Sabah was so hot and without rain for so many days already. However, a few days after Marcus confirmed the date for the rafting, it started to rain everyday until the day rafting which fall on the date of 17 January 2010.
On the morning of 17 January 2010, we all took a bus to our destination. Everyone that onboard was welcomed by a personal photo taking shot.
Then our guide, Amin started to brief us the rafting journey and I also took the attendance of the participants. The total was 15 people plus me the organizer. There were 6 female and 10 male participant or 9 SSMP students, 6 SKTM students and 1 Account student.
The journey to our first destination, Tenom was never boring. We stopped by for our release at one watermelon store and also at a resting place that filled us up with monkeys, eagle and food.
Then during the journey, we also witnessed the amazing anti-gravity phenomenon and felt the bus automatically and like magic drove backward on the slope down road without starting the engine. We also experience and look around the Tenom town and had our so-called lunch.
At the train station, we had the choice to onboard the open air seat or the ‘close air’ seat. But most of us made the choice to have sun bath for the next 45minute of the train ride.
I myself also took the open air seat. Those people that seated at the open air could feel the breeze and have a nice view along the Padas River and listen to a group of Hong Kong middle age people conversation. However, those that seated indoor also had the chance to explore the local people life.
45minutes later, we reached Pangi. At there we had our refreshment of cakes, watermelon, and drink followed by a very lively safety briefing. At here we also had our group photos.
The photo of us wearing all the safety elements really showed that we soon will have a real ‘fight’ and excitement.
After that we all walked a distant to reach our starting point. We divide into two groups/ rafting boats as every boat can accommodate 8 people.
Let the thrill and excitement started! We had our rafting with real excitement and life-death experience when our boat capsize and we the human followed the rough flow of the Padas River. Sometimes, are we pay money to have our life being endangered?
But Rafting is a kind of extreme sport and the Padas White Water Rafting is with the level of III and IV. Since that day was still raining hence the flow of the river was really rough. It is not a joke to play fool around the ‘Milo’ river. I sure all of you still can vividly remember the emotion, the adrenaline rush, the fear, the excitement, the …feeling rushing to you all at the same time when you had your rafting. When we all faced the rapid, we will heard a lot of screaming and motivated command coming out from the rafter.
After around 9 km of rafting, we stopped and got out from the river and had our buffer lunch.
The lunch seem really delicious with lamb chop, fried chicken, fried rice and etc and we are very tired and craving for food to recharge ourselves for another round of rafting.
The rafting after our lunch seem a little bit safer. However, with our experienced guide, we had fun by attacking other people boat, had a bath in the Padas River, spinning rafting boat and etc… one of the boat still had the chance to take photos.
We completed our 19 km of rafting by reaching Beaufort station. The strong guys were being forced to take the rafting boat to the train station. We had another train ride back to Beaufort with our wet and Milo-ed colour clothes. We changed our clothes only (did not have time or chance to take a shower) and on the way back home.
On the way back, I really we all will be very tired and have our sleep but out of expectation, some of us still have energy to play cards. We took our dinner at KK KFC near to Cathy Cinema.
Then we had our karaoke session all way back to Kingfisher and Indah Permai.
To me, this rafting was mine fourth time starting from my first year. Every time will be a different experience for me not just the rafting but the whole journey. This time, the rafting was really enjoyable, fun, thrilled, warm and crazy! Hope you all enjoy it also.
