5
Location: Manuel Antonio
I woke up to the loud beeping of my alarm clock, promptly at 5:45 am. Most days, it would take at least five snoozes to muster up the strength to pull me out of bed, but today was different. A mixture of adrenaline and excitement was coursing through my veins, and I felt more energized than I had been the whole trip. Today was the day we got to raft, a day I had been waiting for ever since I put my name down on the trip list.
Our group briefly met in the lobby of the hotel, before loading up on our assigned bus. This is where our adventure started. After a quick breakfast and briefing, we were back on the bus and on our way to the river on which we would put in. We made our way up winding dirt roads, through rivers, and over hills. On the way to the river, the bus was relativity quiet. Everyone was soaking in our surroundings. Soon we were on the river. We were briefed about the risks of the river and were reminded of the basics of rafting. “Enough to survive today,” in the guide’s words. Then we were off. The rapids came one after another, moving our boat any way they pleased. The guide would scream paddle and positioning commands, turning us to hit the wave head-on. We all were having a great time. Around 20 rapids later, we made it to our halfway point. We all hopped off the rafts, eager to stretch our legs. In the distance, we could see a waterfall. This is where we would have a check-in and eat snacks. After five minutes of walking, we made it to the waterfall. There was a thick mist in the air, and all that could be heard was the roar of thousands of gallons of water hitting the rocks. After a couple of minutes of admiring the waterfall, we made our way down the mossy, slippery rocks and around the waterfall to take pictures. It was a highlight of the trip. Soon it was time to get back on the boats. Twenty minutes later we had paddled through the last rapid. We were all sad that we had to go, but the group was exhausted. Climbing onto the bus, we said our last goodbyes to the guides and started our journey home. It was an exciting, action-packed day, one I won’t forget for a long time.