Nile River Explorers

Day 1: Orientation started at 8:30 where we had some breakfast. We will be 3 boats on the river today, with our boat (Neill, Iak and I) doing the rapids over two days. So we packed our stuff and drove down to the river, were we launched and splashed around. Training drills included flipping the boat, rolling down small accelerations, 'getting down and holding for life' and others. We are on the Source of the White Nile, home to 'some of the best grade 5 rapids in the world'. Our guide, Thoubani, is a Zimbo and really cool oke.

Raait; so first grade 5 of the day was Bujungali Falls. Its two small rapids hitting one after the other. We went smoothly through the first one but hit the 2nd on awkwardly and to my side and flipped me out of the boat like a sunny-side up egg. But it was all worth it. We decided that we need to gain more speed and then hit them head on. OK, we are all agreed! Second one is 50-50, indicating your chance of making it. Its another over-the-falls type rapid with a washing machine effect at the bottom. We hit it, spun sideways and were just mauling with the rapid before the leading side flipped over capsizing our boat. I was on the far side so got some air time before crashing down. The last big one of the day was the biggest grade 5 on the river called Silverback. Its an insane rapid with all that water channelling down a narrow stretch and then fanning out again. We came down, hit it straight on and then unfortunately it spitted us out to the left side. We had to row back into its embrace but now all the momentum was lost. We retired for the day at a luxurious eco-tourism lodge on the bank of the river called The Haven. It was every dollar worth doing the trip over two days thinking back on the lodge. We ate steak and chicked and fish fillets, all luxuries compared to our usual African street food diet! We pulled out the rods but only got small karp, but still the first catch of the trip!

White Nile sunset

Neill, Tubani, Iak

moonshadows

Day 2: This morning the support crew came around again and over smaller rubber-duck raft were substituted for a bigger raft with a frame for double-paddle rowing. This will prove to be the most frustrating part of the day. The first rapid was a full on 2m waterfall you drop down head first called Overtime. But because of the frame, we had to steer to the left for a foofy-slide ride, missing the waterfall because of the frame. This sucked. All the others got to do the waterfall :( Longer stretches of rowing lay ahead today with fewer rapids. The next big one was Retrospect which was another fun slip-n-slide type ride. This lead to the the grade 6 rapid Itanda Falls, where we had to take the boat out of the water and carry it over to the grade 5 called The Bad Place. This was an easy one but once again the reinforced boat made it easier (cause many flip over here). The day ended with a beer at the resort The Hairy Lemon and we also packed up.

A solid two days of rafting with no real photos to show for it. Highly recommended if you ever come this way of the continent for only $125. Come on!

written by

afrikawasbeer on December 3, 2009 from Jinja, Uganda

from the travel blog: Traveling Africa Overland

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Klink awesome dude...veral daai Nile special na die tyd. Awesome pics! pella

written by pella on December 6, 2009

jis wallas! is nou wee "genonnected". Het nou al die blogs gelees wat ek gemis het, jou trippie klink nog heel op dreef, sterkte en hou my op hoogte!

written by johan borman on December 11, 2009

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