The paddle of my life: the high fives of CDO Whitewater Rafting

After a fulfilling buffet lunch at Mindy’s, we transferred to a jeep for our next mission to accomplish – the whitewater rafting.

We decided to take the advance course as we thought beginner course will just bore us. Haha.

We met a couple who was staying in the same hotel as ours, and add them to our number of eight, now we have just enough numbers to make the game more exciting.

So we geared up ourselves with those tight-chest-busting life vest, secured our paddle and pose for some photo ops…

bridge over Cagayan de Oro river marks the border of CDO and Bukidnon

The orientation was as brief as steps 1, 2, 3… how to paddle forward, backward and the famous high five… Besides, there’s really nothing to fear about the rafting challenge because your ship will be captained by an expert. Ours was named Cookie of Kagay. Haha. 

high five practice!

Advance course is has thirteen major rapids, and it took us more than four hours to finish it.

first major rapid

Oh yes, we had the best times of our lives.

One of my tiny concerns is that Kagay must and always make sure that they use the state-of-the-art rubber boats as they claim it to be. Well, the other groups’ boat was new and perfect, while ours was a second best. It has to be pumped every now and then while cruising the river to maintain its air. It was one reason why we can’t fully navigate the rage of the rapids as I think they feared for the boats life as well as ours. Haha. Nevertheless, the whole experience was a blast. See?

 now you see us...

 

now you don't...

 once, there were seven...

 then, there were three...

Kagay-anons may have recovered from the wrath of Sendong, living life one day at a time… but the fresh wounds of the tragedy are too obvious that cannot be noticed. If only we brought an underwater camera during the rafting, which you can, by the way, just make sure to hold on to it or wrap it around you if needed so the river won’t take it away from you. So why do we need a camera when we’re provided with photos and videos by Kagay? Well, because the photos and videos just covered the activity and not the whole place. There’s a lot to experience in the river, more than the rapids and rafting. There was this scenario when young people crossing the river from CDO (left side of the river) to BUkidnon (the right side of the river) using a decrepit bamboo raft. Children passing the hanging bridge above us. The laba-rocks (because it’s where household moms do their laundry)… The coconut and bamboo trees that survived the ferocious typhoon… Ahh... I really wish I have photos to share it with you. 

laba-rocks

 to complete the river experience... 

 

When we climb Mt Pulag last year, we were told that there's this maya-like bird or a certain specie in the mountains, especially in the rivers or streams, and when you see them, it means the waters are clean and safe to drink. Guess what, they're everywhere in CDO river... They actually look more like mosquitoes to me.


Anyway, we finished the rafting just before it gets dark, oh well, it was almost dark. Our Kagay team  offered us one of the best snacks a true-blooded Bisdak cannot say no to – saging na saba at ginamos! Takam na takam at gutom na gutom  lang kami…

I wish we can go back to CDO soon, advance course of whitewater rafting made us (J and myself) want it more. Bitin kasi, or maybe we just expecting something that didn’t happen during the course. Maybe the expert or extreme courses will satisfy our desires. Haha.

****

with photos from Inch Datuin