Moises, my rafting guide, is drilling me. "When I say 'back paddle', what do you do?" Sitting in the raft, still docked on the side of the river I move my oar in reverse as he'd taught me to do. "Very good. Vamanos. We're ready."
On this stretch of the Sarapiqui River my husband and I, along with guides Moises, Martin and Victor, will be tackling Class I, II and III rapids while taking in our verdant surroundings. Bromeliads regally perch upon the branches of the lush, towering trees lining the river's bank. Herons and vultures convene in large groups while howler monkeys rustle in the trees. Just when I've lost myself in the scenery, the next set of rapids approaches and a giant wave wallops me in the face.
"Back paddle! Back Paddle!" Moises yells. We successfully clear the rapids, sharing a celebratory high five with our oars. Remnants of the Sarapiqui River drip down our faces as we prepare to brave the rough waters ahead.
For more information about a Costa Rican whitewater adventure visit:Â www.riostropicales.com
Jennifer Rhodes is a writer and teacher whose big mouth and complete absence of sound judgment make her a liability in most professional and social situations.
I’m pondering to go on a white water adventure but so far, I’ve come across the white water rafting tennessee and have heard so many great recommendations there. How about in Sarapiqui? Would you recommend a family with 2 kids to embark on such? Cheers!
Without knowing the ages of your kids, it’s hard to say whether or not this would be the right trip for you. What I can offer is that my husband and I were first-time rafters and we felt very safe for the duration of our tour. The rapids were challenging enough that we experienced that all-important adrenaline rush but not so treacherous that we ever felt our lives were in danger. (If I’m not mistaken, we did class II through IV rapids.) Plus, the scenery was absolutely gorgeous and the climate and water temperature were perfect for rafting—we didn’t emerge from the water freezing to death as I’ve heard is the case in many stateside Autumn white water rafting tours. If you determine your kids are old enough, it would be a great family bonding experience because everyone has to work together. I would absolutely recommend the Sarapiqui! Enjoy your trip!
OOPS! Just re-read my article. We did class I-III rapids!