Six weeks in Uganda paddling on the White Nile, world class river running and playboating, every kayakers paradise. The locals say it won’t be long until the Dam at Bujagali will be finished and the silver back section will slowly disappear. Total Gunga and the Ugly Sisters rapid has already vanished and the blasting on the new dam has set boundaries to when you can and can’t paddle the section. But life up at Bujagali is still booming with the new De Nile café based at All Terrain Adventures, the Chapati man is now making his own t-shirts and the boda drivers seemed to have doubled since the last time I was there.
The new Ugandan kayak school was opened not long ago, which will give the locals the opportunity to make the best of the awesome river they live next to. Thanks to Carl Moser and friends you should be seeing some great new local talent coming through.
The river level seemed very consistent for the majority of my stay, with the level high early morning then dropping of but rising again in the afternoon. Nile Special has been at paddle on levels every afternoon and a sweet green tow on level in the morning, it never quite go to Malalu levels although in the middle of the night it could have been very possible.
Christmas and New Year was a treat, with pig and chicken roasts, and champagne in the natural Jacuzzi on the Lemon, then up to NRE for a New Year party which had about 5 different count downs because know one knew the real time.
So I’m sitting in my living room back in England with my boat and paddles still in Brussels, hopefully it should arrive tomorrow and then I can brave the cold and don the long sleeve top again.
JB
28 January 2008
08 January 2008
Blog 3 Welcome 2008
It’s been an action packed start to the New Year here in Uganda. We’ve been here for about three weeks now and I’m now half way through my trip. We spent Christmas Day at the Hairy Lemon, enjoying a pig roast feast and paddle on Special levels. Still on the Lemon the others had an epic on the day two section while I was on a mission to pick up my sister, from the airport. Pas, while showing Emily the line for Kallagala Falls, had his paddle knocked from his hand, despite his best hand roll efforts ended up swimming but impressively self rescued himself and all his gear. Em wasn’t too put off by this and still went on to run the drop for the first time, however the drama didn’t end here. At the top of the next rapid, Vengeance, Em’s paddle fell apart, it didn’t break just came apart in the middle. She made it half way down with the two parts but hit a wave half way down, preoccupied by the camera in her boat she dropped the paddle and swam, with the camera held high over her head. Luckily Alex was using a split paddle so him and Pas continued down the rest of river C1 style. Needless to say, funnels were in order at the bar later that night.
A few days were spent enjoying the awesome levels at Nile Special, before heading back up to NRE and the day one section for New Year’s Eve. We had our friend Alli with us, who we took for one last trip down the river before she had to fly home. Check out the shot of her flying over Silver Back.
New Year’s Eve we spent partying at NRE. A highlight of the night had to be Swedish boater, Anton’s father crowd surfing across the bar. Of course it all got a bit messy, no one really knew when 12 o clock came, there must have been about 4 count downs, but a good time was had by all.
Unfortunately from neighboring Kenya, we were hearing reports of political unrest. Although the news stories were sketchy, we quickly found out that the roads into Uganda were blocked. With petrol running low, fuel prices soared. With the cost of shuttles tripled myself and Pas decided to take matters into our own hands and hired our own bodas for the day. Initially, we’d planned to do our own shuttle but realised it’s actually quite tricky to drive with another person on the back let alone with a boat as well. Emily came up with the idea of the first International Boda Boda Challenge competing for the Jigger Jigger Cup. This involved teams of two driving around a set course on the camp ground at Eden Rock. Various items had to pick up along the route and water contained within a bottle in the basket on the front, items not collected and water lost meant time penalties; the fastest lap won. Despite us having the bodas to practice on all day, the Kiwi team of Sophie and Brendan were victorious.
We’re now back down at the Hairy Lemon after paddling the whole 45kms journey here from NRE. The levels have dropped now but Special is still good in the afternoons.
JB
A few days were spent enjoying the awesome levels at Nile Special, before heading back up to NRE and the day one section for New Year’s Eve. We had our friend Alli with us, who we took for one last trip down the river before she had to fly home. Check out the shot of her flying over Silver Back.
New Year’s Eve we spent partying at NRE. A highlight of the night had to be Swedish boater, Anton’s father crowd surfing across the bar. Of course it all got a bit messy, no one really knew when 12 o clock came, there must have been about 4 count downs, but a good time was had by all.
Unfortunately from neighboring Kenya, we were hearing reports of political unrest. Although the news stories were sketchy, we quickly found out that the roads into Uganda were blocked. With petrol running low, fuel prices soared. With the cost of shuttles tripled myself and Pas decided to take matters into our own hands and hired our own bodas for the day. Initially, we’d planned to do our own shuttle but realised it’s actually quite tricky to drive with another person on the back let alone with a boat as well. Emily came up with the idea of the first International Boda Boda Challenge competing for the Jigger Jigger Cup. This involved teams of two driving around a set course on the camp ground at Eden Rock. Various items had to pick up along the route and water contained within a bottle in the basket on the front, items not collected and water lost meant time penalties; the fastest lap won. Despite us having the bodas to practice on all day, the Kiwi team of Sophie and Brendan were victorious.
We’re now back down at the Hairy Lemon after paddling the whole 45kms journey here from NRE. The levels have dropped now but Special is still good in the afternoons.
JB
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