Just Around the Riverbend...?
Today we went rafting down the Pacuare River, which is one of the top 5 rivers for white water rafting in the world. On a scale of 1-6, we went through rapids that were up to category 4. Although I had done rafting before, I know that this 4 1/2 hour "float" was way more intense.
Starting with our guide, Steve. He has lived in Costa Rica for 25 of his 53 years, and he has gained the nickname of Gringo Loco, or "Crazy White Guy" from the Ticos. This was because during a Costa Rican bull fight a few years ago, he opposed one of the angriest bulls they had. After a short fight, 6 broken ribs, and a hospital stay lasting several months, the bull was renamed after him. He is also an Mixed Martial Arts fighter in Central America, and has 8 silver teeth to show for it. He has a face covered in tattoos, a full sleeve of ink on his right arm, and a kind voice that directed us how to power through the rapids. He had rafted our course over 2,000 times, and I felt in good hands.
He talked us through every one of the four Class 4 rapids, told us all of their names, and worked an expert paddle in the river to steer us to safety. There was a Tico named Mario with us, and it will be his birthday tomorrow. To celebrate, Steve had him be a torero (bullrider) on one of the milder sections of rapids. To be a torero, you sit on the nose of the raft and hang onto a rope along the top of the watercraft for dear life. I mentioned that my birthday was coming up in about a week, and I went up to be a torera as well. I fell into the raft several times, but I'm glad that I tried.
After the last Class 4 rapid, there was a calm, deep section of river that we could dive into, so of course I did. It felt great to be able to relax tired muscles in the Pacuare for 10 or so minutes. Looking up through the ridges on either side, I couldn't believe that I was there, swimming in a river in Costa Rica. The feeling was incredible. We'll see if I still feel this way tomorrow when my muscles protest every move that I make.