After an extremely long delay, we, the DP1 students of 2021/22 found ourselves on an exciting trip to Kitulgala.
The orientation part of the trip itself consisted of only 1 day out of the 3, but what a day it was. The first thing we did? White water rafting. It was definitely not a slow start to the day as we embarked in groups of fives and sixes to combat the powerful current. The start was calm enough, but once we hit the current, with the water powerfully splashing in our faces akin to the pressure of a water hose, and the split-second moments in which we were in the air, not knowing if we would land, those moments made the ride. And to just add to the adrenaline, someone (not naming) fell in the water because they didn’t get down quick enough. As a whole, it was an absolutely fantastic start to the day and there was already a sense of excitement of what was to come.
The second part was by far my personal favourite. As we marched on into the forest, we got to an absolutely pulchritudinous part of the river that seemed like an oasis in the desert of the forest. Everyone knew what was coming next: canyoning. This section consisted of two main activities: jumping off rocks into the river and sliding on rocks into the river. Whilst sliding off the rocks was enjoyable (except our rear-ends), the jumping was probably a majority favourite. There’s nothing like the turbulent rush of air pushing your hair while you live your nightmare. It’s a dream you just can’t share.
As a whole, the experienced definitely brought the class together, whether that was through the teamwork of the white water rafting, or whether it was taking off each other’s leaches. It was a great (somewhat) start to face-2-face school and was a good way for us to get our minds off the impending doom that was coming in the form of Maths tests and Biology essays.
Written, December 2, 2021