COSTA RICA! The rich coast, the pure life, the irie land! This small country roughly the size of West Virginia packs quite a punch despite being dwarfed in comparison with other countries. There is such abundant life that its more then ten different biomes support more species of butterfly than all represented in mother Africa! Among Costa Rica's two hundred species of mammals are over one hundred species of bats -- a whopping total that amounts to more than all of North and South America combined! From tropical wetlands to snow peaked mountains, you can snowboard and surf in the same day, if you had a machete and several hours of chopping in your arm. There are massive volcano ridges that separate thick green jungles in between the Caribbean and Pacific sides of this narrow and unique country.




I had never before participated in the highly popular sport of white water rafting, and what better place to have my first river experience than the precipitation capital of Central America, Costa Rica! Even better, I was lucky enough to hook up with Miguel Cabrera, who runs Exploradores Rafting Company out of San Jose, and receive the best first time instruction a rookie like myself could ever hope for. He has twenty-two years experience kayaking and rafting the numerous overflowing rivers of this beautiful little place. I highly recommend a reservation with his crew as a part of a vacation in Costa Rica. His staff was professional, and his confidence and knowledge of the local people, flora and fauna made the rafting trip an education in indigenous culture and wildlife!

www.exploradoresoutdoors.com
www.adventuresunderthesun.com




Class three and four rapids were not too scary. We definitely got jostled, shook and nearly dumped on several occasions. The communication and teamwork of your partners on board the "plancha" is paramount to a successful and fun run of the rapids. During a particularly thrashing section of the Pacuare, I was clinging on so hard by my lower left shin that all the hair was removed. It looked like I was getting ready for the Olympic swim team. If my entire team was not in control at that point, we all would have gotten tossed off the raft. In a bad place to be swimming.

Speaking of which, I don't think a white water rafting experience would be complete without somebody plunging into the river. Sure enough, at a nasty zig zag and boulder filled part of the rapids, a woman was could not hang on to the raft. She did however manage to grapple to a boulder located directly in the middle of the river. A spot impossible for one of the rafts to get to because it would be like paddling up a small hill - OF WATER! Luckily the crew from Exploradores were totally prepared and within seconds had both kayakers on opposite banks of the river slightly down from the boulder to which she clanged. Simultaneously, two other raft guides had jumped to land and run up to the spot closest to her - and boom! Jump in to save her. She just would not let go of that rock. The safest thing for her to do at that point was to jump into the river and let it take her down stream to the crew waiting to grab her. Finally, she jumps into the arms of the crew and is guided back to the raft and re-inserted into her position and handed an oar. Now that's confidence building!




At one point the powerful Rio Pacuare, Miguel's personal favorite river to navigate as a guide because of its remote and wild location, the canyon filled up to a narrow high gap. It was time to jump off and refresh in the river. I remember floating on my back, life vest and helmet keeping my two hundred pound frame from sinking. The pull of the ocean was so subtle, but just enough to keep me perfectly moving along. I stared up through the thick green jungle canopy, watching for howlers and quetzals; peacefulness came into my heart as I continued to float downstream behind the raft. That peacefulness was nullified by the traditional "king of the ship" wrestling match to try to get back on the raft. And then of course, once you've made it on the raft, preventing others from "getting on the ship".

Where was I? All of this was happening under an ancient, thick and musty tropical jungle setting. The dreaminess of Costa Rican river rafting was a perfect start to an amazing journey through "El Pais de la Pura Vida". Miguel and his crew of 22 Exploradores ran not only our three rafts (carrying six passengers in each), but also coordinated another run simultaneously on another river in a totally different part of the country. Great logistics! We were flowing through a magic realm that we can only hope will continue to exist in its present state of wildness. Unless Century 21 and the Taiwanese contractors can get their version of Cancun tatooed on the beaches and coastal towns.

Ask for adult river rafting trips
www.adventuresunderthesun.com

ER Harris