Drifting down the Ayung river

Image courtesy : Brian J. McMorrow

What do you do when you have had one of the most serene and scenic experiences of your life but come home without a photo or video to show for it? You must be wondering how is that even possible given that we live in an age we are almost umbilical-ly connected to our phones which comes loaded with not just cameras but photo filters and photo enhancers to capture every passing movement and moment of our lives. To be honest, the first few minutes of the trip passed in nothing but irritation at the fact that I'm having this great experience and yet am unable to record it for posterity. It took me a few minutes to realise that half of my life was passed blissfully without having taken every wayward flower and road. And yet those memories have not tarnished much thanks to my faithful dairy. And so I settled down to enjoying the moment and commit all the lovely details to memory for another day and another page ( or post as might be the case here ).

Jackets on, game on! :P

We set out in the morning with idea that we'll be rafting down Telega Waja in Bali which is 3-4 grade of rafting rapids classes of white water river.  But to our dismay we found that it was least 2-3 hours away from our hotel without including possible traffic and we already had plans for later. So we decided to head towards the Ayung river which was just half an hour or so from our hotel. In the resulting rescheduling and corresponding confusion, we lost a hour or more. But finally we found ourselves near the inflatable boats in life jackets along with a Japanese family complete with grandparents and a pair of 6 year old sisters in matching pink frilly swim suits. I guess that should have warned me about the excitement levels to be expected from this "rafting" expedition. But I was too excited to really connect the dots at that moment.

Trekked through some really pretty
paddy fields to reach the river

I think it was only when we had to settle ourselves into our respective rafts I wondered how the kids and the grandparents would be able to manage while hoping they would not be in our raft. But then again they blithely trekked the 3 odd kilometers down the rather steep and slippery hill side to where the rafts were ( to my jealousy.. I wondered if I would be able to do the same at 60! ). Each boat gets one experienced handler who told us the basic commands as to when to paddle and when to hold on etc. We also deposited our cameras and phones into his water proof bag with the promise that he'll give it back when we stop for taking pictures. Seemed reasonable enough.

And we were off. There was a couple of jumps at the beginning, just enough to get your adrenaline started in anticipation. But the jumps were the exception rather than the norm and quite misleading about how the rest of the trip is to go. I guess maybe, sometimes, it's the unpredictable and unexpected part of an experience which can make it so memorable. Of course initially, like I already mentioned, I was fretting over all the things I felt were going wrong - the lack of exciting jumps, the lack of camera to capture, the lack of.. I don't know, something more than what I paid for.

I'm not sure when the realization hit me, that I'm missing out. But I think it might have something to do with the moment I looked up. The river is at the bottom of a gorge walled in thick with trees that's at least 30 meters high, reminiscent of amazonian rivers you read about in books. So you look up and see a narrow strip of the blue blue sky with tall green banks. Like you are floating away in a river of sky. Once you slow yourself to the pace of the river it's so blissful that you almost wonder why you wanted to jump around rapids. Almost.

You look up and if the rest of the group is quiet, it's just you floating away to a time far away, to a place long ago. Maybe you are Huckleberry Finn drifting down the Mississippi. Or maybe you are Holly crossing the moon river. Or maybe you are nothing more than the graceful slow swoop of the leaf tumbling down from high. You can get lost within yourself in so many ways.

Image courtesy : sierrastevensmcgeever

And then you hear a sharp command from your handler to paddle this way or that and you come back to earth. There you sit back to observe the immediate and to your surprise it's equally delightful. At unexpected turns, you see rock faces with intricate carved reliefs in the typical Balinese style showing scenes from the Mahabharata, half green and half gray showing the play of the water line. There dint seem to be a rhyme or reason as to when these carvings appear. You pass by large rocks which look a perfect canvas yet they remain as boulders and then under some leafy foliage, half hidden under water you'll see fantastical beasts cavorting with the great heroes.We asked our guide to stop for the pictures but he insisted the water is too deep ( which can't be true as there were people stopping and taking pics ) or that the stop is coming right ahead where we can take pics.

While your sense of time slows down ( you feel like you are suspended in forever), your senses sharpen. There is an intense beauty to every detail. Maybe because after a long time you are paying your full attention without multitasking. And oh so many details. Ropy vines, some rough and bark like and some satin smooth. Some straight and long and some, looping over to build bridges over the rivers. Ferns which fan over a meter wide. The way noon sun scatters white over the tallest tree tops and grades to a deep green by the water. The unexpectedly iridescent flash of color which resolves itself into a purple dragonfly.

Image courtesy : lookinforjonny.com

And the impromptu waterfalls made of the water drained from the paddy fields hidden from sight. And no kingfisher has looked so blue; or so large. We were waiting at a bend for the other group to catch up and we see this brilliantly blue kingfisher perched right above us. Unfortunately our cries of excitement annoyed the bird who was looking out for his next meal and decided to go to a less noisier part of the river. Again my fingers were itching for the camera as you never know when again you'll find yourself at a hand's length from a creature as colorful as this! Some habits die hard.

Things were not always quiet and serene. One, there were the other rafting boats from other operators. And then there was the other boat with the rest of the Jap family. I don't know who started it, but every time the other boat came within splashing distance, someone would try to drench the others which would soon have everyone splashing and squealing when the cold water runs down your back. And it was not restricted to just the other boat. Any mischievous minded rafter, whether he (or she ) knew us or not, would start the splashing when least expected. And then there was our own impish guide. Occasionally when all of us are day dreaming away, he would turn the boat to purposefully knock it against a rock knocking people off their seats. Which means that one minute I'm contemplating the silhouette of the leaves against the oh-so-blue sky and next minute I'm seeing my feet silhouetted against the same blue sky.

We did stop half way though our trip but it was merely a tiny patch of sand with a makeshift shop for soft drinks and coconut water and no where as scenic as the rest of the places where we had asked him to stop. It was clear that the guides from different operators have marked out different parts of the river for the stops and the more expensive ones got to pick first. Oh well.

Looks so exciting, right? ;)

After the stop is when we start to see signs of civilization, mainly isolated and expensive resorts and restaurants which over look the river. Thankfully all very tastefully done and so doesn't really disrupt the natural beauty of the place. Instinctively we realise that the trip is almost at the end, especially when our guide tells us to be ready for the photo. Photo?? Huh? Right before the end, there is a jump which is shallow enough to be safe but with enough foam and froth to make it look exciting. There you'll find the photographer strategically positioned to take a picture of the group as they pass by. Obviously at the sight of the camera the whole group galvanized into ready smiles, victory signs and raised paddles looking fully like intrepid conquers of the wild river (LOL! Amazing how much a camera can change people's reactions! )

Soon after we are hauled off the boat and we trek back up the hill, already reality crowding in with the hot sun and sweaty weather leaving nothing but memories of the surreal ride down the Ayung river.

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If you liked this, may be you'll also enjoy some of my other travel writings, like this and this!

Take care,
Phil (and his muse!)