet together and arms at my side, but instead smacked down with my legs slightly spread – which might have made having children later an interesting challenge.