Exhilaration
When you're drowning you don't say, "I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come help me," you just scream.
-John Lennon
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Having a visitor means you get to do the fun stuff that you wouldn’t regularly do… like going rafting on the Nile! Maylea and I went a couple weekends ago, and it was INTENSE!!! The Nile boasts grade 5 rapids (grade 5 = ahhhhhhh!), and we rafted them! Actually, it has grade 6 rapids too, but they won’t let you do those- they’re too dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing!
Basically, it goes like this: you are in a big inflatable raft with 6 other people and a very skilled and hilarious guide. You enter the river at a flat spot, where the guide teaches you all of the commands, i.e. Forward hard! Back paddle! Grab the rope! Get down! etc., and then you’re off!
As you are coming up to rapids, the guide explains what grade the rapid is, what his commands are most likely going to be, and how likely you are to flip. (Flipping is likely!) And then, you go for it! As you approach the rapids, you are sitting on the edge of the raft and paddling, but when you’re about to hit them, the guide yells, GET DOWN!!! at which point you grab onto the side rope and squat down in the raft.
We actually only flipped twice the whole day, which I think is less than normal… but oh man! When you flip… well, you try to hang on, but it’s darn near impossible. I did manage to hang on one out of the two times, but I think only one other person was left hanging on with me.
When you flip, the guide is amazing- while you are busy drowning, he somehow climbs onto the flipped-over boat, counts heads, and signals the rescue kayakers. Yes, the rescue kayakers… the equally amazing people who come and fish you out of the rapids. Meanwhile, you are underwater for what seems like ages, being pummeled while choking and heaving and swallowing the Nile and not knowing which way is up. Luckily, you are equipped with a helmet and a heavy duty life jacket- if you didn’t have the latter, there’s absolutely no question that you would drown. I can’t even describe how huge the rapids are. After you make it over and back into the raft, you look back and think, did we really go over and through that and survive?!!! It seems impossible.
You can’t take a camera out on the water, but this is us at the end of the day- unfortunately I don’t think you can tell how soaked we are!
Basically, it goes like this: you are in a big inflatable raft with 6 other people and a very skilled and hilarious guide. You enter the river at a flat spot, where the guide teaches you all of the commands, i.e. Forward hard! Back paddle! Grab the rope! Get down! etc., and then you’re off!
As you are coming up to rapids, the guide explains what grade the rapid is, what his commands are most likely going to be, and how likely you are to flip. (Flipping is likely!) And then, you go for it! As you approach the rapids, you are sitting on the edge of the raft and paddling, but when you’re about to hit them, the guide yells, GET DOWN!!! at which point you grab onto the side rope and squat down in the raft.
We actually only flipped twice the whole day, which I think is less than normal… but oh man! When you flip… well, you try to hang on, but it’s darn near impossible. I did manage to hang on one out of the two times, but I think only one other person was left hanging on with me.
When you flip, the guide is amazing- while you are busy drowning, he somehow climbs onto the flipped-over boat, counts heads, and signals the rescue kayakers. Yes, the rescue kayakers… the equally amazing people who come and fish you out of the rapids. Meanwhile, you are underwater for what seems like ages, being pummeled while choking and heaving and swallowing the Nile and not knowing which way is up. Luckily, you are equipped with a helmet and a heavy duty life jacket- if you didn’t have the latter, there’s absolutely no question that you would drown. I can’t even describe how huge the rapids are. After you make it over and back into the raft, you look back and think, did we really go over and through that and survive?!!! It seems impossible.
You can’t take a camera out on the water, but this is us at the end of the day- unfortunately I don’t think you can tell how soaked we are!
Maylea still in her gear, me drinking a Nile Special at the Nile! :)So, that was my first time ever rafting… I had SO much fun that I really don’t think any future rafting trips can compare. Well, except when I raft the Nile again with Lauralew, and then again with Min… they’re in for it! :)
posted by Jess @ 11:43 AM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Okay Jess!! Way to make us all jealous and terrified all at the same time. You, my dear, are fearless! Helloo, it is rainy season. Does that mean the Nile rapids are at their peak? You and LauraLew better come back in one unwaterlogged piece!
Go for it ladies, not often one gets to raft the Nile in flood stage!
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