On Saturday, May 11th, all the senior couples took a drive south towards Madella to Governor's Rapids. It was an especially hot day so an activity in the water sounded refreshing and cool. We arrived at the boat rental and donned our life-jackets and sunscreen before boarding the 'banka'.
Our 14-foot wooden boat had room for the eight of us and three guides/boat operators. With all on board, the water level outside the boat came to within two inches of the rim of the boat. An occasional wiggle would send water flowing into the boat. Water also leaked through the cracks between the planks of wood. Since dad and I were in the back, one of us had the job of scooping water out of the boat for fear that we would sink.
The Cagayan River flows north and meanders through the Cagayan Valley of northern Luzon. The Philippines Cauayan Mission includes the valley and the mountain ranges to the east and west of the valley. The water is calm and an opaque brown. The hillsides along the river are green and lush with vegetation. We saw banana, coconut and tobacco farms.
As we arrived at the rapids, we all had to get out of the boat and walk over the rocks. The water was not deep enough for our heavy boat. We met the Allens on the other side.
The last stop was at a cave. The Roberts and Pres. Hiatt were the only brave ones to wade through knee-deep water, see a 20' waterfall, and climb down through a slot just wide enough for one person.
I don't know exactly how long we were out on the water, but it was enough time to heat up empanadas on the dash of the car. Yummy lunch after a relaxing day!
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