Taming The Mighty Neckar River... And Mask Making


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Europe » Germany » Baden-Württemberg » Horb am Neckar
July 25th 2016
Published: July 25th 2016
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We started early on this sunny Monday morning. A haze on the horizon hovered like a possible harbinger of rain to come this afternoon, but it remains warm, if not a bit humid. We packed like a multicultural tin of sardines into the art room at 7:30 to complete the masks that we started last week. The kids dove in and really put a lot of effort into their work. Their designs were creative and thoughtful. No matter what level of art proficiency one possessed, the effort was most definitely there. The final products are drying as I type, and they look awesome! We are kicking around a few options on how to get then home intact as there is no possible way for them to survive the trip to Paris.

After a lunch break with their partners, we reconvened at Horb am Neckar for what was to be a very wild ride. In river rafting terms, there are six classes of river, with class six being basically unnavigable. If that is indeed the case, our nemesis today, the mighty Neckar River was most definitely a class seven! By class seven, I mean that a seven year old child would be able to easily conquer this rather tame flow of waist deep water. That being said, this was not a group of seven year olds, and indeed, there were some mighty struggles ahead.

Things began simply enough, with the presentation of team themes. From the Fergalicious Princesses to the Muchachos and team Save Our Ship, it was quite a sight. The costumes were brilliant and a lot of effort was put into them.

We listened intently to the pre trip safety talk and the guides tips for navigating this not so treacherous current. As the first crew stepped into the boat and departed, one could tell that this was going to be an adventure to remember. Boats were everywhere, nosing into the grassy banks, turned floating perpendicular to the current, or stuck on rocky shoals in the middle of the river. It was like I-5 Everett on a Friday afternoon out there. When the exchange group from two years ago did this, we had one boat overturn. This time, we had two overturn on the first bend of the river!

Team Black Pearl and Team Muchachos were the first to flip. Their crews now soaked and determined not to let it happen again. Other students and teacher alike let them have quite a good natured razzing. They righted their ships and moved on. Bernd, the German Principal and I were to be the sweeper ship, last down the river, looking for trouble and saving lives along the way. Let's just say it was a busy, and hilarious day!

The next to flip was Team Neon Nike, the first of a few such instances for them. They were being assisted expertly by a German teacher who was waist deep in the current helping to flip the boat back over when we rounded the bend. After some effort, the job was done and Will's crew moved on.

Several capsizes and giant splashing water fights between the boats later, and we were nearing our final destination. Two hours of utter insanity, and the job was done. Every team completed the journey wet, but otherwise unscathed. The ominous clouds held their rain, and the temp was in the mid to upper 70's for the duration of the event. This was of course perfect for some swimming in the river at the finishing point to cap of the day.

Tomorrow is sport day at school. We will be representing America as a team. The weight of an entire nation is upon our shoulders tomorrow. It should be great! We'll also be heading to a nearby high ropes course for some team building fun!


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