Adventures on the Nile!

So today is my last day in Africa (for this summer).  After a glorious 11-hour sleep, I woke to a delicious breakfast: coffee, toast, fruit, beans, eggs, and bangers (sausage).  YUM!

I began my day of adventure by bungee jumping.  I cannot believe I did it but it was awesome!  I was the first to go and so the guy in charge told me that I had to stay calm and make this a good jump because I was setting the tone for everyone else (no pressure).  Immediately after jumping I though  - "Crap!...no, no, no...I take it back" - but then it was over and I swinging over the Nile River!  It was incredible - what a rush...I was ready for the next part of the day.

After bungee jumping we went rafting on grade 5 rapids (that's the strongest, most dangerous level...I think you need several years of training to even be allowed to go on these in the US...oh Africa and your lack of rules)  We spent the first 45 minutes getting trained on how to get ourselves back in the boat, how to help others get into the boat, how to evacuate the boat when it flips, how to flip the boat right side up.  Once we went through all this instruction the adventure began.  We started by going over a grade 5 rapid!  It was crazy.  There was water everywhere! It filled the boat but we all stayed low and there was no flipping.   Down the river farther was a grade 3 rapid with a lot of "flippers".  Our guide said that it made for great pictures to flip the boat on this rapid - so we did.  The boat flipped on me, I felt like I was getting spun in a washing machine but the I saw the light and swam towards.  Nuts!  Unfortunately my friend Catherine dislocated her arm during this rapid.  She was able to pop it back into place when we got her to shore but it will be sore for a few days.  Thankfully it was her fourth time doing this so she was not too disappointed to have to end her day short. 

We continued our trip up the river - hit a few more rapids - on the last grade 5 we had a 60% chance of flipping but managed to all stay in the raft.  We were the first raft to go so it was fun to get through it and then watch as others attempting to pass got tossed from their rafts.  Our guide Tutu was to thank for our successful day.  He grew up on the river and commutes to work by kayak!  During the calm parts of the Nile we were able to jump out of the boat and float down the Nile.  We also practiced flipping off the boat - so much fun!

I was exhausted by the end of the day - especially because we had a 2-hour drive to Kampala for our last night.  I cannot believe that this adventure has come to an end!  

I currently don't have pictures of this but am hoping that someone on the trip got come pics and will post them then.