33 things to do before you kick the bucket
From the mummified Pharaohs of Enigmatic Egypt and reincarnated sages of Tibet, to the still cryogenically frozen brain of Walt Disney, we silly humans have been obsessed with finding ways to conquer death since the dawn of time.
When the immortal Dylan Thomas wrote: “Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light”, did he mean pick a fight with the reaper on your deathbed, or was he alluding to making the best of your time while your breath was still in your possession?
Despite the achievements, experiences and (hopefully) wisdom accrued during life, there is no telling when your ticket will be punched and technology still has a long way to go before the secrets of eternal life can be packaged alongside birth control pills, pregnancy test kits, and polished coffins.
Before slipping away, the irreverent Oscar Wilde snarled: “Either that wallpaper goes, or I do.” That beacon of intellectual prowess, Winston Churchill, simply mumbled: “I’m bored with it all.” Nostradamus (oh so) profoundly exclaimed: “Tomorrow, I shall no longer be here.” “Don’t worry – it’s not loaded, see?” said Chicago guitarist Terry Kath while playing with a loaded gun. And let’s not forget Amy Winehouse’s last tweet: “Oinka, Oinka, Oinka, why you awake.”
Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that we will have the opportunity to utter an important final statement before the curtains close one last time. While we can’t all go out like Kurt Cobain with “It’s better to go out with a bang than fade away” or follow Bob Marley’s profound example: “Money can’t buy life”, we can make sure that when our lives finally flash before our eyes it’s at least worth watching!
And now, without further ado about darkly things we are obviously not meant to comprehend from our current human perspective, here are 33 Things To Do Before You Kick The Bucket:
1. Arrive in Vegas with a backpack full of cash to burn (and develop amnesia on the way back).
2. See a midnight sun blaze over titanic glaciers and active volcanoes in Patagonia, Chile.
3. Experience the awesome power of the Iguazu Waterfalls in Brazil.
4. Gaze up at the Nordic lights from a transparent dome in Finnish Lapland.
5. See if wild tigers are really as playful as they appear in the Ranthambore National Park in India.
6. Meet and play with wild orangutans in the jungles of Borneo.
8. Visit Enigmatic Egypt, see Luxor Temple by night and camp in the White Desert.
9. Live with an indigenous tribe in Amazon Jungle and meet a Shaman.
10. Feel the Jurassic Earth move with the great migration of the Masai Mara in Kenya.
11. Go Gorilla tracking in Uganda and meet a Silverback face to face.
12. Embark on an expedition to the North Pole to find Santa.
13. Ski through Norway, land a gnarly snowboard jump and hike a glacier.
14. Get up close and personal with Great White sharks with a cage dive in Gansbaai, South Africa.
15. Walk the most dangerous hiking trail in the world around Mount Hua Shan in China.
16. Live the Mardi Gras experience in New Orleans and see a real Voodoo up close.
18. See the candy swirl cathedrals of Moscow and meet the real Mother Russia.
19. Party like a masked and feathered rockstar at The Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro.
20. See the iconic Taj Mahal and explore the crazy downtown bazaars and markets of India.
21. Swim with dolphins and scuba dive in Ponta Do Ouro, Mozambique.
22. Feed Cheetahs, see the ghost town of Kolmanskop and set off on a 4×4 desert safari through Namibia.
23. Marvel at a volcanic geyser in Yellowstone National Park in the USA.
24. Soar through the air on the world’s longest zip line over water in Labadee, Haiti.
25. Conquer the white-water rapids of the formidable Zambezi River in Zimbabwe/ Zambia.
26. Sit in an ancient Irish Pub in Dublin for a liquid lunch of Guinness on St. Paddy’s day.
27. Charge down the historic Route 66 on a Harley Davidson and stop for lunch at a true American diner.
28. Pelt 20 000 strangers with tomatoes at La Tomatina in Bunol, Spain.
29. Pull up in a limo at a Movie Premier in Hollywood and act like a VIP.
30. Surf the world’s most famous Supertubes at Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa.
31. Speed up Moreeb (the world’s steepest dune) in a supercharged 4×4 in Lima, U.A.E.
32. Follow Lara Croft’s footsteps into the sacred Ta Prohm temples in Angkor, Cambodia.
33. Hike the hazy foothills of the Himalayas, miles away from modern life.
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