by Glenda Thompson

Created on: August 25, 2008   Last Updated: January 30, 2009

Fifty, when one is in one's thirties and forties, is considered to be pretty ancient. Dead heading roses and doing a spot of "light" gardening, taking gentle strolls in the park, playing board games with the grandchildren are all activities that one would consider suitable for fifty year olds to be doing. That is exactly how I envisaged myself as a fifty year old - when I was a lot younger.

Diving with Great White sharks, swimming on the edge of one of the mightiest water falls in the world, the Victoria Falls, white water rafting in Africa's crocodile infested Zambezi River, riding the majestic African elephant, learning to scuba dive, and now living with my husband on the edge of the Inca Trail in Peru and planning our first trip to the Amazon and up the Andes. These are things that I never dreamt that I'd do when I was a fifty year old. But I have, and they have all left me feeling exhilarated, breathless with delight and determined never to let ageing get in the way of enjoyment!

Turning fifty was not something that I was unduly worried about at the time. I had mulled over, cringed at the thought of, taken a long hard look at the middle aged "me". I had taken into account the wrinkles and bags that had persisted in forming under my eyes, and the saggy bits and spare tyres around my middle that had become an annoying but inevitable part of my life when I turned forty, but I just did not seem to have the time to think about "hitting" fifty!

On my fiftieth birthday, my husband treated me to one of the most awe inspiring "up close with nature" experiences of a life time. Diving with the most dangerous predator in the sea, the magnificent, unnecessarily maligned, Great White Shark. Our three children accompanied me on the adventure, and it was a life changing experience for all of us. Seeing these creatures of nightmares up close, from the safety of a cage in the wildness of the sea, gives one a strong feeling of compassion towards them. As a family, we all love the sea and instead of being put off from swimming "out to the back line" have learnt to read the ocean and understand that there are certain "no go" areas that are the province of the Great White.

I was invited to write an article on white water rafting on Africa's mighty Zambezi River, and although I had grave concerns about the whole experience, having heard bone chilling stories of people being trapped amongst underwater rocks, once I was on the river, I didn't have time to entertain thoughts of drowning! Adrenaline shrieked through my body. This was like a massive roller coaster ride on wild water! Suddenly, wham! We hit a massive wave and were thrust into the churning river. There was no time to panic. After bobbing about in the rapids for what seemed like hours, but was only a few minutes, we were back on the boat, safe and sound and raring for more.

Now in our late fifties, my husband and I are in Peru for three years working for a multi national sugar company. We have the most wonderful view of the Andes from our new home. We live close to the "surfers paradise" of Mancora on the South Pacific and we are a flight away from the Amazon jungle. The adventure continues!

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