Day 115: Dugout Canoe Challenge

Our lodge has a standing challenge that any guest who can paddle round trip to a buoy that sits 50 meters from shore will get a free night. We read about the contest and immediately suspected it wasn’t as easy as it sounded. The rules stipulate that you have to use a traditional dugout canoe, you have to keep your legs inside the vessel, and you and your partner (must be two) have to stay out of the water to be successful. The hidden difficulty is that these small boats are very slim, slippery in the water, and require excellent balance. The locals use them every day for fishing, running errands, and even for water taxis. There’s no challenge for them but for those who aren’t accustomed to the traditional canoe is a completely different story. After watching several other couple’s failed attempts to just sit still in the boat without even rowing, we conceded that we wouldn’t be getting any free nights. It was entertaining enough to watch each confident couple lose their balance and we gained a serious appreciation for what seemingly little effort it takes from the locals to accomplish the simple feat.

Mayoka challenge. É assim que eles chama o desafio para os convidados que aqui se hospedam. Se você quiser ter uma noite de grátis tem que ter um companheiro louco para se aventurar, subir na canoa tradicional e atravessar em torno de 50 metros sem cair na água. Okay, então vamos esclarecer como é essa canoa tradicional. Literalmente uma árvore, com um furo no meio. É o meio de locomoção dos moradores daqui da vila, e para eles não tem segredo nenhum pilotar o pequeno barquinho. Além de sentar no grande pedaço de madeira, a perna dos participantes tem que ficar para dentro do burraco e isso requer muito equilíbrio dos participantes. Vimos vários casais tentando e uns nem conseguiam subir na canoa. Passamos horas alí rindo e observando e decidimos nem tentar porque precisaríamos de anos de prática.