a step closer to Mother Nature

01 may 2008.

Woke up at 5am in the morning and departed to Dandeli.
Spent only one and a half hour to reach Kali River, where we started the day with river rafting.
Guess everyone was excited to put on the lifevest and helmet and grip on to the paddle.

Here we go...into the waters..
We started with some training in the calm waters.How to hold the paddle in the right way, how to paddle forward, how to backpaddle, how to sit in the raft, how to get down when we are going into the rapids...and also jumped the waters n practice floating...just in case...
It was about 9am at that time, and i just jumped into the water when our guide ask us too, never thought if the water is freezing or not (it wasn't) or if there are any crocodiles or fish or snakes..

Deeply in love with the lush greeneries surrounding us when we were on the river...世外桃源 is the best word to describe the majestic sight.
How i wish the river doesn't have an end so that i can sit in the raft and let the water take me down the river forever as i wish...
On the river bank, there were 2 tree houses, used as chalet. The tree houses looked so beautiful from the outside. Simple, wooden, on the tree top. I bet the view of the scenery from inside the house will be awesomely awesome.
I always wanted a tree house since young. Liked it so much after reading ''Peter and Jane'' by Ladybird. Shall i say it is my dream house?

Actually, not much of rafting (paddling) did we do. Half of the time we stopped and the guide will show us some birds or plants. He was the one who controlled the direction of the raft and whatever we did was directed by him.
"FORWARD" and we will go paddle forward.
We went through about 9 rapids. It was fun (only at that moment, as i don't quite remember how it felt anymore). I was expecting some huge waterfalls where the whole raft will fall from a height n water will splash, like going on the Genting Highlands Sungai Rejang Splash.
But it wasn't exactly like this. No waterfalls. (Imagined too much). The waters were not as wild as how the signboard described it to be. We did 'rushed' down the slopes of water and got bounced up and down by the waves.
Apart from that, all the rapids were almost the same except for the last one where we did 'surfing'.
We paddled upstream to get our raft stuck in the pit, where the strong current of water splashed onto and over us. We had to cling on very strongly to the rope beside the raft. Or else will get chucked out.
As i was wearing my contact lens, the guide told me to closed my eyes tight so that water won't hit my eyes and break the lens. Sad. I couldn't get to see how it was like facing the strong currents. All i did was bend as low as possible and closed my eyes n mouth. But i could feel the raft getting tossed up and down (hoping that it will capsize). Haha!!

Went to see some crocodiles at the river bank after lunch. We had to keep quiet so that we don't scare them away. Or perhaps alert them about the presence of human beings that will make a sumptuous meal.
Then, we started our trekking, which is more like a nature walk.
I wasn't quite interested in those herbal remedies and their therapeutic uses in curing this and that diseases. I was more into torturing my camera n putting him to work..haha..(sorry..i know its labours' day).
I love the sunflowers! Wished i had more time with the sunflowers. I'm going to look out for more sunflower pit!!

I'm not sure what i enjoyed the most. But i guess is just being in The Nature which is enough to make me feel so happy and contented. =D
Looking forward to the next one -- Class Trip to Mahabaleshwar.

Oh, most of my friends are complaining of myalgia in their arms and forearms especially. Surprisingly, i don't have any complaints. Nothing. One friend said probably because i wasn't putting in effort to paddle, that's why the others had to paddle harder and myalgia is the sequelea. (It's bullshit yaar, i did paddle OK..)