Belgium 2026-08-17: Packrafting Oude Leie

Packrafting a scenic old branch of the river Leie in Astene (Deinze), a short 8 km bike ride from home. The branch is cut off from the main river and is around 4.5 km long, which - back and forth - makes for a nice 9 km evening paddling trip. I pass the Bathio foot ferry and have a bizarre encounter with a scarlet ibis, an exotic bird species from South-America. Obviously, the animal must have escaped somewhere.