Rafting to Chile
Not yet one week into our travel program and I can already confirm: yes this is gonna be a fantastic journey! Already we have seen so many beautiful things and we have yet to visit Calafate and Iguazu. The best is yet to come.
While our group leader Kevin (also the benjamin of the group) took Elvire, Denise and Flor out to a mountain top with a breath taking view over the area, Sami, Els & I went for more adrenaline today and went rafting on the Manso river. Maurizio picked us up in the morning and we joined a group of Brazilians and 2 girls from Oregon, US towards the east side of Patagonia, next to the Chilean border. Once we arrived after a 2h drive in the minivan, the weather had heated up and the sun was joining as well. We prepared for our adventure with wetsuits and life jackets. Our boat guide Martin was a typical Argentinian macho guy, but he was cute and fun. The first part was rather flat, allowing us to learn the commands and tips & tricks of rafting. Then we got into the canyon, and the rapids followed one another.
As we moved on, they got trickier, which increased the fun as well. Sometimes we had to peddle for our lives, but we managed not to go overboard. Between rapids we jumped into the water and floated down with the current. The water was chilly but the wetsuits kept us warm. One moment I looked up as we were peddling and saw the sun shining through the canyon, lighting up the mountain in front that formed the border with Chile, and I thought “Here I am, rafting in Argentina”. It sounds so surreal, knowing my colleagues are in the office tomorrow. By that time, we will be on our way on the Ruta 40 for our 4-day safari, staying at estancias and discovering the Argentinian wildlife. Life can be good.
