Uganda

I just got back this morning from Jinja, Uganda, after spending 13 hours on a bus and all day in class and downtown, I'm exhausted - but it was so so soooooooo worth it! The trip to Uganda was def. one of the best experiences of my life - something I will never forget.

We left on Friday night, arrived on Saturday morning and were picked up by a pick up truck. All 11 of us jumped in the back and we were on our way to backpackers - the hostel that operates the white water rafting.

The country side was beautiful, so lush, green, kids everywhere, very rural, mud huts, goats and cows alongside the road. It was really nice to get out of the dirty city that is Nairobi.

We were taken right from our bus stop to the hostel where a huge breakfast was waiting for us...this was so nice after the crazy bus ride. You should know that when I say bus ride, it is nothing like the U.S. because the road system here is almost non existent in parts. So imagine going a million miles an hour down a washed out dirt path...whew.

After our big breakfast we got suited up in helmets and life jackets and hopped on a bus. Then we were off to the Nile River which runs all the way up to Egypt. Down at the riverside were the most beautiful children running around - some naked. They were helping put in the rafts and seemed to be close with the raft guides. They were too shy to swarm us and instead just stared and smiled.

Okay, the actual rafting part: CRAZZZZZZZZZZZY! Looking back, I cannot believe I put my body in a rubber raft and bounced down rapids and waterfalls and holes and gorges and rocks...it was so amazing. The river is rated level 5 which is the highest level anyone can go down commercially. The only higher level is 6. Luckily we had the sweetest guides and natives with us who knew the water like the back of their hands. The guides went beside us in kayaks and made sure to assist if any of us fell out or dropped a paddle or needed anything at all. All of these things happened. We had extensive training which consisted of our guide pushing us off the raft and showing us how to climb back in, as well as making us swim through a little rapid to feel comfortable.

When we were done rafting for the day, after snacking on fresh pineapple, getting some sun, being in the most beautiful place in the world with the most interesting people, and barreling down crazy rapids, we stopped on shore at a campsite with gazebos and a bar.

The guides set up a massive bbq with the best food ever. We set up tents and were given sleeping bags and mats. We also ending up being in a group with a bunch of British students who were also really nice. We drank and laughed and went to bed super early, ready for day 2.

We woke up to another great meal, and we got on the river. We stopped and went body surfing near a fun little rapid, it was really hard but I jumped right in and tried a few times. The waves were huge.

After rafting all day, we got back to another camp with a beautiful lookout, there we met tons of other rafters and had another big bbq. We went downtown and bought some cool souveniers.

FUNNY STORY: We needed to get back to our camp from downtown so decided to take some bodaboda's ..bodaboda's are motorcycles that can fit 2-3 passengers. Transportation in Africa is a whole other thing. Well, it was muddy out and starting to drizzle so my friend Kristen and I hopped on a bodaboda and headed out. He was going pretty fast, and before we knew it he had jumped a curb and we were on the ground. Luckily we were not hurt so all we could do was lay in the mud and laugh with this old man who didn't speak a word of English. He was laughing to. We got back on he sure sped away. We told him we shouldn't have to pay since he tipped us over, but we were so muddy, laughing so hard, we gave him some money for the story anyway.

We were tired that night and found a bed next to some more British people and talked together as we fell asleep. I woke up laughing, thinking about how scared we were going over the rapids that day, how big they were, our bodaboda ride.

It was fun to accomplish such big things as a team and it was really a great experience. The guides arranged for a bus to bring us to the bus station and we were off.

We got back today and went downtown and bought some stuff in Nairobi. It was really fun to bargain and as a white person you really get some funny comments. Overall people could not be nicer.

I'm off already on Thursday morning to Kisumu and will miss my family here. BUt i'm so excited!

TIll later,
love, Chelsey