This is a Jamaican pastime that Errol Flynn made popular.
Rafting of people, that is; the bamboo rafts were already used to ferry bananas from
the foothills of the Blue Mountains down the river to the ocean. Our guide was
Garfield, a fellow we met in Port Antonio. He grew up alongside the Rio Grande
and has been plying its waters for years, so he knew all the history and nature
of the area. One particular point of interest for us were the broad, low stone
banks that we passed on occasion – apparently the river changes course from one
side to the other depending on flow and such. We set out for a morning run, and
a beautiful day it was. The river was sometimes a mere couple of feet deep (or
less!), and other times deep and sharp-sided. There were some gentle rapids,
and sometimes we bumped over the rocks, but it was a mostly smooth ride. We
pulled over on one dry bank for a swim and to grab a bite to eat and drink. A
man sat beneath a canopy with a cooler of cold drinks. Beneath the trees, a
woman had set up an entire wood-burning cooking space with multiple pots. She
was just getting started, so we got some dumplings and not a whole lunch. The
water was brisk upon entering (it is
from the mountains), then delightfully cool as we swam. Back on the water, we
continued until signs of civilization appeared: hilltop houses, a bridge at the
river mouth. A lovely way to go down river. Of course, what comes down must go
back up… We passed several men walking in the shallows up the river, towing empty rafts. Garfield says that this towing
back to the starting point is kind of part of the apprenticeship for eventually
captaining a raft downstream. A tough slog. All in all, we highly recommend a
rafting trip along the Rio Grande. |
| Captain Garfield |
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| Seats are on a second tier of bamboo so you butt doesn't get wet |
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| Cooking up lunch on a wood-burning fire |
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| Steep rocky shelves in the deep portion of the river |
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| End of the rafting line at the river's mouth |
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