you wanna play? where
Random Observation/Comment #64: I like my legs.I’m glad I still have them after this journey.
“Who wants to go white water rafting?”
“Ooo me me me!”
“Okay, good.It’s going to be $75 and you have to take a local bus that only comes every 2 hours and you have to wait at the station for 30 minutes for the instructor to pick you up.He’s a nice guy, except he won’t apologize for being late and looks like he’s stoned all the time.Oh yeah, I’m not coming with you and the bus is mad expensive.”
These were some details I would have liked to have heard before splitting from the group and beginning the expedition.No one there spoke English and the only way of getting back to the hotel was the address and phone number on a towel.Once we arrived at the station, I already thought to myself “Ah, fudgesicles. This is a bad idea.”We’re stranded in the middle of nowhere with basically no means of communication.We’ll probably need to pay a $40 cab back to the hotel and not have a chance to go hiking with the original group.Eventually, the guy arrived to pick us up 30 minutes late – not cool.
First impressions are very important, and this dude made me question Japan’s customs department for letting the biggest pothead, surfer Californian through the borders with his kilos of pot that he smokes on the job every second of every day.These are, of course, all lies and stereotypes going through my mind when he greeted us with “Oh, hey.Sorry, dudes, but we got out of the water a little late.”
The trip did not start off well, but the experiences to follow made me completely forget the level of pissed-off-ness (I think it was an amber alert).We were offered some wet suits, but I decided to be stupid and just go in my short little swimming trunks that left nothing to the imagination.Why did they have to spray me with cold water from the hose?My balls jumped straight up my ass (pardon my French).
The rafting business is quite simple.Step 1: Collect cold hard cash.Step 2: Drive the large group and the rafts for 20 minutes to the beginning of the course.Step 3: Teach all the newbies some safety lessons and how to respond to commands.Step 4: Practice the commands.Step 5: Go through some rapids.Step 6: Let them swim in the freezing water.Step 7: Let them dive off a rock and belly-flop from a painful front-flip mistake.Step 8: Play some rafting games where both competitors always wind up in the water anyway.Step 9: Save the Chinaman from drowning and dying in the rapids.Step 10: Take lots of pictures.Step 11: Sell those pictures for additional profit.
The instructors of these rafts are extremely skilled.One guy can control the entire raft filled with 8 passengers.They bend all the way back such that their legs hold on to the boat and their bodies are parallel to the water’s surface, and then they dig their paddle into the water and control the motion better than any RC remote could.When a group was passing a rapid, the instructor paddled the boat upstream all by himself to repeat a certain section of running water.
The rafting atmosphere is playfully competitive.Instructors try to gather the most team spirit by splashing the other teams and developing special chants.I began the tour with my usual picture-taking of the scenery around us; completely captivated by the gorgeous surroundings.However, the energy of the group brought me into each activity.I no longer thought about the useless things my mind thinks about.This was the vacation I wanted.It’s actually more similar to an adrenaline shot, but it was exhilarating and new.
The rapids along the particular river in Iya Valley were only class two and class three rapids. I don’t think anyone in their right state of mind will go through a class six rapid – it would probably tear them to pieces.When sitting in the huge red and yellow raft, everything was easy.It was not even close to a roller coaster ride, but more like when you don’t give enough gas when shifting gears driving stick shift.It was no big deal just sitting there and rocking back and forth while getting completely soaked with freezing water.In fact, I was completely surprised when I saw a video of us going through the rapid and looking completely badass.
Because the boat was a little lighter with just 4 people, the instructor tried to give us a bumpier ride by steering the raft to hit the rocks or angling the raft so that we land sideways and almost tip over.This was the reason I fell into the water and almost broke my legs.I’m sitting on the edge holding on to dear life and the guy turns the head of the raft facing the shore so the larger surface area catches and I get ejected out of my seat and into the water.There was definitely some catapult-action going on there.I floated because of the life vest, but the shallow water put me in a little bit of an uncomfortable situation.The adrenaline ran through my body; stiff due to the shock from back-flipping into the cold water.It took me about 5 seconds to grab hold and jump back in.So much hidden strength comes through when you think you’re going to die.After surviving the ordeal, I was almost embarrassed to have fallen in, but the instructor seemed as calm as a Hindu cow.“Are you okay?” “Yes.” “Rock on. Let’s catch up to the other boats.” You jackass.
The side games during the boat ride were a lot of fun.There was the balance game where you stand on the front and back edges of the raft while they paddle the boat in circles.Loser falls into the water and winner gets pushed in after them.Then, there was the pushing game where you stand on the side edge of the raft and push the opponent off.Loser falls into the water and winner usually loses balance and falls too.Then, there was the titanic game, where they hold onto your vest with a cord and let you lead forward into the water.The trend of the games was becoming more and more apparent.
The less common, but just as fun, game was scuba diving with a life vest on.The instructor basically steps on your shoulders and pushes you underwater without warning.Good times.Since the paddles float, people would often throw the paddle straight down into the water and try to catch it on the buoyancy bounce back up.All these games were very simple, but immensely enjoyable.When I got tired of falling into the water, I could just sit back and enjoy the view.
It started to rain half way through the trip.The water droplets were warm – no, wait – I was freezing.I felt like how superman would feel when he’s shot with a machine gun.The rain didn’t stick and roll down my arm.Instead, it splashed into smaller sprinkles of water.My body was a puddle with an undisturbed water tension.I felt the ripples of each drop through my goose-bumps.I welcomed the rain to hold me as the sun holds me in a cold autumn morning.My arms spread eagle with my palms up and my back arched.Thank you for the unforgettable massage and warm embrace.
~See Lemons Love the Excitement
Diving off the rock
It’s fun for this sport but I fell into the water too. Safety is always the first place.