Imogen's Space

Imogen’s space

On the 31^st July, day 11 of the class trip, the countdown began. Waking up at 6:15, freezing feet already, frost on the grass, and cold water to wash with, we got ready for white water rafting. I thought my feet couldn’t get colder, wearing two pairs of socks on the bus ride there, but I was wrong, an unlikely occurrence. The drive there was dismal, the sun had barely risen, leaving all the grasses and shrubs in a covering of white ice. Things didn’t look up. We got there, and it was wetsuit time. Due to my accident skiing, my knee was a tad screwed up. Putting on the wetsuit was a challenge, with two bandages on under my thermals, I gently pulled the wetsuit on. After a while, it was on, and I looked sexy if I say so myself… not really, wetsuits are not made to look good unfortunately. We all looked rather hilarious! Also added to my ensemble, was a knee strap, which Stefanie kindly leant me. After we were all rugged up, two fleece tops, waterproof top over, and wetsuit booties, we took to the road. After arriving at lake Taupo from the white water rafting headquarters, we got into teams, and had a little practice run. I was unfortunate enough to be stuck with: Joaquin, Julian, Emma, Akael, Meg, Jess, and our instructor Ben. Poor Ben... he was stuck with me up the back, squealing with pain and delight. On the first rapid, it was a very small one too, someone fell out. It was not her fault, for the guide had just recently come out of a 4 year retirement, and this day being his first back. Poor Emily fell out, onto a rock sneakily hidden out of her instructors view. We went through 65 rapids, all putting me in pain. Although I did enjoy the rafting, each time we went through a rapid, my bad knee would be knocked around, and it would hurt. It was silly of me for going! A lot us complained of the cold. I must agree, my feet had no feeling left in them! They were freeeeeeeeeeeeeezing!!!!!! Sitting in the cold 5⁰C water the whole 2 hours of rafting, you can only imagine the feeling we had left in them… NOTHING! Poor Ben and the others in my boat were subjected to… ME. I was screaming and squealing, shouting, complaining, but I was not the only one. But I must say I was the loudest J My group was nick-named the SCREAM TEAM, and Stef’s group, the YEE-HA’s! Akael rather enjoyed himself, feeling at home in the water, being the duck he is. Once the 2 hours of screaming and pain was up, we jumped into the water and carried the rafts over our head, out of the water. Then the bus ride back to headquarters, and we could finally get out of the wetsuits. Many were freezing their asses off, chattering teeth was all to be heard on the journey back. But they gave us some hot tomato soup with bread before we made our way over to the deliciously warm Takoona Hot Pools to defrost.

Imy x:)x