![]() ![]() “I go first.” Otomi picked up the rooster cage and held it in front of him as he stepped onto the first plank. The biggest issue Carter could see, besides one of the ropes snapping, was if the person crossing should wobble it too much, the planks might slip out. The theory seemed to be they walk along the planks and hold on to the tight ropes to traverse the gorge. The planks were simply sitting on the thinner ropes, not even tied down. From them hung thinner ropes that were strung from one thick rope to the other, in a series of loops that ran underneath long planks of wood. The bridge consisted of two thick ropes the size of Carter’s wrist, which were tied between trees on either side of the gorge. Carter had stepped into another world-a glorious ancient world that, other than the rope bridge, hadn’t been ruined by civilization. The scene was straight out of the Avatar movie. At that thought, he unhooked it from his hip and peered through his lens. He wished he’d had his camera ready to capture her enthusiasm. “This’s magnificent.” Lily turned to him, beaming. They arrived at the bridge and offloaded their gear. It must’ve been put up with haste, and based on many Mexican constructions he’d encountered in his travels, it probably would’ve been built with minimal safety checks.įrom behind, Carter couldn’t tell if she was processing the same concerns as he was. The recent discovery of this ancient site meant this bridge was new. Shaking his head, he took another tentative step.Īfter a couple more paces, he saw how they were going to cross the gorge. He could’ve vanished from sight and they’d have had no idea where he’d gone. Sucking in huge breaths to calm his nerves, he couldn’t believe neither Lily nor Otomi had even noticed. His heart pounded at just how close he’d come to tumbling into the barreling water. His foot kicked out from beneath him, and Carter clawed at a tree branch, just in time. Vines as thick as Carter’s arm crept out from the jungle floor and tumbled toward the water at regular intervals. Lily didn’t seem to have any fear as she walked ahead of him with confident steps. ![]() Their path skirted the edge of the gorge on a narrow ledge that was barely two feet wide. Water tumbled from a powerful deluge at their left and poured into a deep gorge in a frenzy of white foam that roared past them.īranches from the giant tree they’d climbed over stuck out over the void like a hand with long, knobby, outstretched fingers. It was only a couple of minutes before an enormous chasm opened before them. They shouldered their gear again, and set off in the direction of the thundering waterfall. I’ll start by introducing a segment of Deadly Twist by Kendall Talbot, a manuscript shortlisted for this year’s Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. This week, I’m delighted to share another extract and two poems that share a writer’s perspective – how you might see something, versus how others around you might see it. Of course, in real life, this journey takes more time and the neatness of fiction can often only been seen with hindsight. In a story, we see how this changes, how pushing a character out of their comfort zone takes them on a journey that enables them to grow as a person. A great adventure novel will show you different countries, different times and, most importantly, life through different perspectives. ![]() In a year when many of us have been unable to travel or explore, when we’ve been restricted to our local area and often the house, reading and writing have been ways to gain a better understanding of the world. The easiest of ways to do this, of course, would be to hop on a plane and hop off in a different country, to meet new people and see how you fare with the language and culture. It can show you how you behave when taken out of your comfort zone, open your eyes to a new way to view the world and, in doing so, teach you a little more about who you are as a person. This week, however, is less about what the idea of adventure means, but what it can do for you.Īn adventure is the best way to learn something about yourself. In my second week of editing the Write On! Showcase, I’m continuing the theme of adventure. September’s Showcases will be introduced by Georgina Brown, Manager of The Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation. Wilbur Smith’s Cloudburst with Chris Wakling.Our Environmental Sustainability Policy.Barking & Dagenham Library and Community Hubs. ![]()
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