Marilyn Ten, on her second kayaking experience when she went along with Alfean on Sunday morning obviously enjoyed herself and was quite gleeful that they all stayed dry except for the ‘captain’ by the caption of her story – ‘Mine didn’t capsize …’ Hmm, just you wait for the next trip Marilyn!
But thanks for featuring us and writing such a nice and wonderful story and if Marilyn, a Tai-Tai or ‘Datin’ can do it (and lived to tell the tale), so can all the rest of you folks!
I’d retyped the story below for easier viewing. Have a Nice Weekend! What a week!
“MINE DIDN’T CAPSIZE….”
By Marilyn Ten
marilyn@easterntimes.com.my
My first kayaking experience: the screaming was deafening. As the kayak bobbled down Kenyir Lake in Terengganu, drifting further away from the boathouse, the high-pitched whine gradually grew louder, drawing the attention of everyone who was staying on the boathouse. It was most embarrassing … as the loud whining came from me.
It was my first ride on a kayak and, boy, all I could think of at the time, was to pray that the kayak would not capsize. Oh, it wasn’t because I couldn’t swim. I’m a great swimmer actually. The main reason for my incessant whining was that I did not want to get drenched from head to toe for I had forgotten to bring a set of clothes to change later. Yes, how dumb and selfish I was! My partner in the kayak (and the one doing all the paddling) could have cursed me under his breath and wanted to strangle me after we got off.
One year and four months later, another kayaking trip came up after meeting Francis Ho at a party organised by a good friend. You see, Francis, who is an architect by profession, loves kayaking. Initially, the down-to-earth lad only solely fished from his kayak during his free time. Soon, he discovered kayaking was more fun, and so decided to organise kayaking tours.
“You’d be surprised by the number of people who signed up. Most of them did not even know such an activity existed in Kuching,” he said.
So when he invited my friends and I for a trip, which he promised would be a splashing good time, I thought to myself: “Why not? What have I got to lose?”
So, plans were made and last Sunday, we arrived at Francis’ stylo house (which comes with a private jetty) at 7.45am sharp, and immediately proceeded to our destination: Sungai Sarawak Kanan! Tagging along on the trip (apart from Francis, of course) was Azmi, Francis’ assistant, who is a State representative in kayaking. Beverly, a good friend of Francis, and two of my press colleagues, Alfean and Georgette.
Our first stop was at the Wind Caves, Bau, where Francis took a quick dash to the river to survey the waters while we parked one of the cars, which we could use to collect the others at the end of the trip.
Earlier, we were warned that the outing might be cancelled due to the heavy downpour the night before which may have caused the river currents to surge. Fortunately, it was given the A-OK!
The next pit stop? Krokong, where three of Francis’ bright orange and yellow tandem kayaks were unloaded and carried down to the river.
Life-jackets, a necessity definitely, were fastened on and all our personal belongings were kept safe and sound in a dry bag. Francis then gave a quick introduction to “Paddling 101” and what to do in case the kayak overturns. Eep! It was déjà vu all over again. Three words to remember, folks – Do not panic!
Before I could say “I changed my mind,” we were off! I was paired with Beverly, a process engineer who loves sports and even participates in triathlons, Georgette with Azmi, and Alfean (my-kayak partner during my last trip in Terengganu) with the captain himself.
The first few minutes down the river was quite surreal for me. I, whom my friends call Tai-Tai or “Datin,” have finally taken the first step into exploring the outdoors. And it wasn’t that bad. Paddling took a while to get used to but as what Beverly advised me: “Don’t worry. It’s like driving. Once you get the hang of it, it’ll come naturally to you.”
She was right. Before long, I was simply paddling along the river, flanked by the calm and serene ambiance. Trees of various sizes gave us the much needed shelter from the sun while the breathtaking scenery would definitely old even the non-environmentalist in awe.
Overall, the sight is not something you get to see everyday. Along the way, we even stumbled upon the root of a tree, which has grown so long that it hung from the branch like a hangman’s noose. That’s nature’s wonders for you.
However, not everything about kayaking was all calm and relaxing. There were definitely challenges ahead, and one of them involved passing through a gap between a tree trunk and the water.
For a moment there, I was about to panic as I watched my friends “limbo-ed” themselves and disappeared from my sight.
“I am never going to fit through tat small gap!” I told Beverly.
“Yes, you will. No worries!” she assured me and paddled towards the gap. As soon as we were in close proximity, I lay down as far as I could and within seconds, we were through to the other side. So cool!
The water level of the river varies each day creating slight (and sometimes strong) currents, thus making every trip an unpredictable one.
Since Beverly and I were trailing behind, we watched Team Azmi and Team Francis contemplating what route to use. Left or right? Team Azmi was first to go and chose right, easily manoeuvring along the river. Team Francis followed suit. But within the blink of an eye, their kayak overturned suddenly, and Francis and Alfean vanished into the water before bobbing up again two seconds later.
As they quickly pulled themselves together, saving the paddles and the kayak, Beverly and I braced ourselves for what was in store for us. A quick shout-out from Francis – warning us about the log that caused their capsize – helped us through that obstacle. Though for a moment there, I thought we were about to go under as well.
Luckily with Beverly’s strength, we were able to pull through though I have to admit, the kayak did feel like it was about to tip over.
As we approached the Wind Caves, after about three hours of kayaking, I could hear splashes, and faint laughter of picnickers who were taking a dip in the water at the Caves. Three hours may seem like forever, but I can assure you, they’re not. Add kayaking and the bewitching panoramic scenery together, and you’d probably have forgotten about the time together.
The kayaking trip had come to an end but my love for the sport has only just begun.
For further information on kayaking tours with Francis, visit his website at www.kuchingkayak.com.
As if to remind me that I'd not given them near enough attention the past weeks or so, the skies put on a wonderful sunset display on my way home today that made me sit up and look up.
Stumble It!
