So today was an awesomely fun time spent on the river . I arranged to go rafting today and as I was alone I was added to a previously organised group. I was the odd one out today as my companions were 7 Chinese tourists of varying shapes and sizes and genders.

Now I may have expressed my concerns about Chinese tourists in a previous post, but just in case I haven’t! I hate them! Loud obnoxious groups of kids and adults pushing around while snorting and screaming at each other. They are painful!

That being said I wasn’t ecstatic as we left Kathmandu on the bus at 7:00am. I was even less ecstatic as we nearly missed the bus waiting for the group to show up and then the guide literally had to continue to play sheep dog with them to keep them walking forward, I was concerned to say the least.

I slept most of the way and as I found on the way back missed some pretty spectacular scenery. Strikingly similar to Northern Vietnam but on a much grander scale.

We finally arrived at the rafting place about 4 hours later. We all hoped out and were introduced to our raft captain Kumar. Without a safety demonstration we were casting off. Kumar selected myself and another chatty Asian chap to head the boat at the front (where all the real work is done). I strapped on my new sunglasses (awesome by the way!) and the gopro and we were off!!

We started by easing into the river with a massive rapid that nearly through us all in. The savagery of the river placated a little after our quick rough introduction and we simply paddled and enjoyed our rafting through vast canyons with towering mountains and country either side of us.

I started getting chatty and mischievous with the Chinese before long we were happily splashing opposing river craft as they neared and cheering obscenities.

A rapid some time later threw me across the boat into my poor counterpart and we lost a good man over board, but all was righted and we continued.

We made a break about halfway and the shannanigans began the Asian ladies who were dressed as if they were trying to stay dry in a deluge started photographing the lads as I photo bombed each by crash tackling and dragging the poor lads deep into the river. After that they weren’t so bad and we messed about. I hoped out and had a lay down in the sun on the side of the raft and before I knew it the had all snuck up and grabbed me lifted me carried me out and tossed me down into the river.

We set out again and managed to convince Kumar to let us swim beside the boat. No sooner had he agreed then I had backslid off and out. His one instruction: stay close to the boat. It proved impossible. As soon as I jumped the lads followed and we were all swept straight downriver away from the boat at tremendous speed. The emergency kayaks that followed us went nuts trying to scramble and catch us and stop us from crashing or drowning. We didn’t pay them much heed as we tossed and turned down the river in spectacular style past the other boats and were eventually rounded up by other boats and eventually reunited with a slightly annoyed and concerned Kumar. But we’d had a ball!!

Once we were all reunited by various means in the boat it was smooth sailing to the finish where we had some lunch and then took a local bus back to Kathmandu. The Asian crew all headed off to pokhara via another bus.

A very enjoyable day!! All on gopro and all unable to be uploaded to this blog!