Adventures on the Nile

For our second safari, we thought big… and took off across the border to Uganda. In Uganda, there is whitewater rafting on the Nile River. There are now plans to put a dam on the Nile, which will end the whitewater rafting in Jinja, Uganda. So, obviously we had to go!

We started out on Friday afternoon and arrived at around 7pm. The company is called Nile River Explorers, and they have a campsite with bandas (simple huts) and dormitory-style rooms with several bunk beds per room. We were a group of 17, and took up several rooms and a banda! We went to a restaurant called The Black Lantern for dinner, right onsite. Gosia and I split our meals – so we each tried chicken curry and tilapia (from the Nile!) curry. I preferred the tilapia – it was very fresh and well-spiced. Feeling refreshed and well-fed, we headed up to the campsite’s social center, the bar. There is a beer called the Nile Special, which of course we had to try. I liked it – it was light, crisp, and kind of hoppy, with a slightly bitter finish. The bottle was 500ml, and cost about 100 Ksh (about $1.50). How long do I get to stay in Africa, again?

The next morning, we were up early and ready to raft! We had a light breakfast at the Explorer main office, watched some very inspiring clips of yesterday’s rafters, and got ready to take on the Nile! This consisted of walking outside and putting on very fearsome-looking helmets, and our lifejackets, of course. We were taken by truck to the Nile, where we divided up into groups of 7 and met our guides.

My group decided we were going to go all-out and take on the toughest rapids, instead of taking the calmer, “chicken” way. I had Rhonda, Natalie, Stacy, Kelly, Gosia, and Peter in my raft, and we were total whitewater rockstars. Some people had been rafting in the states, including Rhonda, Kelly, and Stacy, for others it was the first time (like me!). Stacy told me in the middle of the trip that rafting in the US has easier grades than we found in Uganda. What a way to start! I’m pretty sure I fell in love with whitewater rafting. The thrill is intense – first, you’re in calm water, and you hear the rushing of the rapids ahead of you. That’s when the chill and rush of adrenaline starts – its do or die time with you pitted against nature! Then, you’re coursing through the rapid, at the complete mercy of the waves and the skill of your guide! During the trip through the rapid, anything can happen. You might sail right through unscathed, everyone in the raft intact and screaming like banshees. Or, you might get thrown off the raft while your friends make it through. You may even have the Nile own you and flip your raft over, spilling your entire crew into the river like ragdolls. It was the most unpredictable, intense, exciting rollercoaster ride you could imagine. The best part is, once you finish one rapid, you paddle through the calm waters until you reach some more!

My favorite rapid was called “Silverback”. A Silverback is another name for the dominant male gorilla of a clan. Our guide, Henry, told us the rapid got this name because when you reach the last wave, it feels like a gorilla crushing you. Our raft lurched and spun through the waves, until finally I felt the scary acceleration as we tipped over the edge. When I looked up, my entire field of vision was enveloped by a wall of water. It was angry and alive, rushing upward in a menacing V-shape, ready to devour us. I held the safety rope with all my might, and the next thing I knew we were on the other side, emerging from the rapid! It was incredible – we couldn’t believe we didn’t tip! We all screamed, laughed, and congratulated ourselves and Henry. It was an amazing high.

One thing I should mention is that the guides on our trip were spectacular. They made a video of our group, and I bought it – I will see if I can post some clips from it, but the connection here is very slow and I’m not too sure it will work. In any case, the guides are amazing – they joke around that it’s their first day on the job (but they’ve watched the training video many times!), but the truth is, they knew the river like the back of their paddles. Not to mention, they were spectacular entertainers. Sometimes, even if their whole raft made it through a difficult rapid, they would jump off the boat in celebration, just for fun! They had great skills with maneuvering the rafts safely, as well. For example, when you start out in the morning you go through training. You learn how to paddle, how to take directions, how to float through the rapids on your own if you get knocked out, how to get out from under the raft if it falls on you, you know, all the essentials. Well, one of the commands is, “Get down!!” after which you throw yourself into the belly of the raft, grab onto the safety rope with all you’ve got, and pray like hell you stay in the raft. Mind you, during all this the guide does not “get down” – he steers the raft!!

The last rapid was also a trip – it starts out as a level 6, which is the most dangerous level of rapid. Don’t worry, we disembarked from our rafts and walked around the level 6 stuff, until it was only considered level 4. We did, however, see some of the rescue-kayakers brave the waters, and it was intense! I was afraid they would drown, truly. One kayaker got torn clear out of his kayak, and dislocated his shoulder! However, at the section where we re-joined the water there were a few options – the chicken way, the medium way, and the hard way. My raft was going to take on the hard way, and I was all for it. We started out, entered the rapid, and held on for the ride of a lifetime. Henry yelled, “Get down!!” and I flung myself into the raft and grabbed the rope. We careened around sheets of frothing water when a felt myself being thrown from the raft. I tried to hold on, but I was being twisted and had no chance, so I let go of the raft and took my chances on the river. I was instantly submerged into a ravenous, thrashing cage of water. I tried to hold onto my paddle, but couldn’t swim well enough with it, so I cut my losses and let it go. I was helpless as a child, and without my trusty lifejacket would have stood no chance against the power of the Nile. I finally felt my head break the surface for an instant, and gasped for air before being crushed again under the unrelenting waves. Again I was tossed around and around, with no control. I broke the surface again and took another gasping breath, then had a split second to orient myself into the proper position – feet first, on my back, facing the water in the direction of the current. It was no use – I was instantly enveloped again, and I began to wonder if this fight for survival would ever end. At last I emerged at the end of the most violent waves, and I saw a rescue kayaker paddling furiously towards me. Out of breath, I grabbed onto the handles and was paddled safely to shore. My whole body was exhausted, and I was absolutely humbled by the Nile. The next thoughts I could muster…

That was awesome!!!!