Freedom

These las few weeks have been great. I have changed my working status, from slave-in-the-payroll to paid-by-the-hour-mercenary. With these changes come certain advantages, like not wearing a tie and being able to have a million hour lunch, along with disadvantages like staying late and working weekends. I have to say that the advantages outweigh the advantages totally. Even if there are things to do, the fact that is me, and not a prestablished timesheet that decide where I will be, fills me with joy. I know that it is not possible to be sure that one will never do something. So I'll say it like this: From now on I will do all that I can do, so that I can keep the ability to choose what I do, and the times I do it in. Yee hay!!!!

On a boat downstream

Rafting:To travel by raft
Raft: A flatbottom inflatable craft for floating or drifting on water: shooting the rapids in a rubber raft.
As one of the latest new comers to this outdoors activity I have to say this definition falls short. What we did last sunday cannot be described as just floating or drifting. It didn't even begin on water. It was a whole day plan, that began with a little horse riding, that I didn't participate in, given my lack of interest on those four legged beasts, and continued on in a two hour walk through a small stream with several ponds and slides carved by the water on stones, to finish gloriously in a trip down the Rio Negro with eight passengers, three guides, a rescue guy, two rafts and a kayak. Whatever I can write about it here doesn't even approach the real experience. The fear when I got thrown of the boat on the first rapid, not bacause of the risk of drowning, that was practically non existent, thanks 90% to the fact that I was wearing a lifesaver and 10% to the fact that I know how to swim, but because of the lack of control over my own body, that allowed the river to do whatever it wanted, without me being able to even have a saying on the matter. It was a lot of fun, a lot of exercise, and a very nice experience that I would really recommend, as long as you are willing to be physically destroyed the following day, as I am today, with a smile on my face and a scratch on my arm. [When, where, how]