Date of Entry: October 16th 2015
Date and Place of Writing: Hostel El Solario La Paz Bolivia.
After the disappointment of not being able to go up Machu Picchu I’m in need of some adventure and I’m finally feeling much better. We’re staying at Kilombo again, revelling in the incredible comfort of their beds and also in the many competitive ping pong games I have with the friendly Israeli owner.
Still, sometimes ping pong and recovery’s not enough, and sadly my time with Sara is running out so we head out into town and end up in Vertigo tours making friends with the very good salesman and very nice man named Jaime who ends up selling us two tours, our jungle getaway to Puerto Maldonado, and, before we head thee, a day trip full of white water rafting and zip lining through Peru Rafting Tours. We pay 125 soles for the day which isn’t bad, but honestly I’m too nervous to look forward to it, and probably never would have done this if not for Sara pushing me into it. I guess she’s getting me back for the waterfall back in Samaipata.
The next day we go back to vertigo tours where were walked to a small office in the Plaza de Armas, and then walked back past vertigo tours to our waiting minibus, one of two vehicles bringing rafters to the river which lies a little more than an hour from the center of Cusco. The ride only serves to make me more anxious, I love water, but boats not quite as much and I have no idea whether I’m going to love or hate this experience.
We eventually pile out of the van to get outfitted at the companies riverside lodge, which beyond just rafting equipment boasts a restaurant where lunch is included, a sauna, hot showers, and two zip lines zigzagging over the quick running river. Everyone puts on a wetsuit but I pass, having long since decided that spandex doesn’t flatter my form and being proud of never having worn ones. The guides think I’m crazy but I’m happy with my paddle, helmet, life jacket and rain jacket they give me, then it’s back into the van for another 15 minutes until cast off time.
Those last few minutes are the hardest and soon were getting our life jackets adjusted and a few basic instructions on where to sit in the rafts as their inflation levels are checked. Sara and I are put in a group with two friendly med students from New York (At least they’ll know CPR.) and a high energy Brazilian guy.
Soon we’re all slipping into the inflatable raft and learning the basic commands, which you will hear me echoing for the people in front to hear as you’ll see in the videos. After a few brief moments of practicing the various commands, (Forward, Back, with sides assigned, and All in, where we all jump into the middle of the boat and hold on for dear life, and of course the ever important Stop command.) we hit our first set of rapids.
It’s exhilarating and terrifying all at once, and that first bump that separates even my hefty backside from the boat has my heart plummeting, but I quickly come around, finding great joy at the splashes of water and rough currents swirling us around. It’s almost like being in a waterfall though not quite as cool. Here’s a few videos of the experiences, unedited and uncut go pro footage.
Our guide is fantastic despite not having led a rafting expedition in 6 months and keeps us confident with still enough fear mixed in to keep the adrenalin pumping. I’m soon thrilled to discover Rafting is one extreme sport I actually love, which I suppose makes sense given my infatuation with waterfalls.
The next few hours is filled with escalating sets of rapids as we wind down the river surrounded by the parched and rocky andes mountains. Our guide seems to like our group, since we actually listen and paddle with some know how and effort expended. Some of the other guides aren’t so lucky, and even mock their group with rolling eyes to us throughout the rafting.
We’re all quite proud as we get through right near to the end with no one falling from our boat, we’ll except for me, in a calm section asking if I can go for a swim since the supposedly frozen water, seems quite a comfortable temperature to me. We think we’re done and dusted but there’s one final set of small rapids, and suddenly I look over, and Anjali, one of the American med students is in the water. I’m just glad my go pro was rolling.
Eventually we pull into the base camp and drag our boats up, handing in our equipment and heading for a scary crowded sauna to warm up, the cold suddenly catching up to me. From the Sauna a quick change of clothes and hanging out with an awesome cat fills the time until lunch (included in the tour price).
The lunch is simple but tasty enough, standard Bolivian fair of bread and soup, chicken, rice and some form of potato, but it’s good enough. soon we’re being told that anyone who wants to zip line has to come out now, as there’s not much time left before we head back to Cusco.
At first I’m planning to do it, one of about only 8 people, but glancing up the tower, struck by fear which overpowers shame, I back out, but Sara doesn’t. all in all only about 7 of 30 people opt to do it, so I don’t feel too bad, plus it let’s me take these pictures to go along with the go pro footage Sara captures.
The zip lining done we’re quickly bundled back into the mini bus, barely given enough time for our group to pool 10 soles each and buy a copy of the CD of photos the company offers for 60 soles, before we are driven back to Cusco where we get some tasty food and settle in for our last night at Kilombo before our flight to Puerto Maldonado (Star Peru 133 CAD return) the next morning. We go to bed smiling knowing the jungle awaits, our last big adventure together. I’m sad about that, especially since it’s only thanks to her I finally tried rafting, which I suspect is something I will be doing again not too far down the road.
