Kayak Trip Day 1 - Boiling River

We met our guides around mid-morning, Sack and Mon.  They are both very professional and friendly.  The characteristics I like must in a guide is humbleness and calmness.  These guys had it.  I really hate having a guide who is a show-off and know-it-all.  It's not often I am lucky enough to meet such great guides.  After getting all the formalities out of the way we began the trip.  


As we were an odd number I volunteered to take the single kayak.  Surprisingly I've never been in a single kayak.  I've been in plenty of double kayaks and a few single canoes.  I was surprised at the manoeuvrability of the kayak and how it seemed to skim along the surface of the water.


The pace of the trip was set from the beginning.  As the water is very high, being the start of the rain season, the current is quite strong and so doesn't take a lot of effort to keep moving down stream.  Most of the time was spent with our paddles out of the water and just enjoying the scenery or chatting.


The only drawback to the flooded river is that the rapids were all covered.  There were plenty of whirlpools created from the strong current and submerged rocks.  These were occasionally a hazard as they would suck the kayak in, taking some effort to be ejected from its vortex.  All the time it looked as if the surface of the water was at a slow simmer, if not boiling.   I'd never seen a boiling river before.  This one was.


In the afternoon we got to an isolated village where we spent the night.  We all had a lot of fun meeting the kids in the village.  They were our entertainment as well as walking through the village.