Hitting the G-Spot

From Kenya we headed into Uganda and straight to Jinja which is the source of the Nile and one of the best places in the world to go white water rafting. The campsite at Bujagali Falls was great with the best view out over the river. So all keyed up, off we went to get wet and wild on the Nile. Day started innocently enough with instructions on how to paddle and how to swim through the rapids. The first couple of rapids were great – got though a Grade 4 and 5 no problems and then flipped on a Grade 3 called 50/50 (your chances of staying in the boat!). Then we hit a rapid called Total Ganga (madness) and we really lost the plot, flipping right at the start, paddles and people flying and hit the worst area of rapid, affectionately known as the G-Spot, at a good swim drinking a good portion of Nile with it. Was actually really scary and got picked up by one of the safety kayakers a bit further downstream. Must say that most of us were a little subdued after that!! There were quite a few long calm stretches where you almost forgot that you had to do it all again… then the distant roar of the water would fill your ears and your heart with trepidation! However we made it through all the next rapids okay, though the next one only 3 of us managed to stay on the boat which we thought was awesome, as the temptation to pike on the whole adventure was still quite high!! The last rapid you have to walk around a Grade 6 waterfall and then paddle through ‘The Bad Place’ – a lot of people voted not to get back on and walk to the waiting truck, but put on a brave face and did it – holding on very tight I can tell you!! Quite a few people got some bad bumps and bruises from rocks, rafts and paddles but all I had to show for my efforts was a broken fingernail which was almost a little disappointing!! On return to the camp discovered showers had no water hot or cold, so had a bath in Nile (checking for crocs first!) which was fantastic – felt very Africa!! Afterwards had a bbq and all you can drink nite – messy.

Next day we did a volunteer day for an organization called Soft Power Education which helps paint and develop schools throughout the district. Visited a pre-school first where we were literally overwhelmed by children running at us, holding our hands and climbing all over us. So cute - yes, this is from the person who doesn’t really like kids but there is something about the kids here, they really are just so cute you can’t help but like them. They sang us a song and we were required to sing one back – ended up an embarrassingly bad rendition of E-I-E-I-O!! Then we bundled off to the school, greeted by a wave of blue uniforms and proceeded to paint a classroom inside and out. They have no textbooks so they paint maps and textbook stuff on the walls and use that instead. Also the classes have up to 100 children in each – hard to believe. In the afternoon we had the option to go to an opening of a deaf unit at another primary school where the kids would do some entertainment – what a bad idea that was!! The most long-winded speeches whose only interesting feature was the translation of English and Swahili into sign and almost no entertainment from the kids – they got shooed off in favour of more long winded speeches… three hours later… anyway, it was an experience and the unit great idea as children with disabilities here are very often neglected and locked away, seen as useless by society.

Uganda seems a friendlier place somehow than Kenya and all the way, whether by car, foot (actually anywhere, anytime) we are always greeted with cries of mzungu, mzungu (white person) and at times a hand out but mostly friendly waves. The kids get so excited and run after the truck down the road – it is a little like being a celebrity at times. The people in both Kenya and Uganda are really beautiful, in their colourful clothes and graceful movements – quite how they manage to balance stuff (and how much) on their head I will never know. The people here also seem to have a natural dust repellent as always look so clean and well dressed, while we get grubby in about 5 seconds flat.

One of the girls on the truck, Lou had developed a blood clot from the plane so she was resting in Jinja but after several doctors visits it didn’t get any better so she had to go to Kampala and eventually get a flight home – very disappointing as seeing the gorillas was her childhood dream.