Rafting the Nile

1. beautiful scenery (Lake Victoria and source of Nile)map2

2. White Water Rafting

3. Monkeys in the trees

4. Nile Special is brewed locally

So while in Jinja, we relaxed, met friends, went shopping in town AND white water rafted the White Nile River (beginning of the Nile river system). I fear that I could, if given the opportunity, become an Adrenaline junky like the guides of the rafting trip. The river was amazing. We started out with smaller rapids that built in intensity and forced us to work hard. Our guide was a crazy Irishmen who had no qualms with dumping us into the water. However, except for the occasional times that the entire raft went into the air and over, I managed to stay in the boat. Malia did not have the same luck and she somehow managed to go into the water on almost every rapid. Midday we beached on an island and had a lunch, followed by a slow paddle through CROC infested waters...don't fall in there.

At one point the safety boat (nothing bad suppose to happen to it) broke an ore and at another he actually flipped in the rapid. This was a little unnerving to us waiting to go through the rapid. To calm our troubled minds there we kayakers around us at all kayak times. The second you fell in they would scoop you up and take you back to your boat. They seemed to really enjoy the fact that all they did was ride through rapids all day, everyday.

Last rapid of the day, called 'BAD PLACE' it is the strongest rapid of the river and well, being badasses we decided to take it as hard as we could. I think Graham, our guide, said to be prepared to be under water for ten seconds at a time. He made us all count it out really slow so we would know how long that really is. Oh, and he said every time your head breaks the surface of the water to take a quick breath, because you are going under again. We had to walk the boat around the first part, too dangerous and prepare for the second. I think we lasted about 30 seconds before our raft was flying into the air and we were cascading into the water.

Kels shot through the rapids and emerged in calm water, not sure exactly Malia's route but I went for the entire rapid being jostled about, dunked and spun until I raft emerged, hanging onto shorts with one hand and the ore with the other. I was told I could get rid of it but it made a good weapon against the rocks I was battling. Just at the end of the rapid I felt myself bump into something, prepared for another rock I realized it was the tip of my kayak rescuer. I chose to discard the ore and keep my shorts. hanging on to him I was paddled over to a boat, Yes I was the last one of our entire group to emerge from the rapid.

A great day and beers waited for us at the top of the hill to celebrate or success.

This story seems to have a happy ending but that is not the case. The river has been dammed and the rapids have been destroyed. We got word from a friend hat they are no good now and all the rafting guides are leaving. There are so many affects of this that it is hard to focus on the good; increased electricity. Jinja thrives off of the rafting tourism and will suffer greatly if it is completely lost. As well the wildlife in the surrounding areas, as always when a dam is created suffer. I am very torn between the pros and cons of damming rivers but I know in the case of this one it saddens me. I will never again get to experience rafting that river. All things change, but sometimes you can relive experiences, not this one!

written by  crAsh13 on September 5, 2007 from Jinja, Uganda
from the travel blog: East Africa in 2007
tagged Rafting and Nile
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