The exclamation point

In any good story, there has to be a plot. You can't put the most amazing bit of the story at the very beginning, or readers will lose interest. So we decided to do something crazy to wrap up our last full week in East Africa.

The Nile River is the longest river in the world. It starts in Uganda at Jinja, and winds its way through southern Sudan and Egypt before entering the Mediterranean Sea. And when it starts at Jinja, it starts with a roar. The white water here includes some of the best rapids in the world for rafting and kayaking.

Our initial plan was to just do rafting. So, on Monday, after coming from Kampala (our stopover point on the way from Lake Bunyoni), we started on a 31-km trip down the Nile on a 16-foot raft with 6 new friends and an experienced guide. The rapids were terrifyingly powerful, and our raft flipped at the top of a rapid called Silverback. This rapid is essentially the largest Class Five rapid on the river. Class Five rapids are the most dangerous rapids that can "safely" be attempted in a raft or kayak. Thus, the minute I spent under the boat was a fairly long one, the sensation being much like spending time in a large washing machine.

We were hooked. By the end of the day, we were tired but exhilarated.

So the next morning, we decided to do a 145-foot bungee jump into the river, and then we set out for the local kayak school (http://www.kayakthenile.com/).

For the next two days, we learned the techniques of kayaking-- paddling, balancing, righting ourselves when flipped, the last being a monstrously difficult task for a beginner. Kyle had a leg up on Rimas and me since he at one time was an avid kayaker in Canada. We went down some fairly challenging Class Two rapids, and more than once had to get out of the kayak and swim upstream. Thank goodness for our teacher Ibra, a phenomenal kayaker and a member of the Ugandan National Kayaking Team. He pulled us out of the water upstream of some big rapids more than once.

By the third morning of kayaking, I was beat. My body could not physically take any more, so I decided to take the afternoon and the next morning off. Which brings us to today, my morning off before heading down to Super Hole, a Class Three wave typically used for surfing. Surfing in a kayak is nearly identical to surfing on a board, except for the fact that the wave stays in the same spot. This allows one to do tricks, but so far the best trick I can manage is trying not to flip.

On Sunday, we will head back to Kampala, and from there take a bus to Nairobi. We fly out of Nairobi on Thursday. I will miss East Africa terribly, but can't wait to see all of you again when I get back.