Thursday 18^th October

We were up at 6am today to walk to the tourist bus stop to catch a bus for rafting.  For the first time we had black tea from a street vendor which is made with the sugar already in it and boiled up so safe to drink.  The bus took 4 hours usually, but due to festival traffic actually took 5.  As is really common on buses children are put wherever there is space and willing.  23 hours into our journey we were passed a 10 month old to entertain – her father lifted her over the seat with no hesitation.  So we played spot the goat, the truck etc. for a while.  Eventually we reached the Trisulli river and met up with our rafting guides and a group from intrepid who were on a 2 week tour.

We took only valuables and minimal stuff into the raft dry store and the rest of our kit followed on by road.  Once clad in our helmets and life jackets and having instruction on the main commands – stop, forward, get down, hold on, all back etc. we were off.  There was 7 of us in the boat, including the guide who sat at the back to steer.  We learned how to wedge our feet in to stop us falling out and how to paddle (or how to hit each other with the oar whilst trying to keep in time).  We rafted for 2 hours through gentle floaty sections and sections that went up to grade 3 rapids, Sarah and some of the others swam in the river and over the low grade rapids – for me it was too cold and I hyperventilate rather dramatically in cold water (as Kirsty knows), it also had a pretty strong current and my famous side stroke probably wouldn’t have worked here.

We stopped for lunch and from the safety boat miraculously appeared table, food, drinks and plates all prepared by the guides and included baked beans (ish) bananas, bourbon biscuits and peanut butter.  Warren from our boat realised he had swum with his money belt on and so each note had to be separated and wedged under rocks to dry alongside his passport – schoolboy error.  Then we were back in the raft for the afternoon.

During the afternoon we hit a stretch of river that was too dangerous for us to ride, so we walked around and the guides took each of the boats through in turn – great to see them at work – it was probably the best part of the day for them.  We re-joined the raft and continued on through some pretty hairy patches getting soaked through at regular intervals with pretty chilly water, until we arrived at the fixed camp for the evening.

The camp was great, about 10 ridge tents set up on permanent concrete bases with beds and full bedding.  The tents were decorated with prayer flags and were all facing the river.  Definite bug territory so I set up my mosquito net as this keeps out most critters.  After a lovely hot shower and change I sat and updated my diary – this was a really peaceful place.  For the first time in a while I managed to squeeze in a mindfulness session sitting right down by the river luckily I had Alison my mindfulness guru on my I-pod to help.

We then sat around the firepit playing cards with the guides whilst the chicken cooked.  The Nepali people love any chance for a game of cards, once again the universal game of shithead won out.

Dinner was chips, chicken and salad followed by banana fritters and tea.  A few more games of cards by fire light and then off to bed.  The tents had electric lighting and nicely lit up the massive wood ants that were using our tent as a byway.  I love my mosquito net that’ll keep them out.