My husband and myself with two friends went on the cannoing trip in 2009, there had been a big storm two nights before and one trip had been cancelled, when we went on the day we booked it turned out that all the other people what should have gone the day before were also on our trip, so you can imagine what it was like, they had to send for more cannoes, we ended up with a very old one that leaked, which we soon found out, the river had risen alot because of the bad storms the water had come down in torrants from the mountains, we came to the first stop, the mud baths, but the boats moored up all looked new and we thought it was another group, so we paddled past, has it turned out it was our group, has we found out much later.
We paddled on but the boat by now was filling with water, my husband said we must try to land the boat, by this time the river was going so fast it was unbelievable, I was terrfied, and there was not a sole in site, my husband spotted some shale at the side of the river, he said we must try to head for this, which we did, but the water was coming at such speed the boat just kept going,then we saw some more shale we made for it and bingo, we just managed to get on the shale.
There was not a sole around, we were on our own, then out of nowhere this man and his dog appeared, he spoke no English, but we managed to explain about the boat with our hands, he helped us to tip the cannoe upside down to get all the water out, we thanked him , payed him, he had been so kind, but we thought that the cannoe was free of water we would try again, and to try and catch the party up, what a mistake that was, we started off, the storm had been so bad that lots of trees had fallen into the river, and the current was taking us right to one, we hit the tree with such a bang, and then we tipped over, we were both stuck under the cannoe, my husband struggled and managed to free himself, I was still underneath the cannoe, my husband was pulling me but I could not free myself because my foot was cought on the underwater branches of the tree, he pulled and pulled, and I could not free my foot, I had those cheap rubber flip flops on at the time, thank goodness for flip flops, I pull and wriggled my foot out of the piece of rubber between my toes, I thought that this is it I am going to drown, my husband gave one almighty pull, and I was free, yes free from the cannoe, but not free from the river, has my husband pulled me free the fast force of the river carried both down so fast we could do nothing about it, we had to go with the flow as they say.
It was like bieng in a Indiana Jones movie, my husband tried to cach some over hanging branches, missed most of them, the he cought one, holding on to me with one hand, and holding on to the branch with the other, how he did it I will never know, but he did,then we reached another fallen tree, we managed to get on the leaves, we pulled ourseves up and sat there with no strenth left.
We sat there like you see birds nesting on top of this tree in the river, then my husband felt underneath the water and felt a branch, by this time the tree was sinking, it was going lower and lower, he said you stay here and I will guide myself along the branch because he said ther should be some shale not very far away, I did not want to stay, because the tree was now realy sinking, so we both went together, him moving his hands under the water along the branch, and I was following him, we kept on going until we felt the shale, we got to shore, ho the feeling was something I cant discribe.
We were frozen, even though the sun was red hot, there was no one to be seen, we had been there about half hour, when we heard voices, it was a group of Gremans in cannoes, they stoped, they helped us. and they went to recue our cannoe, they were brilliant. Shortley after our own group came past, the leader gave us some plastic bottles to bale out with, and we were on our way again, working very hard baling out all the to Patara Beach, aswe were mooring the cannoe, what should be floating past was my right foot cheap rubber flip flop, we had to lough about that one, but we were so greatfull to be alive, we were very, very, lucky, couple that day, my husband was so brave, he really did save me, and he was not a young man, he was 70 years old and I was 69, but he was my knight in shining armour that day.
I know this can be a wonderful trip, my daughter, Grandaughter, have done it several times, just dont do it if there has been a storm.
Home
Help
Search
Login
Register
Share Topic
