Second Disaster of what must be a slightly doomed but fun trip

So we slept in and woke up to a delicious breakfast that would rival our odl favourite Martinis in Newtown and the good thing about Czeck Republic is that without the Euro it rivals Aussie prices too! I kinow I keep blogging about food but truly we are having a good time stuffing our faces with things that actually have flavour after surviving for 4 months in the land that flavour forgot. I had almost forgotten I have tastebuds.

We then climbed the main tower that overlooks the town. it resembles a wedding cake in my opinion- each tier being a different colour and painted with a different design. Ceszky Krumlov is a bit like Disneyland really which might explain my love for it. There were some great views overlooking the town. We wandered about the castle and watched the bears who live in the moat playing in their pond and eating honey. Well not really honey but that would have been funny. They were eating apples and carrots and chocolate croissants instead. Yes there are 3 real bears living in the moat! Pretty cool. Although we are not really sure how ethical their environment is - btu they have a fair bit of space- more than most zoos.

Then came the part of the day that spelled our doom. We decided to take a canoe trip aroudn the river which we had seen others doing the day before. The river has a system of little rapids that you need to go down because the river is on a mountain- anyway they looked tame enough to us. The sky was overcast and we heard a few cracks of thunder just to add ot the atmosphere. The guy drove us and a German couple out of town where we were to start our boat trip. We had been given a quick briefing on the rapids by some dude who gave us a map and told us which rapids to go down and which ones to avoid. Naturally Tim was excited and I was slightly concerned. But not concerned enough to really think anythign could go wrong. I mean they didn't even offer us helmets!

So we started sailing and I couldn't particularly enjoy it as I suddenly realised I was busting to go to the toilet- the kind of thing that happens when you are surrounded by the sound of rushing water. Tim looked on our little map and said- 'Oh there is a camp site up ehre we will stop and you can go to the toilet'- so we pulled over and I popped up the hill in search of what looked like a campsite but was really some industrial place with a fence all the way around. Such is the life of someone whose bladder is made small to leave room for a uterus I couldn't contian it and decided to hide behind a wall and do a quick wee! Ashamed I came back to boat and swore never to blog of this incident.

We continued on our way to find that the campsite was in fact just around the bend!

After this we went down one rapid and had a pretty enjoyable time- I didn't die and even managed to get a quick photo of Tim's triumphant paddling. Put at ease by our first rapid encounter I relaxed and started to enjoy my newly emptied bladder and the scenery.

Second rapid came and went with no more than a 'woot' of excitement and a subtle splash.

Then came the third rapid- I think I sensed impending danger and panicked- basically when I panic my brains shuts down and I start flailing- in the case I was flailing with an oar and trying to do who knows what to avoid the rapid. But we went down the rapid regardless and just as we thought we had conquered it our boat got turned around and I saw Tim's end flip and next thing we were under. I think the greatest shock was the freezing nature of the water. It hit my chest and I (again panicked) and started screaming for help. I couldn't touch the bottom and luckily Tim grabbed me and I realsied (briefly) it wasn't too scary and we swam for the shore. Freezing cold and not a happy camper started cursing the world and swearing never to get back into any boat again! Then we turned and saw that the Germans had caught up with us- we watched them go down the rapid much as we had fairly calmly only to be sucked under at the last minute as well. So Tim jumpled back in to help them as the german girl looked to be getting carried away. All freezing cold and a bit shocked (the German girl had lost her shoes) we stood around wondeirng where the nearest bar was. The only solution was to get back in and keep going. Naturally my fear had turned me into the most annoying person alive and I panicked the whole way back- even getting out before the last rapid and walking teh rest of the way dripping wet. Along the way we did manage to find the girls shoes which we thought was pretty impressive. Oh but later I realised the pair of sunglasses I ahd bought that morning were long gone! The other concern was 9and still is ) that our camera may never work again. We have salvaged the memory card and the photos we ahd taken are ok but we haven't had the guts to try the camera yet! Still drying it out! Fingers crossed- I think we are doomed with cameras!

Anyway we then spent a couple fo hours blowdrying our shoes (we only brought one pair with us not thinking we would end up submerged in a river) before heading back to our favourite vego restaraunt for a well earned meal and beer.