We’ve spent two days on the river in the Amazon rainforest! Today started out with us heading downstream on a motorized canoe on the Napo River. After plenty of time had passed, we pulled up to a rocky sandbar and jumped out of the boat.

The tubes had been traveling with us on the roof of our boat so we pulled them down and plopped them into the river. In no time the sun heated up the black inner tubes so they were too hot to touch and we had to dunk them in the water before flopping into them.

I found it even more relaxing to flip over and ride the tube on my stomach. The rapids were only class 1&2, unlike yesterday’s enormous waves but they were still fast enough to keep the tubes moving quickly and even make you wet at times.

At the beginning of our trip downstream there were loads of waves as the river turned a corner. I was about ten feet away from this when I rolled onto my back and enjoyed the bumpy ride! The waves got to about 2 feet in height, which kept things exciting!

We traveled downstream for about 1/2 an hour. The motorized canoe stayed close to keep an eye on us and take pictures. Finally, the boat pulled up to shore and they told us it was time to head in. Caleb arrived first and they pulled him and his tube out of the water. The rest of us followed, except for my dad, who was on the other side of the river and continued on downstream, missing the boat altogether! In the end, we had to speed down the river with the boat to catch him but he eventually made it in safely as well.

I found tubing even more enjoyable than rafting. I like being able to have a bit of control of myself and my speed, which I have with the tube. I also enjoyed the slightly calmer waters, which were still lots of fun.