A perfect day for River Tracing

On Thursday we were given our earliest morning call yet, ready to leave at 7:30 in the morning. Despite the early departure time, everyone was wide awake and buzzing with excitement as we ventured off to Bai-Pao River to experience a sport called river tracing. Your agility and teamwork are put to the test in order to clear rocky obstacles along the river, all the while fighting a strong current.

The weather was favourable with light cloud cover but having to wear wet suits, helmet and life vest made even the most tolerant group members grumble as they constantly wiped beads of sweat from their faces. Our ride was a pimped out van completely accessorized with faux fur linings, colourful LEDs and a small collection of stuffed toys with Jennifer Lopez’ “On the Floor ft. Pitbull” playing on full volume which made the bumpy ride go by in a flash.

The sudden sound of rushing water relaxed everyone’s expression; clear water with a slight shade of turquoise blue looked unbelievably cool and enticing. The reaction on everyone’s faces was the same after entering the water after steaming for so long in our wet suits during the ride up. A combination of scaling enormous boulders and wading through fast flowing waters was the challenge of the day under the watchful eyes of our experiences guides. A few head first reverse dips got everyone’s adrenaline pumping until we got to the highlight of the day, leaping from small cliffs into deep pools filled with fish with reflective scales flashing silver as they darted out of our way. Finishing with a cup of hot coffee to warm the body wrapped up the morning perfectly, this is a sport that should make your ‘Things to do before you get old list’.

For lunch, our traditional Indigenous meal at Kwangfu Hong Wa Amis Restaurant was rich in both colour and taste. To top everything off was a hot pot cooked entirely with rocks heated to 800 degrees and presented in a bowl crafted from the stalk of a palm/banana leaf. Everything in the restaurant gave it a very unique atmosphere with interesting lights and beautifully carved tables which left a lasting impression.