Sometimes I will meet someone who appears to lead a happy and fulfilling life. but then I discover this person has never been white water rafting and I realize it's all a mirage. No one who has never taken an adventure vacation that includes riding the white water can truly be happy.

"Oh sure," you may be thinking, "isn't white water rafting … dangerous?"

Well my timid, rubber-spined, cowardly friend; danger is a relative thing. Your drive to and from the river will be far more dangerous, and a much more death defying feat, than your actual time on the river. I actually have no statistics to support this other than the fact that everyone knows that everything is more dangerous than driving. So consider yourself appeased.

But it is clear that white water rafting has the appearance and feel of danger. It is a sport designed to make the adrenaline pump through your bloodstream like jet fuel and make you feel like Indiana Jones and James Bond rolled up into a single being.

But the appearance of danger is mitigated by the life jacket you will be wearing and the size of the inflatable raft you will be riding on, as well as the supervision of trained "river rats," the tour guides who work for the adventure travel company conducting your tour.

The experience of white water rafting is like nothing else in the world of adventure travel. Riding the rapids feels a lot like riding a roller coaster that has the added benefit of making you a contestant in a wet T contest (despite the fact that I personally would strongly prefer that some of you never get within a mile of such a contest). To all this you add the fact that your adventure will take you through some of the most scenic gorges and canyons the world has to offer, and you are all set for an experience you will remember (fondly) for the rest of your life. What could be more fun than that?

If I have convinced you to go white water rafting, please do your homework ahead of time. Check into the various adventure tour companies that conduct white water rafting tours in the locale you choose . I suggest that you check out the following directories (www.whitewater.com/ and http://www.riversearch.com/ ) because they have prescreened the adventure tour companies based on safety and reliability.

You should also order one or more of the free brochures for various rafting tours from this site: http://www.infohub.com/scripts/html_cgi/affiliate/?af_type=2&AID=5046485&PID=1883069&cat_id=128&action=summary

And lastly, consider going with a group of friends. There is something wonderful about hearing your best friend scream like a girl, or getting drenched in cold water with the gang from your church group, that makes for a unique bonding experience.

COPYRIGHT © 2006, Charles H. Brown. All rights reserved.