Rafting was so amazing this weekend - floating down a river in the middle of the jungle with lovely guides and great people! We have really been treated so well over here - looking forward to coming home but wouldn't be entirely devastated if we had to 'endure' another week in Malaysia !!!
Rafting began with a water confidence excercise: we were floated down a rapid on our back and had to swim for dear life to get to the edge of the water when we came through it. Of course with me, there must always be a twist!
I swallowed half the river while floating along and then struggled to open my eyes and swim to the edge...nothing unusual we were all the same. However, 1 group of rafters were terrible at controling their boat and came right over the top of me, forcing me under the raft unable to breathe! I had to be yanked out from underneath and a life rope thrown to me to pull me ashore before I hit another rapid....as you would imagine, I was a little shaken when I managed to get onto solid ground!!
Amazingly though, it didn't put me off and I got into the boat ready for more! I knew that that experience could never be repeated as if I fell out of the boat, a guide would be right beside me ready to pull me up again.
So, we set off - commands like "boom boom" meaning "crouch in the boat or be trown into the air", "on the job" meant "we're out of the woods so paddle for all your worth" and "1,2,3... High 5" meant "launch your paddles into the air, cheer and slap the water as loud as possible"! It may sound like madness but it was soooo fun!
When we got half way, we stopped for a rest but our guide told us to quickly jump to the left side of the boat. I launched myself over to the other side and of course this tricky move we needed to do to save ourselves was nothing more than a chance for him to tip us all into the water! It was so funny - screams all round!
We were genuinely disappointed to finish but we were looking forward to the trip back to the campsite - the total distance we had rafted was 10km and the only way back was on a truck were we were all bundled into the back like cattle! we had to duck the trees and branches but got some amazing photos of the jungle - people still very much live there in little wooden huts. No seatbelt rules over here - anything goes on the roads!
When we finally arrived back at the house, we were all so busy worrying about our assessments and lesson planning that we didn't realise how horrific our sunburn was - red knees and shoulders and strips on our arms...thanks to loss of suncream in the river!
Anyway, fun is now over - this week we really have to put our heads down - the major observations loom with the most important people in International schooling over here. No pressure.
See you all very soon!!!
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