In an earlier post I mentioned the river in L’Isle–sur-la-Sorgue and how it fueled many industries. One of those popular and important industries was fishing. To navigate the marshy wetlands in the area, the fisherman used a flat-bottom boat called the “Nego Chin”. While fishing no longer has the same importance, the Nego Chin has survived and provides tons of fun for today’s residents. You have to join the Nego Chin Club to participate, but our apartment host was a member and provided us with the necessary passes. With the boats docked just 50 yards from our apartment, we felt compelled to give it a try. The boats themselves are very unstable and to add to the difficulty, the river is full of moving waterwheels and very low overhead bridges. You stand in the back of the boat and then propel it with a long pole called a partégue.
It certainly takes some getting used to and I’ll admit I went overboard a couple of times. The water by the way, although crystal clear, runs a constant 54 degrees all year long. Luckily it was hot out all week because that’s some numbing water. After I got the hang of it I turned the controls over to Mia and Cole. Mia’s turn didn’t last long as the pole and boat were just too big for her to maneuver. Cole on the other hand did great going downstream, but then needed me to help get us back up river. When traveling upstream, it’s easy for the current to catch the front of the boat and spin you around. Nego Chin in English means “drowned dog” and we quickly found out why. Cole almost made it through the week without falling in, until an unsuspecting bump from another boat put him in the river on our last day. Mom always said, “Don’t stand up in the boat”.
