Felt glad for a canoe trip starting today, because I have been
limping a bit for a week due to the blister on left heel which was inflamed and
sore. At 9:30 Gavin from Yeti Tours arrived with his 4 clients. A British
honeymoon couple and a Welsh and German couple on Canadian Canoes and myself on
a kayak started to paddle down the river together.
Thought it will be nice and
easy floating on the current... But was actually a tough one - had to keep paddling not to tossed
around on rapids and had to go against the wind on a slow current. Paddling,
paddling and paddling all day. It looked no wind above when looking up the
trees around, however a strong wind was blowing from lower to upper reaches of
the river. From 10:30 to 16:30, paddled 37km all the time except the lunch
break. Have used the muscles that I normally did not use, and was very tired. It was totally different from the relaxed sea kayaking at Tanegashima Island,
Southern Japan in last May. View was beautiful but not with variety in scenery. 7 people including me stayed at John Coull Hut. Other 6 went to bed by 20:00 so
enjoyed very quiet night. Canoed 37km today.
この1週間ほど、左足のかかとが腫れて痛く、足を少し引きずりながら歩いていたので、今日からカヌー旅であまり歩かなくていいのは嬉しい。9:30にイェティ・ツアーズのギャビンが4人の客と到着。イギリス人の新婚さんと、ウェールズ人とドイツ人のカップルの2組はカナディアン・カヌー、自分は一人でカヤックに乗り一緒に川下りをする。
流れに身を任せて楽に下ればいいという事前の予想とは裏腹に、急流では流れに翻弄されないよう漕ぎ続けねばならず、逆に緩やかな川面では向かい風で押し戻されないようやはり漕ぐといった風で、ほとんど漕ぎっぱなし。周りの木々を見ると上の方は無風のようだが、川面にはよく強い風が風下から川上に向かって吹いていた。何だかんだで10:30から16:30まで、昼食休憩を挟んで37km漕ぎ続け、使い慣れない筋肉を使ったせいもあり結構くたびれた。5月に種子島でシーカヤックを半日楽しんだ時とはかなり様子が違った。景色は綺麗だが今一つ変化に乏しい。夜はジョン・カウル小屋に宿泊。客は自分を入れて7人で、他の6人は20:00過ぎにはもう寝てしまった。とっても静かな夜だ。本日の川下り37km。
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