In the early, pre-dawn hours of the morning last Saturday, I rolled out of bed and made my way to Ngunguru to meet a friend for what would be an epic kayaking journey. When all was said and done, we completed 20KM (about 13 miles) in 4 hours! 
The scenery was stunning, and as the sun rose on the water, it seemed that every bend in the river gave us a new perspective to enjoy. For the majority of our four-hour trek not a human was in sight. We were not alone however, for the jumping fish, blue herons and hawks kept us company! At one point, a large and mysterious river creature travelled rather swiftly and purposefully just beneath the surface of the water, revealing only the smallest tip of a fin or tail and leaving a most obvious wake. What was it, you ask?
The murkiness of the river prevented us from identifying the "monster", but it was obviously a predator of some sort. A bit creepy . . . but thrilling, nonetheless! We could tell you that we found the Lock-Ness Monster; that would make a good story indeed! But because this is a salt-water/ tidal river, we concluded it was probably just a baby shark or sting ray on the hunt. (They are common in this area.) Instantly I became even more thankful for the reliable kayak that kept me on the water and not in it! He he!
Finally, with our arms and shoulders burning from hours of endless paddling, a brave paddle-boarder emerged out of the mangroves and greeted us, looking just as fatigued and exhausted as we were! Another human! We knew we could not be far from home. Though every muscle fibre seemed overworked and non-compliant with our brains, quitting was not an option. Only a few more kilometres to go and there would be an end to this long and arduous journey. It was so worth it!
The moral of the story. . .giving up is not an option.
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