Rafting!

Just like last year, I went rafting in Shikoku in early October with a bunch of Hyogo JETs. This time, I didn't have to plan anything, so it was even more fun!

We stayed in the same place, and the day before I had gone to Costco and loaded up on meat, cheese, fruit, vegetables, chips and salsa, and other essentials for an amazing outdoor barbeque.

We drove down in three separate cars, and even though the car I was in stopped on two separate occasions for random sightseeing in Awaji, we still were the second ones to arrive.

Awaji is known for its onions.

Checking out the Naruto whirlpools.

Best Car!
 We weirded out a toll-booth attendant by rocking out extra hard to Bohemian Rhapsody as we paid our toll. 

 

The rafting was the same -- same guides, same river, same rapids.

Hyogo rafters!

However this year, we got stuck in the very first rapid, and it took several other guides/boats/people with ropes to get us out. The second rapid, we were supposed to get stuck (for "surfing"!), but then we got stuck for real, and again had to be rescued by other boats. Because we were gluttons for punishment, a few of us decided to go back for some more surfing. At first, there were 3 of us (my friends Paul and Anna, and myself) and our guide. As we started surfing, Paul decided to try standing, so he was the first to tumble into the water and swim to shore. The remaining three were having fun riding the rapid for a bit longer, and then Anna and I realized that we were stuck again. AGAIN. A few boats came and tried to get us out, and I think at one point the guide was going to flip us on purpose to get us out, and I think he saw the terrified look in my eyes and decided to try a different method. When one of the other boats came back again to get us, he grabbed onto that boat while holding onto ours. At some point, he lost his grip, and Anna and I watched in horror as he was pulled out of the boat, leaving us hanging on for dear life with no paddles and no guide in the middle of a rapid. Other boats kept coming near trying to get us, but no one would tell us what to do. My favorite moment was when Anna yelled, "Instructions?! Anyone?!" as yet another boat came and went.

There goes our guide.....

Up the creek.....

The moment of rescue!

(Our boat and our guide. )    First we were like.......

...and then we were like.....

We called ourselves "Team Extreme".

We stopped on the way back for some Awaji Onion ice cream.