Saturday, November 4, 2006

The One with the White Water Rafting

With most of our party at the jungle, H, Martin, Susan, Grant and I had 3 days to explore the wonderful town of Cusco at leisure.

While we had been away there had been a thunderstorm and the local church to where we were staying had been hit by lightening, knocking the cross off the bell tower, which in turn broke the stone cross at the churches door. With hail also falling, one over enthusiastic Cusconean spread panic as he ran around the square yelling that it was the end of the world. I wish I had been there - the image still makes me giggle now!

We met up with Milly again! (fab night out at the Irish Bar) before, with legs barely recovered, decided to test our arms with a bash at White Water Rafting on the Urubamba River on a level 3 rapid!

Resisting the urge to say "does my bum look big in this!" in my wetsuit and life jacket, we boarded our dingy (thankfully not the one that got a puncture and had been patched up with duck tape), and had a chance to practice the commands of forward, back paddle, left back, right back, inside, and most worryingly rock side (the one where you fly across the dingy putting all your force on the side praying that it won't capsize!)

Prepared, we headed down stream for 2 hours of arm aching fun.

I had a great time. We lost one dingy member as we paddled upstream into a rapid, but he was an austrian wuss anyway and was collected by the safety Kayak and soon returned to the boat!

We also managed to change positions in the boat, so I spent the last part at the front with a face full of water, while H was given the opportunity to steer the raft and nearly sent us crashing into the rocks!

We finished the day with a sauna and a late lunch before heading back to town, where I was unfortunately used as a cushion by a japanese tourist with a lolliping head.

The next day we purposefully lost ourselves in Cusco and found the local market selling animal stomachs, live chickens, and most gross, the muzzles of cows complete with nostrils, teeth and tongues.

We also visited the cathedral where the last supper, painted by locals features a guinea pig as the main course. How the scriptures gets that I have no idea! Also a mural of Daniel in the Lions Den features the lesser known Monkey Lion. The locals had never seen a lion and could only draw what they knew. A body of a lion looking animal with a monkeys head!

That night we joined the whole group at the Cross Keys pub(!) to watch the rugby, but as they had advertised the time wrong we took advantage of happy hour instead!

4 comments:

Mils said...

..and the additional Happy 30 Minutes´ if I remember rightly...
I have a rather amusing video clip of people doing the full 1970's routine to `Rock the Boat´and for the whole 20 seconds all you can hear is a certain blonde young man shouting "1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4...".

Anonymous said...

Hey Kate its Helen and Lisa here from GB we are missing you lots and lots counting down til when you get back!!xx we have been doing lots of work at GB and we are always saying how we wonder what you are up to! we got to read your postcards last week we all were amazed at what you've done compared to what we have done it is like nothing! we cant wait to tell you what all the gossip is over here and we're sure nicola will need to book a couple of sessions off so that you can tell us about all thats going on with you!
See you soon
Miss you loads

Helen and Lisa
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Anonymous said...

being used as a cushion by japanese people! I HEAR YA!
Slap em around the chops, I say.
Miss you chicken, and wish i could read your blog more regularly...
but man... you're a givin me itchy feet.
Lots of love and monkeys
izx

Anonymous said...

Helen and Lisa -

Great to hear from you! and thank you for your message that you sent via Nicola!

I am having lots of fun but I do miss you girls each Friday.

Can´t wait to hear your gossip!

Say hi to everyone for me

Kate
xx