Most Inspirational Moment
High spots included the elephant family, with very young baby, spotted three times watering in the shallows of the river; our first proper wash, dipping in the shallows of one of our island camp sites just before the light faded; the last stretch of canoeing each day, when the river was liquid gold and the paddling gentle as the current took us; nights filled with the sounds of the wild animals all around us; all to a constant background chorus of frogs, crickets, and, on one occasion, geese. Oh and the amazing clarity of the air all around, the light and the night sky - I saw only one small private plane the whole time.
Thoughts on Group Leader
TK, our group leader, enthralled us with his extensive knowledge and understanding of the creatures we saw. He proved infinitely adaptable as one problem after another beset his plans: I was impressed at his extreme care for our enjoyment and his efforts to ensure we all got the most out of the trip. TK's wonderful sense of humour was infectious; our group had great fun coping with the wilder aspects of camping and felt completely safe with him around. Our leader and his assistant, Carlos, somehow managed to rustle up enormous quantities of food at regular intervals: they were in fact tireless in their efforts to make this trip memorable.
Advice for Potential Travellers
I wish I had taken protective gloves as initially the canoeing can be harsh on the hands. On the first day of canoeing, I was more worried about getting the paddling right than taking in what was around me. A mistake as in fact, there are lots of quiet moments on the river when we paused to watch animals and birds on the banks; it's better to be relaxed - but alert to instructions from the group leader. Keeping in a line formation took practice! The trip was enhanced by the fact that the group mixed together well: this added a strong element of fun and good humour.
