THE SOURCE OF THE NILE WHERE THRILL SEEKERS GATHER

It was the cascade rapids and powerful water falls of the Nile which led by John Hannington speke to Jinja in the mid -19th century .The colonial explorer was the first European to be drawn to the area by the white waters , spewed from Lake Victoria with enough force to drive them on to Cairo and beyond .He was certainly not the last. A century and a half later Jinja is still Uganda’s tourism capital, attracting more visitors for doing Uganda safaris for white water rafting. Thrill – seekers from all comes of the world come to the source of the Nile to experience what is ,some say ,the best white water rafting on offer any where. For some reason I decide to join them doing whiter water rafting ,although as we set out in the sweltering mid-morning sun from just above Bujagali Falls. The river is relatively flat and most of our outing is spent paddling casually a cross the calm water, chewing on pineapple, chatting idly as we watch the green riverbank drift into the past. Every half hour serenity is shattered. Its hard to describe the sensation of those brief few seconds you spend cascading down the gauntlet of white water. There is the exhilaration in the split second when the boats teeters over the edge of the gushing torrents below. Then ,the grim determination to keep paddling in spite of the waves crashing in your face and the bumps throwing you from your seat ,to fight on for the greater good like to a soldier in a battle . Next comes the belated realization that it’s every man for him self, the desperation to save yourself ,to hang on at costs .And finally ,the blindness, the breathless and the simultaneous sense of triumph and failure when your head re-emerges from the water and you realize your raft is 50 meters away and your paddle carried off to South Sudan. There are 12 rapids on this part of the Nile three of which are grade five – the most intense stretches of water that can be “safely” descended in a raft.” safety” in this context, is relative concept. White water rafting is an inherently dangerous pursuit for many , there in lies the attraction ,But the rafting companies on the Nile have a strong safety record .The river is deep, mitigating the risk of being caught in jagged rocks .Lifejackets make it difficult to drown, and a fleet of skilled canoeists accompanies the armada, swiftly picking up anybody who falls from their boat. We finish six hours after we set out and, after confirming that we are all still alive, take the bus back to Kampala/Entebbe. Uganda tours are really splending to every one that come to Uganda.