Base Camp Adrift, Jinja/ Day 1 rafting

 

We arrived in Entebbe International Airport, Uganda, at 7:30pm, just as the sun was setting over Lake Victoria and the Ssese Islands. The eleven of us were picked up by the rafting company, Adrift, and arrived at rafting headquarters sometime after 11pm. We settled into the dorms and greeted our rafting guides, Camo and Jeffry in the bar. Camo, a New Zealander who’s been guiding rafting at Adrift for 8 years, sat us down and explained how tomorrow would work. Pretty soon, it became clear that he’d been in the gin since the afternoon–nevertheless, he explained that we could choose (in addition to the “Wild or Mild” type of rafting experience) whether we wanted to ride in the extreme rafts. Was that really a question?

The extreme rafts were smaller, zippier, and as I learned, more prone to flipping over just at the apex of a massive rapid, sending its riders flying through the air. These massive flips make for some spectacular photographs, not to mention bruised bodies. Needless to say, I didn’t know this when we all screamed “EXTREME!”

 

Day one started by kitting up with helmet, life jacket, and paddle, and signing the indemnity form. There were 3 other large rafts joining us for the first leg of the trip, 35 kilometers of rapids and long pools, where we would sit back while the current carried us downstream. As I climbed into my vessel for the next three days, I noticed that the extreme rafts are quite a bit smaller than the larger ones. I felt very small once I was in and saw the gigantic Nile stretched ahead of me.

 

Our group was split into two extreme rafts. My boat was guided by Jeffry, a Ugandan internationally-competitive slalom kayaker, and an extremely friendly and fun dude to have on board. We went over the first mini-rapid, just beyond the launch site, and immediately flipped. Jeffry reasoned that we may as well learn how to flip and recover while in still water; so out we went. The rapid was only grade 2, so the learning experience wasn’t stressful at all.

Mini rapid, just outside launch site, where we first flipped

We shortly came upon the first rapid, Donald Duck. Excited and full of adrenaline, we charged full force, yelling war cries as we attacked. Crashing between wave after massive wave, heeding Jeffry’s cries of “FORWARD!” (paddle forward) or “GET DOWN!” (crouch and hang on for dear life), we were already experts and emerged drenched, smiling, and unscathed. The other boat, guided by a very hungover Camo, flipped. We laughed at them as oars splayed and bodies flew through the air. We shouldn’t have laughed and teased: what goes around really does come around.

Out of the next 9 rapids, we stayed upright only on one other; a grade 5 waterfall. On this waterfall, the other less extreme, larger rafts all tipped, but somehow the smaller ones stayed upright.

Although some people really liked flipping the raft, I have a much stronger preference for conquering it and riding it through to the end. When that happens, you get to watch as you ride full speed, head first into a massive wall of water and hold on for dear life as the laws of physics take over and the floating object miraculously stays afloat. When you flip, nothing is certain–you could get caught in a whirlpool, you could get separated from the raft, you could find yourself smashing into other people and into flying paddles. I smashed my head into knees and bodies and was very thankful for the snug-fitting helmet, which saved me in each instance. I flew through the air with no ease at all, became separated from the raft, and needed rescue by the safety kayaks. I swallowed about 5 gallons of the Nile and all of us felt thoroughly internally rinsed. The water going up my nose probably even cleansed my brain.

 

When we weren’t getting tossed by the rapids we had long stretches of the river where the current was minimal, and we could just lie back and watch the world float by. We passed mile after mile of waterside crops, fish eagles and cormorants diving for food, lush green forest, you name it. We frequently encountered villagers–a handful of adults but mostly dozens of young children–bathing, playing, and washing clothing along the banks. When this happened we’d all shout “Jambo!” (Hello in Swahili, one of the languages here) and wave. “Jambo!” The children would shout back, waving and smiling. Then began the same exchange that would happen throughout the entire trip all the way down the river: the children would shout, in chorus, “I’m fine, how are you!” To which our response was “I’m fine, how are you?” The response was always the same. Sometimes we’d start the chant, but it always ended when we drifted out of earshot.

 

At one point as we were floating along one of the still pools, one of our boat mates turned to a nearby safety kayaker and observed, “Your office is way better than mine.” These guys do this for a living–riding rapids, kayaking along peacefully, the only care being to make sure we were all taken care of. In all the day was exhilarating and a great bonding experience for all of us. I finished the day battered and bruised from all the flipping, along with a nice whiplash, but it wasn’t anything a hot shower, Nile Special beer (in the shower) and a good meal couldn’t solve. We stayed at one of Adrift’s bungalows along the river, and the safety crew cooked up an absolute feast. We later sat around a bonfire passing around glasses of jungle juice–Waragi (Ugandan gin) mixed with fresh fruit juice. After the meal, a dose of codeine to help with the whiplash, two beers, two puffs of some African grass, and some time fireside, I was all set for a good sleep, ready to do it all again the next day.

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