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Dune of Pyla (www.dune-pyla.com/english).

When to Go: Year-round.

Bordeaux (64km/40 miles).

$ Tulip Inn Bordeaux Le Bayonne Etche-Ona, 15 cours de l’Intendance, Bordeaux ( 33/5-56-48-00-88;www.bordeaux-hotel.com). $$ Mercure Château Chartrons, 81 cours St-Louis, Bordeaux ( 33/5-56-43-15-00;www.mercure.com).

258

Dyke Jumping

First, Wooden Shoes, Now This

The Netherlands

While some adrenaline adventures are deadly serious business, dyke jumping will no doubt go down in history as one of mankind’s sillier pastimes. It works like this: First, find a creek or a water-filled ditch (known as dykes in northern Europe). Run toward it, fully clothed, carrying nothing but a long stick or pole. Use the pole to vault over the dyke—or, if you fail to make it to the other side, get sopping wet and endure the ridicule of your dry dyke-jumping friends until your next turn.

According to legend, dyke jumping began less as amusement and more as a means of survival. Wandering vagrants would jump over the dykes that surrounded farmers’ land, steal eggs and other foods, then jump back over before getting caught. The sport originated in Friesland, a province in the northern Netherlands that remains the capital of dyke jumping. Shortly after World War II, the sport evolved—though not much—into a competitive activity known as “fierljeppen” that some folks take very seriously. Belgium, the U.K., and even Japan have mounted teams to compete in the world dyke jumping championships. If you decide to give dyke jumping a go, you may want to wrap the rubber inner tube from a bicycle tire around your ankles and/or feet—not for the fashion appeal, but to help you grip the pole as you vault over the dyke. As you dig the pole into the muck, remember to shimmy up the pole while it’s vertical to gain the necessary inch or two needed to make it across the dyke. Hopefully, your comrades in dyke jumping have prepared a soft landing spot on the other side made of sand or other material. You might not break the world record (currently set at an amazing 19m/64 ft.), but if you stay dry, consider yourself a winner. —ML

Amsterdam.

$$$ Bilderberg Garden Hotel, Dijsselhofplantsoen 7 ( 31/20/570-5600;www.gardenhotel.nl). $$ Canal House, Keizersgracht 148 ( 31/20/622-5182;www.canalhouse.nl).

259

Zorb Globe Riding

Having a Ball

Rotorua, New Zealand

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be stuck inside a giant washing machine, here’s your chance to find out: Zorbing, the newest adrenaline adventure that involves absolutely no skill whatsoever, puts you in the center of a gigantic bubble made of clear plastic and then sends that bubble—with you inside it—rolling down a steep hill. You can do this adventure without adding water (to find out what it’s like inside a giant dryer, I suppose), but why not go the distance and add water for an extra splash of fun?

Rotorua, located in the center of New Zealand’s North Island on the western shores of sulphur-smelling Lake Rotorua, is the premier place to experience Zorb—this is the original Zorb site and has been in operation for over 14 years. Just follow the signs to the Agrodome in Ngongotaha, and you’re there. This sport originated in New Zealand, home of bungee jumping and other “stupid things to do on vacation,” as the company’s website proudly declares.

The Zorb globe looks like a huge cell from high school biology class. You’ll enter the Zorb head-first through its “mouth” after taking off your shoes and jewelry. There’s actually a smaller sphere inside the outer sphere, and the air space in between the two spheres helps to absorb the shocks you’ll feel when you hit bumps at 32kmph (20 mph). After getting strapped in, you may want to invite a friend to join you in the Zorb—it can hold up to three adults. And because you’ll be spinning upside down uncontrollably for a few minutes, it’s best not to Zorb on a full stomach or while intoxicated, for reasons that should be obvious.

Some folks have reported that the plastic on older Zorbs has aged