RIVER KWAI

So back to Thailand... :))


RIVER KWAI
If it seems like all we’ve done are activities involving water on this excursion so far, you’re basically right.  Except for trekking through the jungle to get to the waterfall, feeding wild monkeys (which Pasha and I declined, of course), a tea-tasting, and the elephant adventure described later on, all of our events required a swimsuit.  I brought two, because one hasn’t even had time to dry before you need it again. 


The next event was rafting down the river Kwai.  It was a big raft, more like a floating room, and there was no white water.  We sat and ate fruit and corn with life jackets on as we floated down the legendary river.  It’s made legendary, by the way, by the film “The Bridge On the River Kwai” (1957).  


All this time, because of my incomplete understanding of Russian, I was dying to know what would happen next!  I can understand pretty well, and almost all the information recounted us during the long drives, typical tour guide speeches, historical information, local cultural facts, etc., was not a problem.  But when she said “we will plavat’,” I just couldn’t understand.  This verb means sail, float and swim.  Would I physically be getting in the water?  They had us put on life jackets, but that could be just because the raft had no walls.  I finally managed to clarify that we would in fact jump from the craft – or be pushed! – but what comes next I had no idea.  No amount of bothering Pasha and getting frustrated could clear that up for me.  Either he didn’t know, or he couldn’t explain it to me in a way I could understand, or he didn’t even understand my question.  It’s not easy living in a foreign country and being in a relationship with someone whose language you don’t know entirely.  Ok, let it be a surprise.


I understood that it was time to jump in!  I went to the edge – I told Pasha, “let’s go in together!  One, two, THREE!” and jumped.  Pasha laughed and a minute later followed.  Apparently he hadn’t been expecting that.  They had told us there were no piranhas.  They had told us to avoid the edges as there were animals on the banks.  It was a little creepy wondering about crocodiles.  But it was so awesome.  We floated gently, but fast enough.  The water wasn’t even cold.  It was a moment to just enjoy life.  It was the best.


We floated on for a while in pure bliss, then they picked us back up at a point later on.  No worries :)