The winner will be awarded a pair of running shoes and a backpack; God heard me and answered my prayer. It was exactly what I wanted at this point.
I have been planning and saving up for almost a year to go on a trip to the Amazon rainforest. It was over an hour at the Manaus airport and my luggage could not be located. I was later informed that my luggage was on a flight to Spain. The goof-up happened while it was in transit at Peru airport.
My trek was scheduled for 6am the next morning and my baggage was not to arrive before evening. I didn’t have enough cash in hand to cover up for all the trekking essentials. I was worried.
Checking into my pre-booked hotel, I inquired where I could get cheap trekking gear. Mr. Garcia, the manager, suggested I visit the Ponta Negra beach area for the same.
The area was a very lively place full of people. As I was browsing through the shops a young man handed me a flyer which got me excited.
Coming from a small town in Kerala, rowing a dinghy and catching fish has been an integral part of my life. I wanted to try my luck at this kayaking race as it would save me that extra buck (since I was on a limited budget).
The kayak was hardly different from our local dinghy. A rush of adrenaline swept through me as I held the oar. The competition was tough but I swept my way through as some of my dad’s tips came handy.
That day, the pair of shoes and the backpack were even more precious than a trophy. I was euphoric, these shoes were even better than the ones I had brought from home.
The trek was an outstanding experience; it had been on my bucket list for years but the kayaking contest made this trip most memorable. I had never imagined doing something like this, that too in a foreign country. Each time I see my shoes, the memory of that incident comes rushing into my mind and my lips break into a smile.
Image courtesy: Flickr & Pixabay
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