Suicide Rocks

Suicide Rocks is a place a ways up the river that runs just below the mission station. To float down this river is a pretty fun Hot Afternoon Activity.

You hike about 20 minutes up the river, carrying the Floatation Devices that you will use coming down the river.



















Uncle Jim kindly carries the big one... yes, he's under there...




















You arrive at Suicide Rocks, jump in, and start organizing Who will float on What.



















Your legs go numb, because the water is so cold, but the part of you that is out of the water is hot because this is a bright sunny day on a tropical island. So on average, you are the perfect temperature.



















When everyone is organized, you lift up your feet and begin bouncing down the river... this is a long process of learning exactly how high to lift your feet so that they do not explore the river bottom forcefully (very high), how far back to lean in the tube so that you are not catapulted forward out of the tube onto the rocks (very far) and how not to bounce off of rocks so that you continue mostly to be on top of the tube rather than beneath it (beneath is bad).



















You also learn that you do not stop by grabbing things on the side, as that will indeed stop you but not the tube which you were on top of a moment ago but which is now merrily shooting downstream at a rapid pace.

A valuable lesson is that of how not to sit upright in the tube with bits and pieces of yourself dangling beneath as fair game for every pebble on the river bed.

Altogether, I learned quite a bit yesterday. And had lots of screaming, laughing fun into the bargain!