Postcards form a Backpacker

White Water Rafting on the Nile

Posted in Africa, Uganda, Jinja

Today we head to the source of the Nile River, the river famous for flowing up through Africa meeting the sea after passing through Egypt. The group was up at 8am again this morning where I found myself on the back of a truck sat on a wooded bench hanging on for dear life as we navigated our way through the pothole riddled roads of Uganda to the Nile River Explorers base for breakfast. After breakfast we head across the dam at the source of the Nile Jinja.

When we arrive at the river for our safety briefing we are introduced to Dug, a Zimbabwean with a habit of overusing the phase “Yer Bro”. Next we head out into the water where I sit at the front of the boat opposite Dan. Our job is to keep rhythm paddling so everyone else follows to keep the boat moving. We do some safety drills on the river then paddle towards the first Grade 4 rapid (Rapids are graded 1 to 6). We paddle in and are swept with the current until the boats nose fly’s up in the air and throws everyone out of the boat into the crashing waters. I come up for air then am washed back under , bob back to the surface thanks to my life jacket and get plucked out of the water by the safety raft.

Now back in the boat its back to paddling towards the next rapped this time it’s a Grade 5! Needless to say I survived the day. We had a chance to compose ourselves at lunch with a swim and fruit lunch on the boat. Another long paddle, some more rapids and we end the day with a cold Nile Special larger and a BBQ in a local village. White water rafting was an amazing experience and a great adrenalin rush completely different to anything I have done before.

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