Whitewater Kayaking

It was the highlight of the trip, which is saying a lot because this trip has been full of so many great memories and adventure.

I don't think I will ever look at an ocean kayak the same way...

Coming off the grueling volcano hike, it was going to be another action packed day. Our guide, Jim, came to our cabina to pick us up. There was an instant rapport. He drove around looking for beers for lunch, but there wasn't any place that would sell them to us that early, so we picked up breakfast instead--some pastries at the market.

Both of the guides, Jim and Papito, were easy to talk to. We had never whitewater kayaked before, but they were excellent instructors and made us feel very comfortable with the water. The first thing we did was practice "going for a swim" or what to do after falling out of the boat because apparently it's inevitable for beginners.


The rapids were small, class 2 and 3, but it's that much more magnified when you're in a little kayak compared to a giant raft. I guess the thing that I loved the most was seeing how your brain responds to stressful situations. There's so much adrenaline, and you really get a chance to see how you react to making split second decisions under pressure. There's no one else to help you paddle or bail you out when you make a mistake (well the guides are there to help you when you go for a swim, but other than that, it's all you).  The rush from whitewater kayaking is unlike anything I've ever experienced (we whitewater rafted a National Geographic top 10, but even that paled in comparison).

Fia and I took turns going for a swim.  We logged two each and really felt bad for our hardworking guides, but then we started to get the hang of it. I was amazed at how quickly the mind can adapt to those types of situations. I could feel myself willing the panic away and honing in own my powers of concentration. "Don't hit the rocks; stay in the boat; don't die," became my mantra.  You feel your mind and body kick it into high gear as the rapids trigger your sense of danger.  The whole experience was intense! Getting through my first rapid gave me such a jolt of excitement. It'll be hard to match that kind of thrill with anything else.

We booked our trip through Boquete Outdoor Adventures. It's a small adventure outfit owned by two Americans, and that was apparent right away because I think it was the only time on the trip that we had to sign waivers. We loved our experience with them. The pricing was reasonable, and our guides were the best! We had a 1 to 1 ratio of guides because it was just the two of us. We heard they do really good custom trips and would love to put some kind of group trip together and come back someday.