Page 98 - CelebrationsSpring2020

alone with our thoughts about the destruction we have just seen. We are not allowed on solid ground yet! Reassuringly, though, the forest trees reappear shortly hereafter, reducing our anxiety, and encouraging us to regard nature with a new appreciation.
Water
Ah, rivers. When you are floating down one, there is not much else to do other than observe and think, and to reflect on your place in the natural world. Are you contemplating how you fit into the universe? Are you appreciating the gritty odors of the earth and sweet, crisp verdant scent of the leaves? Do you see how life could be, undisturbed by the interference of man?
Rivers, and sometimes even rafts, course through the annals of American literature. Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn might be the first text to come to mind, especially since Twain narrates the route of the Liberty Square Riverboat in
the Magic Kingdom. Huck and Jim’s raft ensures them safety and independence as they travel down the Mississippi, while the shore ensnares them in exciting, but often dangerous, episodes with corrupt townspeople. In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Marlow relates his tale of the Congo River in Africa, where he watched white ivory traders enact ruthless violence on the country’s indigenous peoples.
Water asserts itself as a primary element, capable of all kinds of influence, throughout Kali River Rapids. We see the water’s impact before we even enter the queue. We are warned that you WILL get wet...a perfectly welcome treat on a sweltering Florida day, but then again, you may not want to get soaked to the bone. What to do? Ponchos? Garbage bags? Phone pouches? A change of clothes? Perhaps even saving this for your last FastPass of the day? So many decisions! We might say that the Chakranadi River simultaneously enchants us and causes us a bit of distress. Most attractions in the Walt Disney World Parks do not
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