(NOTE: I'm here blogging somewhere remote, hurrah for technology blah blah blah, but WeRoam is sooooo slow even if you get a full signal.)
When a friend suggested we go whitewater rafting in Padas, we all agreed to sign up. Wabbit and Hesika had done it already in Chico, but it will be my first time. It is a Class III-IV (depending on the rainfall) rapid and the highest is Class V, so we were expecting it to be a little wild. Ok, that was a lie, like almost every single thing in this trip, we didn’t know what to expect. From experience, anything is possible when the three of us travel together.
After stuffing ourselves with mee mamak and cereal (Honey Stars!) at the buffet breakfast, we stole waffles by wrapping it in napkins. You don’t really need to know that we already have a big bag of snacks for the trip, but now you do. What can I say, I guess it’s a Pinoy trait to always have food whenever we go on trips. It is a trip, a field trip. We parked our waffle-stealing butts at the hotel lobby to wait for the bus that will take us to the river, but we got worried when it was already half past eight and there was no bus in sight. We thought they left us because we were late.
We fell asleep waiting for them, and Hesika woke up with Daniel the telenovela boy waving at us with a clipboard. He ushered us to the bus, with a video camera recording our sleepy grins. As we got seated a guy stood up at the front of the bus (ahem, ahem) and started briefing us about the trip. I didn’t hear most of it because I was busy powdering my nose for the video.
After about an hour we got to the Keretapi Train Station. The train will take us to the mountains where the river is. It is a very old train, running since the late 1800s. It looked old too. We were supposed to board the train on the other side of the tracks, and since we were MMDA-trained (pun intended) we took the overpass to cross to the other side. The others just walked over the tracks. I don’t want to do that, I have this irrational fear that if I walk on the tracks even if there was no train in sight it would be my death. I have the same fear of getting scrunched by elevator doors.
Finally, the train blew its whistle and we’re off. We took pictures of the train and of each other and of the train and of each other. It was hot inside, so I dared sit at the doorway to have some mountain air on my face. The view wasn’t much, but it was so childishly fun to stick your arm (or feet or head) out while the train was moving. We took turns sitting at the door until we remembered our bag full of food. Watching the video, we were always chewing or drinking during the train ride.
We got off at the Pangi station, the base camp. We left our things there, and sadly, even the cameras because they weren’t waterproof. We didn’t get to perform our production number with the sunscreen because some guy kept shouting at us to “GET BACK ON THE TRAIN! NOW!” As we were hurrying up (I don’t like being shouted at) the same guy added “YOU CAN TAKE YOUR SUNSCREEN WITH YOU!” Oh yeah? Why didn’t you say so in the first place?
We continued our sunscreen episode while the train was taking us to yet another station where we will start. There we were outfitted with helmets and life vests while being fed watermelon and bananas. We amused ourselves by body slamming each other a la Takeshi’s Castle. Hesika’s idea, not mine. Wabbit didn’t participate.
The guy who talked at the bus then gave us a safety briefing, or what to do when your life starts to flash back at you while you’re swallowing the river. He showed us how to sit properly on the raft and how to hold the paddle, told us not to try to stand when we fall into the rapids, how to hug the kayak while you’re being rescued, and that they will throw you a bag of rope if you’re too far away from them. I think you’re supposed to use it to strangle yourself for a quick death. Kidding.
Groups were assigned to raft masters and we got the Guy With All the Spiels. After that we walked a little to where the rafts are, and excitedly took our positions. Only six people can paddle in a raft, and although I am perfectly content to just sit there and observe, somebody passed me one. Great.
The first few minutes on the river was spent giggling and screaming at the mini-waves that was getting us wet. How innocent were we then. There were ten of us on the raft, two on the front, four in the middle (including the three of us), and two at the back (the masters, or those who are holding our lives by the virtue of their paddles and patience).
We came to a rather calm part of the river and we were pushed into it because it's a "swimming area". Our opinions hold no value whatsoever. After getting back to the raft (it was rather difficult) the raft master told us that in a few minutes we will be experiencing the first rapid of the course, and if he shouts "paddle hard" then we must paddle hard and not stop until he says so.
I didn't like the way he said it, like he was threatening us. What's the worst thing that could happen, right? Well, the worst thing happened to Wabbit. Upon reaching a big whirlpool, she only had time to exclaim "Ay, ang laki!" before she disappeared from our sights. I didn't have time to symphatize with her much then, since my upper body was also immersed in the river. Hesika pulled me back, then we both screamed Wabbit's name because we don't see her anywhere. My mind was already thinking about what to tell her parents, and I don't think her last words would ease their pain. When traveling with other people, you are each other's responsibility, and I don't plan on facing her family being interrogated as to what really happened.
Turned out she was rescued by another raft, coming from the opposite direction of where we're screaming. Another girl was hugging the kayak but I didn't care about her because she was wearing red and Wabbit had a purple shirt on. Wabbit got back to her place, but this time when they say "paddle hard" she takes it as her cue to put her paddle down and hold on to the raft.
There were eight more rapids after that but we learned our lesson, so no further incidents followed. Ok, no MAJOR incidents. The last hurrah we had of the river was at the end, when once again we were pushed out of the raft against our will. Hesika and I were together, holding hands while letting the river water take us to the docking place. Then there were shouts of "Swim to the right!" from the kayak guy. I tried swimming to the right, but since I was toting Hesika the Hysterical, I had to endure endless screaming while trying swimming to the right. People were looking at us thinking we were dying or something, but since she's the only one screaming they pretty much ignored us. Looking at the kayak guy still shouting "swim to the right" he was probably thinking, how can I communicate to these two idiots that if they don't swim to the right they will be picked up at the South China Sea? And I was thinking, well, try dragging this hysterical paraplegic WHILE swimming to the right. Kayak guy got tired of shouting orders so he came to us and made us hug the kayak and brought us to the docking area.
That was the last memory I have. I blacked out from all the river water that I swallowed. The next thing I remember was staring at this guy’s abs, that if abs can be used to buy things he could very well buy me a lot of Havaianas with those. I swear, if he asked for all my money while smiling at me and with those eyes, I would have given it to him.
We changed to dry clothes, ogled the abs guy, had lunch, ogled the guy, watched the video, ogled the guy, bought Coke even if we weren't thirsty because abs guy was selling it. On the way back to the hotel we managed to learn his name so we can do the FLAMES thing and tattoo it on our backs. Next time you see us remind us to show it to you.
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