Jessie and I enjoyed a nice breakfast on our porch this morning: banana stuffed toast and fresh cut fruit. Afterwards we were picked up by a tour company called Sobek for a few hours of white water rafting!
While in the van, we met a wonderful couple from Mexico. Their names were Carlos and Karen. Karen owns an interior design company, and she and Carlos come to Bali twice a year to get various paintings to sell. That’s my idea of a nice perk when it comes to finding a good job. Because they’re here so much, they were able to give us information about where to go, and what to buy.
Carlos and Karen were our group mates for our tour, so Jessie and I were both very pleased, as we enjoyed their company. We got our gear (helmets, life jackets and oars) and headed down to the river by taking many, many stairs downwards.
When we finally arrived at the river, we got a brief lesson on what to do and then we were off. Our guide Jackie was very spunky and made the adventure very fun. On our first rapids Jessie and I both shrieked because the water splashed up on us and we bounced a bit in the raft. It was thrilling!
Throughout the ride, we would occasionally bump into a rock or go down a steep rapid and Jessie and I would fall off of our seat and slide backwards into Carlos and Karen. They were very helpful and would hoist us back on our seats. Needless to say, Jessie and I were laughing for most of the ride.
I’d say that probably 60% of the rafting was over calm water, the rest being the adventurous rapids. The calm parts were so beautiful and gave us a chance to appreciate the scenery that expanded all around us. The trees and vegetation were so green and lush. Along the river bank were beautiful stone relief carvings (found almost everywhere in Bali) which told stories and made beautiful impressions. There were also numerous waterfalls which overflowed with beautiful fresh water.
At one point during the ride, we hit some wild rapids and I managed to fall out of the raft. At this point I was very glad that I was wearing my helmet because I made contact with quite a few rocks. The current was fairly strong but luckily Carlos and Jessie came to my rescue and hoisted me back into the raft (not a very graceful event, I’m sure).
The entire rafting journey was 11km long and every minute of it was breathtaking. Through the adrenaline filled highs and the scenic lows, it was a great experience. I would definitely recommend it, and I hope to do it in Canada this summer.
When we docked our rafts on the shore, we washed up quickly and were presented with a beautiful buffet lunch. There was an assortment of delicious foods that totally hit the spot after our adventure.
A short time later, it was time to say goodbye to our friends and head back to our accommodation. What a fun experience!
The rest of the day we spent lounging outside our beautiful hotel. (The gardens are complete with birds and fountains and statues and temples… just lovely!) Then we walked around town and looked in shops, ate fresh fruit and fresh potato doughnuts. Yummy.
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