GVI SOURCE TO SEA PACUARE CHALLENGE $2500 raised for the Jalova and Quepos Charitable Trust Projects

DAY 1 Saturday 5th May 2012

Our intrepid group of 11 Challengers met bright and early on Saturday morning in the small town of Siquirres. After brief introductions Rachel, Olivia, Josephine, Christina, Chloe, Jessica, Alex, Lorraine, Robyn , Benji and Danny set off to the start of our 3 day Challenge. We were met by our guides from Costa Rica Extreme Manuel, Alex and Gustavo. With anticipation of the adventures to come we took a 1 hour walk down to the Pacuare River at Tres Equis.

Once at the rivers edge we organised all the gear and got ready for our first taste of white water rafting. Our guides taught us the basics of paddling, how to follow the commands and the principles behind steering.

GVI SOURCE TO SEA PACUARE CHALLENGE $2500 raised for the Jalova and Quepos Charitable Trust Projects
With excitement and a healthy dose of adrenaline, we successfully negotiated class 1, 2, and 3 rapids. Little did we know that this was just a hint of things to come.....

Before breaking for a late lunch our guides decided to put our newly acquired rafting skills to the test. Each group would have to navigate their raft (without the help of a guide) across the river to collect an oar that had been placed on a rock and race back to the finish line on shore. Whichever team had the fastest time would win.... The first group consisting of Danny, Jessica, Chloe, Christina, Josephine and Robyn set off first with varying levels of optimism. The current we had to negotiate, which was so small in comparison to the rapids we had crossed earlier in the day, proved a challenge indeed. We paddled hard but somehow managed to take the scenic route around a large rock some 50 meters downstream. We did not give up. We paddled on to try and to reach the elusive oar, but there must have been some sort of magnetic force in that rock because we just kept finding ourselves back in the same spot. Laughing hysterically and paddling is not very effective so eventually Gustavo took pity on us and steered as back to shore. The second team consisting of Alex, Lorraine, Benji , Rachel and Olivia set off with quiet confidence...they successfully steered the raft, collected the oar and made it back across the finish line in 1 minute 34 seconds, an impressive time by any standards! They were the clear winners and made it look so easy... The first team was given a second chance to redeem themselves but to no avail, we just liked the view behind that rock too much, and frankly, the other team didnt know what they were missing!

GVI SOURCE TO SEA PACUARE CHALLENGE $2500 raised for the Jalova and Quepos Charitable Trust Projects
By now the whole group was eager for some food and relaxation; we made our way up to the Costa Rica Extreme Encampment overlooking the Pacuare. This was one of the most beautiful and calming places one could imagine. The little jungle camp consisted of an open deck area with hammocks with the most amazing views of the river and surrounding hills. Alex and Gonzalo prepared us the most delicious burrito buffet lunch. We all sat eating in silence, a sure sign the food was yummy.

After settling in and relaxing to the view and sounds of the river and jungle, we set off on our late afternoon activity. Life jackets and helmets on we leisurely drifted down stream and then hiked back up through a jungle trail to camp. Dinner was another delicious creation of creamy mashed potatoes, chicken in a mushroom cream sauce and vegetables. At the end of a fun packed day and under the biggest and brightest moon of the year we all went to sleep in our little tents on stilts....

DAY 2 Saturday 6th May

Our second day started energetically enough with a 2 hour hike uphill and through mud to a small indigenous Cabecar settlement in the hills. There are indigenous Cabecar villages and families scattered all over this area. Just when we thought the heat and mud was getting the better of us we came across a collection of small wooden buildings in a clearing with a few horses, chickens, cows, dogs, pigs and piglets. The lady of the house kindly let us look around. We then visited the local school which teaches both the local Cabecar dialect and Spanish. Back at our encampment we packed up and got ready for another day on the rapids. We were all excited to set off but also sad to leave our jungle home. We had only spent one night there but in this short time managed to see quite a few different bird species: Green Kingfisher, Amazon Kingfisher, Long-tailed Tyrant Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Squirrel Cuckoo, Long-billed Hermit Hummingbird, Ruby Throated Hummingbird, Violet-headed Hummingbird, Passerinis Tanager, Montezuma Oropendola, Black-cheeked Woodpecker. As for amphibians this was home to quite a few frog species, namely Blue Jeans and the Green Poisoned Dart frog.

GVI SOURCE TO SEA PACUARE CHALLENGE $2500 raised for the Jalova and Quepos Charitable Trust Projects
Back on the water, day 2 was to bring a new dimension. We were no longer travelling in 2 large rafts. Lead by our guide Alex, Jessica, Rachel, Christina, Josephine, Olivia and Chloe carried on in a raft.

The rest of the gang transferred to 2 person inflatable river kayaks (aka Duckies). We had Benji and Alex travelling together and Danny and Robyn and then Loraine was with our guide Gustavo. We each took turns riding the rapids in the duckie with Gustavo, so everyone got a chance to really feel what it was like to be in the rapids

Throughout the course of the day we negotiated class 3, 4, and 5 rapids. Even in the relative safety of the big raft, these waves got our adrenaline going. Experiencing the rapids in the kayaks was a new sensation altogether. Being so close to the water and feeling every wave and turn made for so many exciting moments. The kayaks would often disappear into the wave with everyone watching on wondering if both kayakers would emerge on the other side... sometimes they did, and sometimes they didnt! First prize for most epic/nail-biting moment would have to go to Alex and Benji...who managed to get themselves stuck on a rock in a kayak in the middle of a class 4 rapid. They eventually abandoned their vessel and our rock monkeys were clinging to the rock for dear life with the rapids rushing past them. Luckily, a group of rafters on a day trip came to their rescue! They seemed a tad shaken by their experience but even more excited to carry on.

GVI SOURCE TO SEA PACUARE CHALLENGE $2500 raised for the Jalova and Quepos Charitable Trust Projects

In at a very close second, would have to go to Robyn. She had probably the most acrobatic dismount from a kayak the Pacuare has ever seen, she gets 10 points for artistic interpretation. The photos below tell you all you need to know.

Along the way we stopped for lunch at the rivers edge, visited a waterfall for a refreshing dip, and took a little detour through the jungle to see the mystery rock.

GVI SOURCE TO SEA PACUARE CHALLENGE $2500 raised for the Jalova and Quepos Charitable Trust Projects
Towards the end of the day we passed through the most breathtaking canyon, covered in moss, hanging vines and treesso many shades of green. Drifting through the canyon looking up at the sky and the old broken bridge made you feel like you were in a scene from an Indiana Jones movie. As day 3 was going to be all kayaking all daywe had to leave our rafts and collect more kayaks. We met up with Manuel down river and did the exchange. As we had a bit of down time, an impromptu game of football between GVI and some locals began. Both teams played to win and did not hold back. The challengers certainly held their own but were beaten 5-3.

We set off in Kayaks to our second river side camp near the small town of Frijol. We had some well- deserved cold beers and a lovely fajita dinner. It was certainly early to bed as we were being warned by our guides that day 3 was the real challenge day.

GVI SOURCE TO SEA PACUARE CHALLENGE $2500 raised for the Jalova and Quepos Charitable Trust Projects DAY 3 Sunday7th May
Early to bed early to rise.we were all up, packed and having breakfast by 4.30 am! We set off on our challenge to kayak down the Pacuare river through the canals of Tortuguero to the Caribbean sea and to the GVI base in Jalova. We all set off down the river at a around 6.30 am in teams of 2.

GVI SOURCE TO SEA PACUARE CHALLENGE $2500 raised for the Jalova and Quepos Charitable Trust Projects

The scenery was beautiful and we kept a steady pace until our lunch break at 11.30. After 5 hours on the water the rowing was taking its tollarms and shoulders were aching, blisters had formed on our palms, by this time the sun was beating down and the winding river looked and felt never ending. Finally at around 1.30 and 7 hours into our journey in the distance we saw the Caribbean Sea, we had reached the mouth of the Pacuare River. We turned left into a canal that ran parallel to the sea and pushed on forward to make it to Jalova. About half an hour into this very scenic Canal we realised that it was in fact impassable, due to it being blanketed by vegetation. We all had to perform three point turns in our kayaks, not the easiest of feats. We came to the sad realisation that we had made a wrong turn. The Canal we were supposed to go down was about an hours paddle back up the river! We had taken an unintentional yet scenic 2 hour detour!

Once we reached the correct canal we were re-energised. By now some of the kayaks had tied themselves to each other to form little trains. Our two guides Alex and Gustavo were tirelessly towing us along this seemingly never ending canal. Exhaustion can do funny things to people, Chloe and Olivia kept our spirits high by forming a party train with acapela version of 50s classics.. This is what kept our guide Alex going for as long as he did.

At around 5pm with the sun setting and with no end in sight we looked around at the weary faces of our fellow challengers and decided it was time to put down our oars and STOP!

So that is how we found ourselves exhausted but surprisingly cheery curled up in our kayaks in the darkness on a canal in Tortuguero National Park looking up at the stars waiting for our friends from Jalova to rescue us in the GVI boat! We arrived on base, ate some food, drank some water, took a shower and went to bedamazed at how much we had actually done over the last 3 days!

GVI SOURCE TO SEA PACUARE CHALLENGE $2500 raised for the Jalova and Quepos Charitable Trust Projects
On our third challenge day we spent 9 hours and 44 minutes kayaking and 11 hours and 12 minutes with our (achy) bums in kayaks. We made it to the Caribbean Sea and then some!!!!! All in all a great 3 days with a great bunch of people THANK YOU AND WELL DONE TO ALL 11 CHALLENGERS FOR YOUR STAMINA, GOOD HUMOUR AND PERSEVERANCE!!! Also, a big thank you to Alex and Gonzalo our faithful guides from Costa Rica Extreme, they worked tirelessly to make this Challenge fun for us! Thank you to all the friends and family of the Challengers who kindly donated to support our Jalova and Quepos projects.

We have raised $2500 in support of our anti poaching initiative in Jalova and the El Cocal school in Quepos.

Probably the best and most exhausting way to start my time in Costa Rica. Amazing fun, especially the Party Boat
Chloe Experience of a lifetime! Great food, great people and great stories afterwards. Heres to getting stuck on rocks, party boats and spending part of the night on kayaks in the jungle Olivia Brilliant, amazing, breathtaking, exhilarating, spectacular, awesome fun and of course challenging Loraine Who would have thought I would be doing class 3-4 rapids in a kayak Jessica Mix foaming white rapids, unstable rubber duckies, cheerful paddlers, roaring waterfalls and some stunning scenery and you will get the ultimate Costa Rican experience. Add some stumbling, singing, rock clinging, mosquito slapping and star gazing to make that into the GVI Pacuare Challenge Benji

Pura Vida, Christina GVI Costa Rica Logistics Manager