The River was Wild (well in parts it was)

First- a little disclaimer.

I'm not nautical.

Kyacking has never got me excited in the pants department. The concept of navigating a raft on water to me is beyond my physical and mental capabilities. As much as I love swimming in water, I know I don't have the ability to navigate on it.

I'm just a goose when it comes to these things.

So what did Luang Prabang serve up for me today?

Sab and I decided to try our luck at white water rafting. In the years that could be called my "childhood" which basically was between 1979 and 2004 I sometimes came across a scene in a movie where a group of people would ride over fast breaking rapids without falling into the fast current beneath them. After my bamboo rafting efforts of a few days ago (you can read about that here on the blog) I returned to my first love, navigating crafts on water.

On our 2 hour drive out of town, the eight lucky people on our tour group were told that they had the choice between kyacking and white water rafting. Sab and I wanted to do the rafting and skip the kyacking but more on that later. During the drive through the beautiful countryside the local kids would wave to us and with big smiles planted on their faces as well. They are such beautiful kids and they are so happy with their lives even if it means running around your little village with no pants on all day.

Then all of a sudden we had to stop. Our guides were told by a man walking up the road that they were about to explode a bomb. Seriously..this bomb was dropped in the "American War." I love how its called the 'American War.' Indochina has had so many wars here throughout its history that its amazing to me they have not just kept calling them 'World Wars.' If that was the case Indochina would be on about World War 23. A 30 year old armament buried next to the road was about to be detonated. I had recently finished a book about the Peace Treaty in the Vietnam War which also touched on the bombing of Laos. Naturally I was pretty excited. Would we see a massive fireball and then a great plume of smoke just like in the movies?

Nope. Instead there was a loud BANG! and the trip was allowed to continue.

Once we reached our destination Sab and I volunteered our services to kyack. Now the only instruction we received was if you fall in put one hand on your paddle and one hand on your boat. We were on our way and then all my years of water navigation kicked in. I couldn't get the thing straight and this didn't impress Sab. She's done a little bit of this stuff before where as I had zero experience. Before we knew it we had hit a rock and we tumbled into the water.

Once again in the movies when people fall in the water they somehow get back in but nope. Sab and I looked like a couple of freaks with no idea how to get back in but somehow we managed to get our asses back in the kyack. Up ahead was a small rapid that was beset by small trees on the right side. Our guides didn't tell us what to do so we tried to follow the people in front of us and we were just about to get a clear ride into the rapid section the back of our craft hit the very last tree we needed to get around. This is where all hell broke loose.

The boat capsized and the both of us were stuck under the boat. With out life jackets pulling us up to the surface we couldn't get under the boat. The kyack was jammed between two trees and we were jammed underneath. I was bobbing up and down and couldn't catch my breath. I was still holding on to the boat just like the guide said but in my head I had to let go hoping that the rapids would pull me under from the boat. So I let go and managed to end up about 5 meters further down the trees then Sab who by this time was out from under the kyack. I managed to grab a thick branch and I was trying to get back to Sab but with the current it was impossible. I was holding with everything I had just so I wouldn't get swept away again.

Sab was beside her self and the rest of the group were past the rapids and had no chance to come back to get us due to the current. We stayed with our boat holding onto these spindly trees and fast running out of energy. I thought if we just let go the rapid will take us to safety and I also thought to myself "It's not my time." Seriously folks, I was shitscared beyond recognition. The trees and rocks under the water were grazing at our skins and somehow I couldn't hold on and just let go. The rapids took us out of the trees and into more calming waters. Sab and the kyack followed suit and there we were floating in the river with no raft and no oars.

Eventually the kyack floated near me and I managed to grab it but I couldn't get back on. One of the guides jumped in and helped me get back on the kyack. Sab was pulled back onto the white water raft and we were both safe. According to the people at the place we booked at the rapids we went down were a class three which you could say is medium rapids. I'd never done this before so it was well above my experience and I'm telling you, I think it will be a while before I do it again.

Further down the river I fell in again with the guide but there were no trees thank god. I was just laughing my head off because I can never get something to go smoothly, something always has to go wrong on holidays. The whole group stopped for lunch on a little bank on the river and we also went in for a little swim which was nice. After lunch I parked my ass on the white water raft and enjoyed observing the scenery from this big bastard of a rubber boat. The mountains framing the river are amazing and the fresh mountain air was just beautiful to breathe.

The rest of the afternoon saw us go through some more rapids and also just float our way down to the final destination, a small local village. The people here have such a simple life that it really puts your life into perspective. After a nearly two hour ride back in the rain the group finally made it back to Luang Prabang and after a well deserved hot shower and a mediocre pizza it will be time to have a very long sleep.

Looking back I enjoyed the day and I'm glad I did it but after being stuck under that kyack not knowing what was going to happen next, it won't be something I'll go back to for a little while.

Tomorrow Sab and I are going to check out the local waterfall which is supposed to be amazing.

I'll stick to swimming I think from now on.