Well, we did it! We got to do our white water rafting on the Nile River and what a fun time it was! One of the reasons I made sure to fit this into our busy schedule was so that we could have the bragging rights that we rafted on the Nile River, and bragging rights we definitely have! It was an amazing day right from the drive to Jinja to the time we spent on the water. We went with a company called Nalubale Rafting which was a decision we did not regret. We spent the day with a great team who were fun, knowledgeable, friendly, and even made sure we were fed and well taken care of out on the river. We started our day off with breakfast at the Nalubale office, and then we drove to the Nile where we had our safety lesson getting the briefing on what you need to know to survive white water rafting. Let me start telling you about the heart of our day, the stories you all want to hear about, our time in…(and I do mean “in”) the water!
We went down 8 rapids all together. Lawrence, who was braver than I, went right for the grade 5 rapid, whereas I decided to stay with the safety boat and went down the grade 3 rapid. I was glad that I had made that decision as I watched the boat capsize while going down its second rapid. I hope I always remember the look I seen on Lawrence’s face of pure fear and excitement all mixed into one…it was epic! Soon I was back with Lawrence on his raft to go down some more adventures rapids than the general routes the safety boat takes. We paddled along the Nile to get to the next rapid we would be going down, enjoying an amazing view along the way. It’s astonishing that there would be such tranquility and chaos hitting so quickly after another! We even had our guide pointing out the wildlife and answering any questions we had about the land. It wasn’t too long before we reached our next rapid for another action packed ride. We went down a few more rapids and then it was time for a well-deserved lunch which was just what we needed after our busy morning. After lunch, it was back on the water for some more excitement! The last rapid of the day was called “Nile Special” and is rated a grade 3 but because the water levels were so low it acted more like a grade 5 causing our boat to flip over with all of us flying into the water. Being carried down to the bottom of the river by a fast moving current was quite the rush, just when it seemed like I was running out of air, I made it back to the top of the water but only for a brief second before another wave came crashing down on me again. Soon though it was all over and we were back to the bottom of the rapid to the calm river water. It was a great way to end a fantastic day!
This was one of our last adventures on our trip to Africa, and it was so much fun. Uganda is such an amazing country it really is a Pearl in the heart of Africa. I strongly recommend anybody wanting to come to Africa look at all the things to do right in Uganda. I have loved it here, right from the amazing scenery, fun times, and great return for your dollar but the thing that leaves me wanting to come back is the people. The people here are so welcoming it really makes it a trip to remember. I have loved our time here and hope that I get to come back...and if I make it back, I would love to be able to find time to do a second round on the Nile taking on the currents but next time, I will be sure to bring my sun screen lol.
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