Eco Adventure
I thought this was going to be a quaint little
waterfall excursion where the tour bus dropped you off at the location and you walked around the waterfalls, took some pictures, swam in the natural pool at the bottom of the waterfall, and did a little exploring. That was the impression I had when I signed up for the waterfall excursion with ‘E’ and ‘C’.
However, standing at the top of this steep cliff sideways on a trail with my bad knee in the forward position and sand moving beneath my feet-- I suddenly had a different opinion. I stood there frozen with unstable legs on unstable ground feeling as if I had just lost 200 rounds of rock-paper-scissors and this hike down this steep cliff was the punishment for losing. A voice inside my head screamed:
“You can’t do this! You can’t make it down this cliff! It’s too hard! Your knee won’t hold up! You’ll never make it! How did I get myself into this?” I let ‘E’ and ‘C’ and others on the excursion go on down the cliff ahead of me. Our tour guide was in the front leading the group down this cliff. There were still a couple people standing behind me waiting for me to move.
“Go on ahead.” I said waving them around me.
“No, its ok. We’ll wait for you.” A pretty lady with dark hair and a New York accent said.
“I have a really bad knee. I don’t know if I can do this.” I said hesitantly looking into her sun kissed face like a scared rabbit.
“Don’t worry.” She said smiling. “We’ll help you get down.”
I looked up at that moment and there stood an innocent looking guy with round wire rimmed glasses and a baseball cap who had went down the cliff in front of me holding out his hand with a look on his kind face that said—
“You’ll be alright.” I took his hand and the pretty New Yorker took my other hand, lending me some of their strength, and down the cliff we all went together. Down steep inclines, over rocks and boulders, fallen tree trunks, next to streams and smaller waterfalls. I lost my footing twice and fell, tweaking my knee a little in the process. I picked myself up and continued on down the cliff. By this time, I was determined to make it to the bottom where there was a breathtakingly beautiful waterfall with a natural pool we could swim in. And then I stepped on a slippery boulder and fell really hard flat on my butt. It knocked the wind out of me. The innocent looking guy and the pretty New Yorker helped me up. ‘E’ and ‘C’ tried not to laugh.
“Go ahead and laugh, I would. I’m sure it looked funny.” I told them as I tried to hide the amount of pain I was in from that last fall.
Close to the waterfall our tour guide stopped and told the group that we had to descend a steep drop down tree roots to get to the bottom of the waterfall.
“We came as a group, so if we go any further, we’ll all go as a group.” He said as he explained that it would be a little bit difficult.
A little bit difficult!? The whole climb down this trail so far had been EXTREMELY difficult for me. (I was the only one that had fallen).
So if he thinks this is going to be a little bit difficult… I’m in real trouble! I thought to myself.
Our tour guide expertly climbed down the steep drop scaling the tree roots like it was second nature-- showing us where we should put our feet and hands in the process. He positioned himself about half way down and helped the rest of us as we began our descent. Climbing down that steep drop was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done. When my feet touched the bottom I turned around and looked at the beautiful massive rushing waterfall and the peaceful natural pool at its base and felt such a rush of accomplishment. I had made it to the bottom of the cliff! I had just accomplished the most physically challenging thing I had ever tried. Even though I had fallen 3 times and was in pain, I was extremely happy.
Everyone but me stripped down to their bathing suits and got in the icy cold water. I didn’t wear my swimsuit. I hadn’t planned on swimming, I had expected the water to be cold.
“Aren’t you going to get in?” Our tour guide asked.
“Oh no, I’m just happy to have made it down that cliff. I had two reconstructive knee surgeries on my left knee and that hike was extremely challenging for me.” I explained.
“Could you help me get over to that big rock by the waterfall and take my picture?” I asked.
“Sure.” Our tour guide who was in his 20’s and really fit said smiling.
He helped me climb over boulders, walk a fallen tree log and climb up on the big boulder by the waterfall, took my picture, and then helped me get back to the pool’s shore. Then he stripped down to his bathing suit, climbed over boulders and climbed right into the rushing waterfall. He sat there like a God-- with massive amounts of water pouring down his body, and then he reemerged as if he had been cleansed.
Our group lingered there playing in God’s secret decadent watering hole for a while. And I realized that God made the good things in life, those worth having, challenging and hard to get to.
Soon it was time to begin our climb back up to the top of the cliff. We climbed up those tree roots, over boulders and rocks and fallen tree limbs. Although still challenging, going up is easier than going down on an injured knee. It takes more strength to go down. ‘E’ and ‘C’ stretched out their hands at the top of the cliff and pulled me up. I had made it! I had accomplished the impossible and made it possible. That cliff, that hike, that Eco Adventure, those people's kindness, meant more to me than anyone in our group could ever understand.
My Photos...