River Rafting...

This is me on the morning of our rafting trip. I'm standing just off a logging road that was hella scary to drive up.

We got picked up by a mini-van from Outrigger about 7 am. After an hour drive we changes to a massive four wheel drive bus along with a couple other mini-vans full of people. In all there were 20 riders and 5 guides plus the bus driver.

This picture was taken midway through our jaunt up hill when we paused for homemade banana bread.

The company that runs the rafting tour leases the land around the upper river and most of the lower. It's a conservation area. But they work with a village that's smack in the middle by allowing them to continue to use the river for food, transport, wood etc. I don't know if all the guides came from that village but I know our particular guide, Joe 1 does.

This is my rafting group. The big headed one who's helmet doesn't fit right is JP. The two youngers furthers back were a backpacking pair. The girl is Scottish and grew up not far from JP believe it or not. The boy, Irish and they are college sweethearts. Yes there was much schmoopy talk between the two.

This photo was actually taken well after we started but well before we were soaked and more miserably chilled.

This photo is early on from the river. We started just below the upper much rougher portion of the river. They use this part during the dry season for the II-III level rafting.

Used to be a volcano and some thousand years ago an earthquake cracked it and the river flows through the scar.

All sorts of critters live along the walls. Crickets came flying out of the moss like something out of Indiana Jones. Also big nasty looking spiders who lug around their eggsacks and bunches of froggies.

It was one of the most impressive and beautiful natuaral sites I've ever seen.

We actually didn't fight nearly as much as when we went sea kayaking... I think because we weren't totally dependent on each other to get through.

Seriously all the work was done by Joe the guide, we just helped spin the raft during the rapids.

This was also taken just before a water fight when a guide from another raft hooked my vest and easily could have heafted me out of the raft. Don't know why I was spared but glad I was as the water in this area of the river was deep and very very cold.

This is near where we stopped for lunch.

The smooth part in the background is actually where we came out.

The rough bit in front isn't really that bad and we were able to wad around in there. That's where the suprise pool is. I have a video of that on my YouTube channel and will come back later to add in the link.

You jump in at one point and pop out another. I and my fear of drowning didn't do it but JP did.

The guys set up a really great lunch where we could build our own sandwiches. They also had some juice, fresh fruit (why is it always nasty pineapple?!?!) and cookies.

This is the little waterfall of death... frigid frigid death. I have never felt colder water in my whole life. Yeah I'm pretty not happy. I was convinced JP was going to yank me off the ledge and make me just in the cold cold water where I would smash my leg or head on a rock.

He didn't... but he could have... cause he's weird like that.

Sadly he think my "I'm miserable uncomfortable face" is "cute." The man is looking to place me in a padded cell before our 5th anniversary so he can have the cats to himself.

This was our afternoon stopping point. Everyone was pretty tired by this point. There had been several water fights and people getting yanked out by the guides. Our guide turned out to be a pirate and would go after other rafts just to soak their guides. He used the container that had the juice in it for a super soaking.

We finished just down past the village on the river where they employee the kids to throw all the equipment in the truck. The village also supplies a changing room and potty for a comfort stop before the jarring ride back down to the main road.

On the bus they passed out ice cold sodas and cookies. There were two full bags of cookies left over so when they spotted a kid fishing in a stream the bus pulled over and gave him the cookies. The look on the kids face was priceless... he didn't look to happy before, I don't think the fish were biting.