Flow with the River...

Well, if you ever get lost in the water (river) says Pojj...just flow with the river, never step on the land. There will always be a township next to the river even if it takes you days to reach there..On land...you might end up messing up your directions.

Ah....with this note I started my canoeing trip. This is the thing with Pojj...he always will tell you the worst case scenario...sometimes I get influenced and start thinking like him...well I am not saying it is bad or anything...sometimes it works....but sometimes - like in this case when we were beginning to canoe...I wanted to direct my thoughts to - how beautiful this is...oh I am so close to the nature..Look look interesting birds...and wooooosh...all I can think of ...If I drown..I shall swim with the river and never make the mistake of stepping on land and find my way. Phew!!

So we began early, took a train from a station K(something). Pu...1.5 hours away was Gyor and we had to start our canoeing trip from there- River Duna (offshoot of Danube). Rented the canoe from a dudes house in that town..pretty cheap. Usually he doesnt give life jackets unless people ask for it (why?? cuz its expensive - he says). So we asked...and he gave cuz he knew Pojjs friend who made our entire itinerary work actually. When we checked with him about dropping off the canoe in the evening outside and the life jackets...he said yes - just keep them in my yard, I am going to be away, and the life jackets would need to dry - they would be wet anyway!! What?? does that mean he's doubting our skills?? (ofcourse we are first timers but what the hell!!) Yes, this thought scared me tooo.

We clicked a snap...and got pushed in water by Pojjs friend. We started. I barely helped Pojj...why? Mostly I was scared, sometimes I couldn't do it all by myself, and sometimes I was just bird watching and making contingency plans in my head. It was windy so my eyes started to water a bit...since I sat in the front, Pojj was controlling..so he had to be at the back....this worked in my favour...cuz I could shed a lil tears..and pass them off as eyes watering cuz of the breeze. As well as it worked for my drama, it didn't too well for our canoe...we had to put in double the effort to keep it straight ...we did hit the river side (which mind you was no sand land, but thick thick forests- scary eh)...had to row backwards...go straight yet again. After about an hour and a half we found a nice peice of land on the left with some grass...good point to stop over and eat something...so we did...carefully with Pojj's instructions...only walk in the middle while getting out..else it would topple and he would as he was at the back...Anyway, all that stop over was great. We ate some bread and drank some juice. Spoke about how lucky we are that we got to do this....and how the weather is working in our favour (by that time....the sun was completely doing its best at shining).

It was time to wear the life saving jacket and start all over for the remaining journey, we were told it typically takes 6 hours for the entire patch of 13kms...and since we are beginners we could stop over whenever tired and Pojj's friend volunteered to pick us up from that point. Well, honestly other than the point where we stopped, I didnt see no place to stop over in those jungles...no place at all :(. So, I got the shivers again..I just didn't want to do this...like it wasn't enough I was praying all along before...but Pojj...he can't do this. This starting a task and ending mid way ...no easy way out...he has to answer himself...and enjoy saying - he did it. Me.....ooops...I was surprised how scared I was....He hugged, he scolded, he was polite....leaving me there and going was not even an option...it didn't work...ahh...something happened and I said okay...we started again.

This time I think I was more confident, I was actually observing, Pojj was sweet and friendly and trying to take my mind off my fears...it was all good. Suddenly, a motor boat happened to pass by...huge ripples...there goes our lil canoe...we banged on the right side of the river in some tall grass (like there weren't enough weeds in the river to make it tough). So we had to pull back..ahh...took a lot of effort, but we did it. This time roles reversed, I was encouraging Pojj - yes, very good, we are almost there... :) I liked this part very much. However, I am not too sure Pojj remembers it.

One more hour had passed, and we didn't see no sign of humans ..only the forest...only the river and the birds..Pojj and me. Then slowly we could see something on the right...some houses a bridge....A BRIDGE.....I was sooo excited. Pojj had exhausted ..I wasn't too much help. But that was motivating, we decided we would pull over there and call the friend to pick up...cuz Pojj had no energy to row any more...and I would be more than happy to do it. Half an hour more...and we see people sun bathing, we see a resturant, we see the bridge...we see families drinking beer. I was happiest :). We parked we got off...and huggggged. We did it :D wow!! We reached downtown...people do it in 6 hours...we took around 3 and a half.

Drank a beer each..a well deserved one.

PS: I think sometimes...depending on someone helps....I think sometimes...going by others thoughts proves correct..I think sometimes...we should just try to overcome our fears....I think sometimes...we should just flow with the river!!