6-Dec-2017:
I did the Dubai Zipline adventure sport in Dubai Marina
As usual, it was Kannan who initiated this. He had told me, bout 10 days ago, that Zip line has opened in Dubai Marina and the cost was 650 AED (about 12000 rupees).
I had not heard about Zipline. So I asked him what it was.
"A rope will be tied across two buildings. You will be harnessed to the rope at one building and you will slide on the rope across to the other building. The speed will be about 60 Kmph", he informed.
It sounded exciting and as usual with any other adventure sport sounded a little scary.
Since it had not started commercial operations, I did not give it any further thought.
On the morning of Monday, 4th of December, I booked for Dubai Skydive for Tuesday, 5th of December. This was a birthday gift that I had promised to myself. While booking for Dubai Skydive, Kannan asked me if I wanted to book for Zipline also.
Having booked for skydive, I was in a kind of high. So in a sort of casual, almost flippant way, I just waved my hand and asked him to go ahead.
So there I was, with two back to back extreme adventure sports bookings, if you see what I mean.
Probably, I had wanted to impress my team. Probably I had wanted to
prove to them that age is just a number. Probably, I had wanted to show
them I was a superman.
Probably, I was plain stupid...
Who knows what I think?
I had already completed my skydive on Tuesday as I was leaving for this adventure on Wednesday. The action was to start at 12.00 Noon. The office of X Line, the company that was organizing the zipline was located in 'P' Level in Marina Mall. Once I reached the 'P' Level, I got a little confused. So I asked Hussain, the owner of one of the shops in the P Level, if he knew the office of X Line. It turned out that he had a friend working for X Line and he had already completed the zipline adventure during its testing phase. He was very keen to show me the office of Xline.
One the way to the office, I asked him, how it was.
He assured me that the ride was awesome, and that he was sad that it did not last more time.
"It is just one minute", he told me
Surprisingly, I was feeling a bit nervous about the impending ride. I tried to cover my nervousness by indulging in small talk.
"Where are you from?", I asked Hussain
He said he was from Iran.
This was the perfect time to bring the topic of Skydive. I had met Parviz, who was from Iran, yesterday in the Dubai Skydive venue.
"Yesterday I did the skydive", I informed him
If he was surprised at the sudden change in the topic, he didn't show it. He was impressed.
"How was it?", he asked.
"It was a bit scary, but fun", it was my bravado answering.
"I do not have the courage to do skydiving", he told me in a matter of fact way.
I did not say anything.
But I was a bit scared of this zipline. It was difficult to visualize the you will be hanging high above Dubai, hanging all alone, harnessed to a wire. The possibilities for creative imagination was endless.
I tried to analyze my fear. What was I scared of? Was it the decision making? I was I suffering from Buyer's remorse? Was it the fear of heights? Was I afraid of the helplessness of it all? Was I afraid of the fall from a height to the ground level? Was it a fear that something will go wrong?
It was definitely not the last one. I knew that nothing will go wrong and I will have the best experience. Also, only the day before, I had dived from 13000 feet.
That was different. That was Tandem. I had someone strapped to me. Here I was all alone.
We reached the Xline office. The team was very young and very professional. Most of them were Filipinos. By now I was very nervous and asked if I could opt out.
"We have a 48 hour cancellation policy", they informed me. "Why don't you try sir, it is going to be fun", they tried to encourage me.
Marina mall is the end point of zipline. The starting point is the terrace on the 42nd floor of Emaar Building, about a kilometer away.
We were taken in a van to the Emaar building. As we were approaching the building, my face must have displayed the nervousness. Judith, the Filipino support staff tried to calm my fears,. "This is nothing sir", she told me, "We did regularly during the testing of the zipline. It is a lot of fun", she told me.
"Do you have a break or something to control the speed", I asked Judith.
"No sir. The normal speed is about 60 Kmph, but it depends on your weight".
"The heavier you are, the slower you will ride, right?", I asked her hopefully.
"No sir, the heavier you are, the faster you will move", she laughed her pretty laugh.
I racked my engineer brain. Somewhere there is a formula linking weight, acceleration and momentum.
I should not have eaten all those parathas.
"When did it open to public?", I asked.
"Yesterday. Today is day 2", she replied.
What !!!
You see, I am not the 'Early Adopter' type. I don't stand in lines to buy the first release of the new iPhone. I don't go to movie to watch First Day First Show. I will allow others to try something first, read their reviews and decide not to try it.
Here I was almost an early adopter of zipline.
We reached the Emaar building. As the lift was going up to the 42 floor, I was getting more and more nervous. Once at the terrace, I was very sure that I was not going to do the zipline, 650 Dirhams be damned.
Except, I did not factor in the technical support staff at the starting point.
"I am very scared. I don't want to go through with this", I told the support staff. I was looking at the street which was 42 floors below. On this day, it seemed to be excessively teeming with tiny, ant like moving vehicles.
"Sir, it is quite normal to be nervous", he told me, "why don't we do one thing? Please wear the safety gear. If you still want to give up, you can always do".
So I wore the gear.
I told him, I was still scared.
"Sir, let me take your video. After that, if you want to give up, you can do that", he told me patiently.
In between my fear, I could sense the grandmotherly approach. You progressively move them to do what you want them to do. I was kind of embarrassed, if you ask me.
I stood for the 'Pre ride' photo and video.
"Tell the world how you are feeling", told the support guy.
I told the universe that I was feeling nervous and was not sure if I wanted to go through with this.
"Sir, let them set you up at the starting block. Before starting, if you want to give up, you can do", the guy told me.
I looked around. One couple was just getting set to take the ride. There was nervousness in their eyes as well, but they were going ahead with the ride despite. If they can do it, why can't I?
I also couldn't figure out one thing. Just the previous day, I had done a dive which must be 1000 times scarier, but I did not feel the fear. Here I was getting nervous about a ride that is going to last about a minute.
Such are the ways of the mind, I suppose.
There were two girls waiting in the line behind me. I could see fear in their eyes as well. If I give up now, probably they will as well.
This male ego is a terrible thing. It makes you do stuff that you probably wont on your own. My male ego told me that I cannot let down the damsels.
So, between my instinct at self preservation and the stupid male ego, the latter won.
I mechanically lied down, face down on the platform. They tied the harness to the rope. Once, everything was set, the support staff counted 3,2,1 and Go
I was off.
It was nothing as I feared. From the first second, it was not scary at all. As I slid down the rope at about 60 Kmph, I could see below the magnificent Marina canal lined with yachts of all sizes. I could see the afternoon traffic of Dubai Marina and the beautiful Marina Mall at a distance.
It was very beautiful. My eyes took in all I could.
In about a minute, it was over. I had landed on the landing pad at Marina mall. It was all over except for the Video.
"How was your experience, sir?", the video guy asked.
I was all enthusiastic. "It is great. Not scary at all. I am sad that it is over so soon", I gushed
The young team clapped.
I did the ride in the afternoon. Perhaps an evening slot would have been good. I could have got a better view of evening Marina.
After the ride, while walking towards the office to collect my bags and stuff, the Xline associate commented, "This is nothing. Skydive is scary"
I told him I did skydive yesterday. He looked at me with new respect.
I felt proud. 
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