Pagsanjan Gorge and Whitewater

  I took a pricey day trip ($120) for some whitewater fun. My driver showed up on time and drove me (alone!) in his A/C car for 2.5 hours to the put in at a resort. I then got in a VERY tippy 19ft, 30” wide, semi-round bottomed canoe. My two man crew paddled up river to the first of many rapids and pushed off of rocks and boulders. They had to get out and drag the boat at times. I’ve often said that I am comfortable in most boats in most conditions but I was uncomfortable today. The boat would lurch back and forth as each guy scootered off a rock. Water was at the gunnels often and since I didn’t have a paddle, I couldn't‘t brace! For those that have paddled the Yough, it made Eddyturn look like the Doldrums. We passed a fine waterfall and continued dragging over rocks and pipe strainers. The pipes were to allow to boat to slide more easily but they were real strainers.

  We got to the second big waterfall (technical term -doozie) There was a bamboo raft in the pool below and two guys pulled a small group through the edge of the waterfall to the cave behind. needless to say, everything was soaked!  The trip back downriver was the least stressful as the two boatmen did a great job of guiding the boat through class 3 rapids using a lot of draw and cross-draw strokes. I ate lunch at the resort and my personal driver took me back to my hotel. I could get used to being rich and pampered!

  This will be my last blog for a while since I’m flying home tomorrow. Marcia and I are going to Ecuador in the middle of February and I might blog if I have time. I hope you enjoyed my travels.

   Chuck