ADVENTURES ON A RIVER by Cherilyn Phin

It never occurred to me that I could ever try kayaking one day. To be honest, the thought of kayaking, or any water sport, never crossed my mind. I figured with my lack of skill – or rather, a non-existent one – in the swimming department, kayaking would be out of the question.

But that was before I met one man named Francis Ho who told me otherwise.

Francis is a kayak enthusiast. He is so passionate about the sport that he began offering kayaking trips down the rivers of Kuching in hopes to popularise it. I was introduced to him through a friend who wanted to give kayaking a try. So when the invitation came to join in this adventure, I immediately said yes.

One week down the line, on a sunny Sunday morning, I found myself in Francis’ SUV with three vibrant coloured tandem kayaks strapped onto the roof and heading out of Kuching city. During the road trip, Francis said we will be kayaking down the Sungai Sarawak Kanan, the “beginner’s route” which is less scary for novices and non-swimmers like me.

Our starting point was at Krokong, which the three-hour journey will eventually end at the Wind Cave in Bau. Once the equipment were unloaded and carried to the edge of the river, and our life jackets strapped snugly on our bodies, Francis gave some safety tips and instructions on paddling technique.

I must admit I didn’t worry much about possibilities of falling overboard the kayak. Francis gave plenty of assurances (a huge hint that he is serious about safety) and, he said, I’ll be wearing a life jacket. Besides, sharing the kayak with Francis, the expert, was a plus.

My only worry was the safety of my non-waterproof camera (There was no way for me to experience this trip without snapping some shots for memories). Francis mentioned he will lend me a dry box, a bright yellow lunchbox-looking waterproof canister, for my camera. It will be safe - as long as nothing happens when I take it out to photograph things.

Leaving the bustling city for a relaxing trip on a river was a total change of scenery: the concrete jungle is replaced by the lush greenery of the tropical jungle; hot tarmac roads replaced by the cooling tranquil waters of the river. What a brilliant way to spend the weekend! Nothing beats going back to nature.

As soon as we paddled down river, I was already at awe by the beauty of nature, its stillness and serenity. The river itself was rather shallow and winding; not challenging for hardcore kayak enthusiasts but it was good enough for me.

It took me awhile to get the paddling technique right. Well, almost. Paddling on still waters was quite a workout for me. But it was fun, nevertheless.

Francis and I took turns to paddle, though sometimes in sync. Certain times, Francis will steer and tackle strong currents and difficult obstacles especially avoiding fallen and submerged trees or paddling through water so shallow that the pebbles on the river bed grazed the bottom of the kayak.

Paddling is just half the fun. Floating on the river alone was a wonderful experience on its own. Everything was so serene and beautiful: the towering shady trees, the dragonflies flying just above the water surface, the cool breeze and the breathtaking rock formations along the river bank. Like a work of art, these massive formations were sculpted by nature for centuries, leaving odd curves and shapes that lined and overhangs the banks.

The natural vegetation of trees, creepers and such on both sides of the river were a sight to behold. Towering and shady with roots intertwined, some trees grew literally sideways on the river banks.

Midway, our group took a short break to stretch our legs on one pebbled embankment. It’s a good time to relax, have some snacks while soaking in the serene surroundings. We headed back to the waters again after the fifteen-minute breather.

Getting flipped overboard is common when kayaking. Honestly, I preferred to stay as dry as possible throughout this journey, my first kayaking experience. But as Francis puts it, you can expect the unexpected on a kayaking trip. And our kayak did tip over almost towards the end of our journey.

Both Francis and I were caught by surprise. We floated quietly at first before we were suddenly thrown off our kayak when a submerged log, Francis suspected, tipped us over.

I remembered the safety instructions earlier about not panicking if we flipped overboard. So I let my life jacket float me back up the surface. Francis helped me up as well and made sure I was fine. Good thing I was very calm about it and, most importantly, my camera - all locked tight inside the dry box - did not get wet at all.

We continued our journey once more, paddling our way through the winding river. The rest of the trip was smooth sailing except for one part where our kayak snagged onto another submerged log. It was tough overcoming that obstacle. I was already preparing myself for another unplanned dip underwater. Fortunately, Francis managed to get our kayak through without incident.

The natural beauty continues to amaze me as we float along. Francis was right: looking at photos he had taken of this place (as seen on his website at www.kuchingkayak.com) doesn’t prepare you for the real thing. There were just too many beautiful things to photograph. The opportunity was endless. Francis, who had kayak here numerous times, said that with each trip there are always something new to photograph. He never gets bored of it. With that in mind, I can’t wait to go kayaking again!

As we came upon the end of our journey at Wind Cave, I felt kind of sad at how fast the trip ended despite the fact that we had spent three hours on the river that morning. It felt as if time had slowed down during that period and I thought the trip was strangely short.

I absolutely enjoyed the whole experience. Whether I can swim or not was not a big issue here since I felt safe and comfortable throughout the trip. Perhaps, one day, when I had learnt to swim, I can handle more challenging and exciting routes. In the meantime, I would love to do this again, even if it’s going down the same river.

Besides, I think I did miss out a few photo opportunities on that trip. I believe there’s a need to return to that river again.

Labels: Featured, In The Media, Kuching Kayaking

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