Jinja is Ninja with a “J”

We said goodbye to Kenya last week and headed into Uganda. Though there were many things we loved about Kenya, leaving behind their insane drivers was actually a relief. Thus far, Ugandans have proven to be safer drivers…either that, or fewer of them have cars.

Our first stop in Uganda was Jinja, an up-and-coming town on the banks of the Nile River. The campsite was literally on the edge of a cliff overlooking the river and the bar hung over the edge of the precipice. Unsurprisingly, the bar was popular, and it was crowded until around 2 AM the first night. We weren’t impressed with the 44 meter bungee option after having done 111 meters at Vic Falls, but the campsite also acts as a base and launch point for Adrift’s Whitewater Rafting operation. SOOOO, Pete and I signed up for a full day of heart stopping, Class 4 and 5 whitewater mayhem!

Rafting the Nile was definitely the best whitewater Pete and I have ever paddled – by far. Our Ugandan raft guide, Jeffery, had been guiding on the Nile for 10 years and looked like he belonged in the world’s strongest man competition or a black body-double for the incredible hulk. He clearly knew the river and we got the most thorough safety briefing and training either of us has ever received.

One of the first rapids had a 3 meter drop that we managed to go through backwards without bouncing anyone out. Then onto the big Class 5s - Nothing gets your adrenaline pumping like padding full force into a 15 foot standing wave that swamps your raft. We later portaged around a Class 6 (someone died there last year so the company isn’t keen on taking clients through; but our skillful kayak rescue boats blasted through the big water.) By the afternoon Jeffrey was feeling pretty comfortable with our boat and elected to flip us in one of the gentler Class 4 rapids. All and all, our day was nothing short of Epic.

We enjoyed free beers during our drive back to camp and marveled at the video footage on the highlight reel that night. The next morning we packed up and drove west towards Kampala and Entebbe.