HIGHS AND LOWS: PAPA NEW GUINEA

As I’ve mentioned before, my idea of adventure travel is limited to activities such as nature hikes, provided the trails aren’t too steep, and climbing in and out of a hammock. One reason I’m not more adventure-leaning is that I am terrified of heights. Whenever I try to conquer my fear it backfires. Once I went up in a hot air balloon in Albuquerque. When we were hundreds of feet in the air, I happened to mention to the handler I was an acrophobe (mnemonic: Acropolis). I think I was boasting a bit, I think I was trying to impress him with what I thought was courage but what he most likely interpreted as distrust of his hot-air-balloon piloting skills. What he did next can be described only as sadistic. He started shaking the basket and taunting me. “You’re afraid of heights?” he asked. Rhetorically I should add.

I went into one of those states of hyper-lucidity, where you’re preternaturally aware of your thought processes, and thought, I could do one of two things. I could freak and rip him a new you-know-what and sit down in the basket for the remainder of the ride to protect myself from the sight, but not the knowledge, never the knowledge, of the space between the basket and the earth. That was my impulse. That is what I almost did. My second option was to blow him off and pretend I did not care. And that is what I did. And that that is what I did still surprises me. I was that close to freaking out. After we landed -- not without incident: we scraped the top of a tree on our descent -- we had a picnic. Terra firma never felt so good.

Now, there is one adventure pursuit that’s been tugging at me for years: Scuba diving. I know it’s not a risk-free proposition. The bends sound dreadful. But I can’t imagine I would be as afraid of depths as I am of heights. Plus, it would be a lot quieter. Hot air balloons are loud.

I discovered this one, a chance for one of three dive trips to Papa New Guinea, rather circuitously. Earlier this week, Gadling linked to some truly amazing pictures of a breaching white shark taken by a fellow named Erik Cheng. He’s deep into photography, especially underwater digital photography. He blogged about this sweeps, which is sponsored by FiNS Magazine, on Wet Pixel, a site devoted to underwater digital imagining.

To enter, click HERE. You have to fill out a brief questionnaire.

The deadline is July 31.

The three giveaways are:

Trip One: 7D/ 6N at Walindi Plantation Resort for one, inclusive of bungalow accommodation, all meals and two dives per day.
Trip Two: 8D/ 7N with Aquaventures PNG aboard MV Kamai for one.
Trip Three: 7D/ 6N at Lissenung Island Resort for one, inclusive of standard single room accommodation, all meals, two boat dives/ day, afternoon shore dives.

If I won this, I’d take lessons at the National Diving Center, my local scuba-diving school.