(1) Not knowing where we were going until 30 minutes before we left
Houston. Not knowing which part of the river we would canoe until
we actually reached it.
(2) Veronique asking if she should bring soap for the showers.
(3) Merce actually bringing soap for the showers.
(4) Nizar and Karim making a wrong turn in Lufkin, realizing their
mistake after only the short short period of an hour, and then
averaging 95 miles an hour the rest of the way so they caught up
with us only 15 minutes late.
(5) Making an average speed of LESS than one mile per hour (slower
than the current), perhaps due to the traffic jam around the keg
canoe, constantly pinning it between other canoes and obstacles.
(6) Chris and Vince removing their clothes (a.k.a canuding) 5 minutes
after we were in the water.
(7) Chris and Vince managing to tip (perhaps due to drunkeness? nahhh)
a short 30 minutes after we were in the water, committing one set
of tent poles (and no, we are not talking about body parts) to a
watery (or is that beery) grave.
(8) Pete and Chau-Wen following Chris and Vince's example, and tipping
several times.
(9) Reinhard saying "I can paddle the keg canoe", and, perhaps with
Ervan's help, tipping twice within 15 minutes after getting in
it. At least once was because of a failed attempt to pour
beer, stand up, and give Ervan a high-five all at the same
time. The two locals watching kept a straight face for half an
hour!
(10) The excellent choice of a campsight (thanks Joel) which required,
uh, I mean gave us the opportunity to enjoy, climbing up or sliding
down 20 feet of mud.
(11) A strange disease that affected several males at the camp sight,
and caused them to remove their clothes and run around camp for
the ostensible purpose of swimming and jumping off the cliff
on the other side of the river. This group definitely included
Reinhard, Ervan, and Pete, while rumor has it that even John
was afflicted.
(12) The new campfire game "tell a secret about yourself", which rumor
has it was developed for Babtist revivals.
(13) The beautiful harmonious singing around the campfire, complete
with Rene playing the only ukelele in the world with a whammy
bar.
(14) John accusing Laurent of stealing his sleeping bag, only to
discover that really he was just too drunk ... uh, sleepy to
find it the night before.
(15) Dirk puking at 7:45 am in the morning BEFORE we left due to
overindulgence at Nod the night before.
(16) Most people got to swim on Sunday as we encountered several
deadfalls that could neither be canoed around nor ported around,
though Pete, Veronique, and Ervan did enjoy being hip deep in the
mud together while trying. Another canoe, which will remain
nameless (only because I don't remember who it was), tried to
pass a fallen tree using the unique technique of sinking their
canoe and pushing it under the tree. It didn't work.
[John]
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