| About 90 minutes from Chiang Mai is a little river | | | | paddling so that we could maneuver the raft |
| called the Mae Taeng. Bordered on both sides by | | | | efficiently, and also know what to do if someone |
| steeply sloping fields of banana trees and luxuriant | | | | should fall into the water. Groups of not more |
| jungle, it is easily one of the loveliest places in | | | | than six per boat were arranged and each was |
| Thailand for an adventure. | | | | assigned a professional rafter as a guide. |
| But lazily watching a river go by is quite a | | | | A Rapid Ride |
| different experience from actually being in the | | | | After drifting lazily down the river, we became |
| midst of its rushing, bubbling madness. As the Mae | | | | lulled into a false sense of security. Then the first |
| Taeng boasts Thailand's best white water rapids. | | | | set of rapids hit. Det our guide shouted out |
| The difficulty of a stretch of white water rapid is | | | | directions and we dutifully obeyed. Though |
| measured on an internationally-approved scale of | | | | strenuous, we ultimately emerged unscathed |
| one to six. The Mae Taeng is made up primarily | | | | from the rushing tumult and raised our oars in an |
| of rapids rated three and four - enough to | | | | exuberant "high-five". |
| produce an intense adrenaline rush. | | | | The next set of rapids was fiercer, the water |
| I went with Siam River Adventures. Owner Jason | | | | rushed around us as our boat pierced the waves. |
| Younkin has been running river trips in Thailand for | | | | We were Soaked! We still had some more grade |
| 8 years, uses the best equipment and runs his | | | | 4 rapids ahead. |
| company with such iron-willed efficiency that he | | | | The rapids kept coming, faster and more |
| wears a German army helmet while navigating | | | | frequent. Gradually, we all fell into a rhythm and, |
| the Taeng. Whatever his reasons, the helmet | | | | like a well-oiled machine, forded our way over the |
| inspired my confidence. Nevertheless, Jason hails | | | | boulders and falls, and twists and turns. |
| from Colorado and is also a Rescue 3, Swiftwater | | | | We thanked Det for taking such good care of us |
| Rescue Instructor. I knew that Colorado-ians | | | | as we climbed out. There on the banks, it was |
| were experts on rocks and rivers, if not | | | | how I'd imagined heaven to be: beer and biscuits, |
| headgear aesthetics. Jason is one of the first to | | | | and hill-tribe women trying to sell jewellery. |
| run all the rapids on the Mae Taeng. He promotes | | | | I'd do it all over again because it was an amazingly |
| "Cultural Adventures" - trips for adrenalin junkies | | | | fun trip - except, that is, for the parts where |
| with an essence of Northern Thai tradition. | | | | nobody realises you're panicking. Which is why I'm |
| After a bumpy but scenic ride up to the rustic | | | | planning to wear a German army helmet every |
| company headquarters, we ate lunch and then | | | | day, all the time. I'll sure look cool and moreover, I |
| learnt the basics of whitewater rafting. Most | | | | no longer have any fear of large rapids. |
| importantly, we learnt how to synchronize our | | | | |