From the
Kokatat
web site: When I started kayaking, images on the Kokatat website
inspired me. The places this sport can take us are incredible. We get
to see the magic places in their off season, when rain pours and rivers
swell - just when everyone else doesn't want to be there.
Crossing into Slovenia and descending into the Soca River valley far
exceeds expectation. I'm a fan of Hemingway, and we are literally in
the setting for of A Farewell to Arms. I can feel the inspiration. It's
a land rich with history, wild & rugged. Words and photographs will
never explain the feeling.
We have personal history too. A few years ago Rok Sribar started the
first kayak school in Slovenia, right here in Bovec. It's fun to see
that after these years he is still remembered and known by the people
in town, including the waiter at our cafe. In media it's necessary to
refer to any kayaking trip as an “expedition”. Eating apple
strudel we chuckle over this phenomenon and anoint ourselves
“Team Strudel”
In the morning “Team Strudel” gets a leisurely start to the
day. As long as we're on the Soca there is a minimum of driving, and we
enjoy different sections of the river with plenty of water. The scenery
on the warm up section is perfect, keeping us gazing around at the
towering mountains overshadowing the legendary blue waters. In the
afternoon we run the "Siphon" section of the Soca and it's just that, a
dangerous section of river with many dead ends. We stay on our toes,
following locals and enjoying the challenge of a new river.
Our time in Bovec comes to an end and I can't leave without a feeling
of regret, slightly offset by the allure of Corsica after crossing
Italy and the Mediterranean.
