"Na Prej" "Na Prej", the man shouted from behind me. Now, I don't speak Slovenian but I had quickly learned that this term means 'forward' and Na Zaj means 'backward'. Mandy and I were rafting down Slovenia's famous Soca River and were the only foreingers aboard. Unfortunately it was the low season (poor rapids, low water levels) but the guides still made it enjoyable by doing tricks with the raft. My favorite was piling everyone into the back so that we were practically sitting on top of one another and thus making the front nearly weightless. Then as hard as we could, we all paddled forward. To where I didn't know but all I could hear was, "Na Prej" so forward I went. As it turned out in front of us was a GIANT rampshaped boulder (10ft hight by 8ft wide) which we collided with head on and properly launched ourselves out of the water. We were so efficient with our foward momentum that the entire raft was out of the water and stuck on the rock. Gravity took its course and we all fell backwards into the freezing waters below. Since I was positioned in the very back, it was only natural that EVERYONE would land on top of me! Funny how things like this always happen to the smallest person but after the weight was lifted off of me (all 6 people PLUS the raft) I was free to come up for air. We also jumped off rocks and spun in circles through the rapids and though it was extremely cold we stayed warm with all our laughter.
Mandy and I also partook in Canyoning which is 'nature's playground' composed of waterslides of natural rock and waterfalls. The beginning required us to hike upstream but the challenge was we had to do it in our wetsuits! Not only do you easily overheat but there's minimal joy in sweating in a giant suit of rubber while hiking uphill and climbing over large rocks. Never the less we did it and then the fun really began. First off was getting into the, again, freezing cold waters and filling our wetsuits up. Not a pleasant experience but a minor requirement. Afterwards we started to slide down mini-rock slides which are the perfect half-pipe made to fit your bum. It was amazing to think that the flow of the water naturally shapes the rocks in these formations and that we could make the best of it by sliding down forwards, backwards, face first, etc. Once we'd 'mastered' the slide we then had the opportunity to jump into the pools. We had an option of 8m (26.4ft), 10m (33ft), or 12m (39.6ft) and to show they were all safe our guide, Sebastian, started with the 12m jump. It looked easy enough and we began to climb up to the top. Now, being the adventurous type I wanted to begin with the 12m drop but once up there, looking down makes you want to rethink that desire. The top was compsed of me, two of the guys, and another girl and we were all encouraging the others to go first. Eventually I said I would do it and as I stood looking down Sebastian shouted up the suggestion for us all to start with a smaller jump. Well that just wouldn't do and with that I was flinging myself outward (apparently you really had to swing yourself out or be taken out by the protruding tree limbs). Eventually I hit the water below and with a loud smack as I was gracefully (sarcasm) flailing my arms about. Sebastian was extremely surprised and impressed as I was the only girl he's ever had jump from the 12m mark, plus I was the first to do so amongst the group and with that the boys were forced to follow. Once we completed our high dives (I did another one to make up for the slopiness of the 1st) we continued on with our sliding. As we slowly made our way downstream the slides become larger and larger. The last slide of the day was a monster! There were two options: Take the slide down or climb down using the path. Sebastian recommeded that the girls take the path down. His reasoning was most girls aren't strong enough to keep their bodies completely rigid during the slide down and due to a slight turn in the slide, if you lose rigidity then you can damage your back. He said this with extreme concern as the last girl who went didn't do as requested and seriously injured herself. All the boys were in for the slide and only 3 girls decided to go (Mandy and I were 2 of the 3). We were all nervous with anticipation as we made our way to the slide as we weren't certain what to expect. As we looked down from the top (a little over 12m) the pool at the bottom appeared so small and the height slightly frightening. The guys went first this time and the position was so conditional. It required us to cross our ankles and keeping an extremely stiff body with our arms diagonally folded across our chest. Sebastian then had to lower us into the waterfall and support us in a nearly upright position by holding all our weight by the elbows as our feet tangled below our bodies. Unfortunately when you're hanging in this position and your body is pressed against the rock with Sebastian above you, there is a block in the waterflow as you get released by the guide. As my turn approached, Sebastian reiterated that he didn't think it was a good idea for me to do this as he thought I would be too light and would injure myself. Too bad he made this statement as I was already hanging by my elbows with the water blocked behind me! 'Let me go', I said and so he did. It was quite a strange sensation. Initially, as you're preparing yourself into position, you hear the pounding of the falls but as soon as Sebastian gets behind you there's complete silence and you're just waiting for the moment he lets you go and you get the sensation of your stomach in your throat. Even as I was falling for what seemed an eternity I could hear nothing but the wind in my ears. My clenched body tried to maintain a stiff composure for fear of injury and I couldn't even feel the rock against my back. Apparently I didn't 'adhere' to it due to my small stature and instead did a complete freefall into the pool. It was a good feeling to crash into the water and emerge with no problems...VICTORIOUS! It was even better to watch Mandy go next and enjoy the experience as much as I did. By the end of the day we were exhausted yet exuberant from the day's achievements.
