Riding the Bull

Whitewater rafting is a chaotic first time experience. Whereas most tourist adventures are pretty straightforward-- zipline over this canyon, rapel down this waterfall-- whitewater introduces a dizzying number of varials. The river changes day to day, especially here in Costa Rica where a majority of the rivers are dammed for hydroelectric purposes, and flow is controlled not just by daily torrential rain, but by some guy sitting in an office at the dam upriver. Factor in the earthquakes that move around the river´s rocks, and that passengers are relied upon to help propel the boat-- and you´ve got quite a situation.

While commands are simple (paddle forward or back, stop paddling and throw yourself into the boat), following them while being smacked in the face with waves isn´t. If you can hear the commands over all the screaming. And sometimes you go to paddle and find the water just dropped out from under you-- or else the raft just bounced several feet off a rock. So its disconcerting to hear the guide talk about the ¨other¨ river in the region, the one that families and newbies start on. That river is definitely not Rio Toro, Bull River. But then, who doesn´t want to say they rode the bull?