Hello everyone!
I am back in Kampala for the night after my adventures throughout the Pearl of Africa.
White Water Rafting on the Nile River was so incredible, it's difficult to capture in words. No- I think it's impossible to capture in words. But it was amazing. 5 hours of non-stop fun. The rapids were class 5 and my raft was the only one that didn't tip over. After about 4 rapids, we were getting jealous of the other 4 rafts that were getting a better "feel" of the Nile...so were paddled our way back up through the rapid to try to tip over. It took us 3 tries, but we finally forced our way out of the raft and tipped over! After 10 seconds underwater, we emerged and floated downstream! We were ecstatic!! It was really funny because all the other rafters were trying to stay IN their rafts, while we were celebrating our forced defeat! We had a great group and called ourselves professional rafters! hahah....The last rapid - the largest and most unpredictable - The "Nile Special" (also a Ugandan beer!) didn't even phase us. We had to back paddle through again and then just jumped out last minute! We were adrenaline junkies to be sure!
Our Ugandan guides were hilarious! They kept paddling between the 4 other rafts to "visit" or "harass" us! One guide, Nathan, paddled up behind me and pulled me overboard. It was a pleasant break swimming in the cool water, but I started looking for ways to get him back. I soon found my opportunity after they served us freshly sliced sweet pineapple (that's right - fresh cold pineapple slices on a raft in the Nile River!). I kept the husk after the next rapid, and asked our raft to paddle over to Nathan's. When he wasn't looking, I threw it at him, missed, and hit a girl from Chicago in the knee. Ooops! Hahahah...needless to say, her knee was fine, and the two rafts got a good laugh out of it. The whole day was like that. Laughter, screaming, swimming, eating...they served us a BBQ after the trip which was a delight because they served green salads and vegetables (like green beans) that none of us had eaten in weeks! We are all craving veggies and salads when we go home! It was absolutely stunning the views on the Nile, and so much fun. I wanted the guides' jobs!!! :)
We ate nutella with banana chipatti for dinner (a real good dessert! I will be making chipatti when I return home for SURE) and hung out at the hostel bar with the other rafters of the day. We watched the rafting film they made of us and many of us bought the DVD to remember the day and show our families back home our experience. I did buy a DVD, so if you want to watch it, let me know!
The next day, we walked around Jinja town and found the source of the Nile (or so they say)! We visited craft markets (which were way overpriced due to the tourism in the town) and ate Fish and Chips - the fish being a WHOLE fish BBQ'd; eyes and bones and all!! We made our way back to our respective locations and I stayed the following night in Kampala, awaiting a bus to safari to Murchinson Falls on the Nile!
I boarded my safari trip the morning we received news of Osama bin Ladin's death! Congrats my fellow Americans! Although we know the battle against terrorists isn't over (by a long shot), the symbol Osama represented was nothing comforting to Americans, and it is some measure of relief to know that his leadership is finished on earth. So, hope you all had a beer for me! I was thinking of you!
I went on safari with 7 others - 3 couples and another lone traveler woman like myself working for the UN military in Southern Sudan! We all got along wonderfully and got to know each other fairly well through our sunset cruise on the Nile, Game Drive through the park (yes, we saw elephant, giraffe, water buffalo, lion, Ugandan Cob, more hippos than I could count, crocodiles, warthogs, baboons, and many birds!), and a Nile Cruise up to Murchison Falls. It was breathtaking and inspiring. I felt so full as we meandered downstream, basking in the sunset on the River that has given life to so many before us - human and animal alike - eons before I stepped foot in its waters. I love the Nile and its richness emerging up into us. Its energy is impossible to miss once you're on it. Sort of like how people describe New York City and its energy - only the Nile's is more natural and comforting to me! It's awesome.
We shared our safari campsite with the local "pets" - warthogs and baboons who came within 1 meter of me, searching for food and left behind snacks! hahah...it was peaceful and quiet in the National Park away from all the buzz and hubble of Kampala. We left after the third morning hiking up to the Murchison Falls where immense amounts of water passed through a 7km space and into the Nile! Hemmingway actually came to visit this site in the 1950s and his plane crashed very closely to the falls! I wouldn't want to crash land into the shores here...the crocs are quite large! It was a beautiful trip and so worth it.
So, I arrived this evening back at the hostel in Kampala, and I leave in the morning for more craft markets on my way back to House of Hope. I've missed the kids, and look forward to my last few weeks giving more lessons and craft activities with the kids! That also means that I may have limited internet access until I get home! So, I look forward to writing again soon, unknowing when that will be.
Hope all is well back home and you've enjoyed my updates. Until next time,
Jillian
