Forward! Don't Stop: Sarah O'Leary
I leaned back on my seat and stared out the window as our bus wound through the craggy Andes Mountains. I’m used to steep mountain roads, but back home in Northern California the highways are wide and smooth and the mountainsides choked with evergreens. Here, all I could see was rock and more rock, dotted with scrubby brush. This was harsh country, but beautiful in a stern sort of way. At the bottom of the steep canyon, the Mendoza River tumbled and rushed over the rocks.
We were headed up the mountain to take part in one of the much-touted river rafting trips offered to adventurous tourists visiting Mendoza, Argentina. I was here for a two-week visit with my 19-year-old daughter who was on an extended trip through South America. After a week in Buenos Aires we’d decided to experience the more laid back atmosphere of the Argentinean wine country.
Located at the base of the highest mountain in the Americas (Mount Aconcagua,) Mendoza is famous for outdoor adventure opportunities. My daughter, Ciel, wanted to sign up for a two day marathon that would include four activities – rafting, rappelling, horseback riding, and trekking. I talked her into a single full day activity – river rafting – something I had done before and felt fairly confident I could handle.
Although I live in one of the most beautiful and scenic places on the planet, I haven’t made time in my life for a whole lot of outdoor adventure. Hiking is about the extent of it. But I do enjoy river rafting, and had experienced several exhilarating trips on our local rivers with friends who are river guides. So, when we signed up for a Class II rafting trip, I thought to myself, no problem – this will be easy.
But as our bus continued its climb into the mountains, the churning waters below did not look like the Class II rapids back home. They looked more like waterfalls. At least the guides speak English, I reassured myself. I’m sure they know what they’re doing.
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