Rafting in Xiamen

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Today was another early start as I was due to go rafting just outside Xiamen, again with some of the other ex-pat teachers. There was quite a large group of us in the end, about twelve or so. We were about halfway there when the car in front of us stopped to do a u-turn in the middle of the road. We tried to overtake it by crossing over on to the other side of the road only to meet a truck coming the other way. Our driver tried to weave the minibus through the gap but ended up hitting the car in front, raking along its side and taking its front bumper off. Which all sounds far more dramatic than it actually was. No-one was hurt but we were forced to wait by the side of the road while the police arrived and took photos and measurements and for our replacement bus to arrive.

It arrived about an hour later and we soon arrived at the rafting place. Unfortunately we’d missed the morning session so we had lunch and then waited around for about an hour before actually getting to the water. It was two to a rubber dinghy. You sit crossed-legged facing each other and are given a bamboo pole to navigate with, which is fine in the shallows but makes for exhausting paddling. It was great fun, it took about two hours to drift down the river and Chris (one of the other Brits) and I made a decent effort despite being the last in the water, too polite for our own good.

I was a great experience but I think I might be a little sore tomorrow from all the paddling and collisions.

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