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| Urvi and I rafting away! |
Trip: Lao
River
Distance: 12
km (245 meters of vertical drop)
Time:
1:40:00
Sights:
Pollino National Park, Papasidero, Canyons, Waterfalls/Fosses/Slaps
Perhaps the
two biggest things I’ve always wanted to do that I have never done are
whitewater rafting and skydiving. In
nearly 40 years, I’ve always said, I want to go rafting and in nearly 40 years
everyone has said, yeah, we’ll do that
sometime.
Well, Urvi
was willing to actually do it rather than just say yeah, we’ll do that sometime.
In the
beautiful National Park Pollino in the mountains outside Scalea, the outfit
Rafting Yahoooo runs great trips: Medium, Advanced, Family and All Day. Urvi and I signed up for “Medio” which
requires you be at least 8 years old.
Well, we have the ability and courage of 8 year olds.
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| Papasidero |
Rafting
Yahooo picked us up at our hotel and drove us 30 minutes up into the
mountains. We got to the camp area and
the driver had to go wake up the guides… Once they got there and we made a
change into wetsuits, we were off for another half hour drive even further into
the mountains and the National Park. We
helped carry the raft into the water – right on a rushing rapid.
The stroke of
rafting is very similar to the dragon boat stroke rather than say a canoe one:
extend the body forward with the paddle vertical. Then sit up as you pull the paddle vertical
through the water. Stephen, our
guide-driver, spoke very little English.
Mainly: “forward”, “backpaddle” and “stop.” With the professional guide and the fast river,
it isn’t as much paddling as kayaking or canoeing.
But it is
like an interval workout. You go through
reasonably quite bits, almost just floating, admiring the beautiful canyons and
mountains and trees of Italy’s largest national park. Then WHAM! a rapid approaches and Stephan is
saying “Forward!” and madly Urvi and I
are paddling for a minute or so. The boat
is bounding through the waves and dips and splashing us and the boat. Then on the other side: “STOP”
Back to
admiring beautiful canyons and mountains and trees of Italy’s largest national
park.
Even with
stops at beautiful waterfalls and the floating through nature – it was still
finished all too quickly. Thanks to Urvi
for indulging me and Rafting Yahoooo.
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| Chasing waterfalls |
Now, who’s
up for some skydiving?
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