Welcome to travel + explore & play with Sallee Jay, where I am your host. My hope is that you feel good and that life is giving you daily reminders that you are loved, celebrated, and valued. I thank you for your continued readership and support.

If you have been keeping up with me on social media, then you know that I recently returned from my first trip to Africa. While I have a lot of memorable moments and experiences from my trip, my favorite part of the trip was rafting, kayaking and swimming in the Nile. There are various whitewater raft guides and outfitters working near the town of Jinja, Uganda that offer day trips down a 12-mile stretch of the White Nile River through eight world-class rapids with names including Overtime, Bubugo and Hair of the Dog. These Class IV and V rapids offer plenty of adrenaline for the adventure-seeking traveler. The source of the Nile flows from Lake Victoria at Jinja, Uganda, as the White Nile River before its journey to the Mediterranean Sea.

Prior to my trip, I had the following experiences along with a few others on my bucket list:

·        Visit Africa

·        Whitewater Rafting

·        Kayaking

·        Jump in a big body of water

When I was presented with the opportunity to do all four in the same excursion, I was all in! Read along, as I detail my whitewater rafting experience in the Nile River with Nile River Explorers in Jinga, Uganda

Upon arrival at the rafting base, we had the opportunity to meet with our guides, while enjoying tea/coffee with our wonderfully prepared breakfast. After breakfast and photos at the base camp, we were provided and properly fitted with safety gear for our water adventures. Our group eagerly loaded on to the bus and went to pick up additional rafters visiting Africa from Belgium.  Next, we began our rafting journey as the guides worked to get the rafts and kayaks out into the water for our adventure.

Once we were all on the raft, we were provided a short safety briefing and our day on the Nile officially began. As we worked into our rowing rhythm as a team — making deep paddle strokes, front to back, in almost perfect synchronization, the boat began to move, along with the assistance of natural water currents.

Our raft guide Josh explained the layout of our 4 hour day and then asked, “does anyone want to hop off the raft and take a swim before we meet our first set of rapids?” Naturally, I had some apprehension as I am not the strongest swimmer, I was with new friends and in unfamiliar surroundings….

As I debated the decision in my head, the next thing that I heard was a big “SPLASH” in the Nile River. Manny, the youngest member of our entourage had taken the plunge. Never one to be outdone, I leaned back and fell into the water! I REPEAT‼️‼️ -- I am not the best swimmer, that said, we had on lifejackets, I love the water and I have strong faith.  As the cool water touched my sun kissed brown skin and engulfed my entire body, I felt reborn. As I began to rise to the surface of the water, a feeling of euphoria came over me --- followed immediately by shear PANIC 😱 because I realized that I had just JUMPED in the middle of the Nile RIVER!!!!! 

It was at this point, like so many other points in my life, I surrendered. Instead of having a full on panic attack, I enjoyed every moment. I flipped on my back and closed my eyes and began to float down the river. I listened as the water filled my ears and tiny bubbles rose to the waters surface. I could hear voices off in the distance as I lifted my head out of the water and began to open my eyes to gain bearings of my surroundings. Two other rafters Amanda and Chanel had also decided to hop off the boat and experience the river. I closed my eyes relaxing more deeply, I had visions of children playing and flashes of my childhood. I also had thoughts of redemption.  My soul was filled with freedom, joy and divine feminine energy.  It was if every sin had been wiped clean and I was made whole in the river. All of my secrets, pains and sorrows—I left in the river and I was refilled with a hope and promise for humanity.  As I drifted further from the group, the clouds moved effortlessly across the sky. A magical dance of whites and various hues of blue delighted my eyes, as tears of gratitude rolled down my cheeks. I was then met with a “Hello.” One of the kayakers had come to save me. “Tim” asked me to wrap my feet around the base of his kayak as he rowed me back to the raft to continue our adventure. 

As the boat and my body gently collided against one another in a harmonious rhythm, my ears were filled with water splashing and small thudding sounds. I opened my eyes again looking up to the sky, however, this time I was met with a question from Josh, “Are you ready to get back on the raft so we can continue?” I braced myself, as Hassan a fellow rafter grabbed my life jacket and pulled me on to the raft. He used a little too much force, as my face and the bottom of the raft collided. I jumped up startled 😮 , embarrassed 🙈 and sort of pissed 😤 off and exclaimed, “Was that necessary 🖕🏾Hassan?!” He chuckled and claimed that I slipped 🙄!! I cursed him out and we paddled on…

“Are you guys ready for some rapids?” was the next question from our guide. He went on to explain that we would be going through a class three rapid. We practiced paddling, tucking ourselves in to the raft a couple of times and then we were off. As we rowed the water began to rush faster and the raft was rocking swiftly back and forth. “Paddle deeper,” Josh exclaimed! I was positioned in the back rear of the raft, I pushed my paddle in the water as far as I could, while maintaining my balance seated on the side of the raft. Water 💦 💦 was splashing everywhere!! “Get down!” yelled Josh and we all tucked ourselves in raft crashing our way through the remaining rapids!

Whew‼️‼️👏🏽😩✨🙋🏽‍♀️🤯🤯😳🙌🏾🙌🏾👐🏾… it was CRAZY!!! Ladies and gentlemen, I survived my first set of rapids!!! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Once on the other side of calmer waters, we were meet with a kayak full of fresh pineapple andshortbread cookies. It’s was the sweetest and juiciest pineapple and the perfect snack to refuel our energy for what was up ahead.

All of a sudden we could hear roaring, fast water rushing, like a thunderous waterfall. I looked ahead to see CRAZY 😵‍💫🤯😳 rapids, rushing at a amazing speeds. Everyone on the trip was barefoot except your girl Salle Jay, because:

#travelhack✨, 🧳 “Pack a pair of water shoes in your luggage, if you will be participating in water sports or going to the beach‼️ It’s better to have them and not need them, then to need them and not have them.🧳

Why is this important, I’m glad you asked?! At this point we rowed over to the bank of the river fairly close to the rapids, to disembark the raft for a small jungle hike. I had to pee and was looking for a place to hide, as there were villagers 👀, various rafters 👀 and guides all over the place. The rest of the team departed the raft and were struggling to walk over sharp rocks and red clay dirt… barefoot 🦶🦶, while following the guide to a safe point of entry for us to continue to raft. I watched as master kayakers playfully wadded through the water with finesse, while being tossed to and fro. One gentleman actually did a backwards flip, while remaining in the the kayak!!! Africans are next level, you 👏🏽hear👏🏽 me‼️🤯

I caught up with the group after struggling to pull up my wet clothes after finally finding a place to relieve myself. We walked through a narrow path as on lookers greeted us and children curiously observed our awkward, off balanced and cautious steps. Most of them were barefoot and walking around with ease. We arrived up river on the bank just opposite the very dangerous class 6 and 7 rapids, that were rushing by in the near distance. Our guide explained that for liability reasons, only experienced rafters are permitted this section of the river. We all took our positions back on the raft and once again we were off.

We played and swam some more in the river. The Nile is absolutely transformative and restorative. The guide let me sit in the far back of the raft during a smaller rapid and pilot the raft, which I thought was super cool! Up to that point, it really was the best day and I felt like I was on the top of the world.

Now came the true test! The moment that we’d all been waiting for, the reason we all came on the trip to Jinga… A class 5 rapid!!!

Water was rushing everywhere, 💦💦💦💦💦 the guide began bark out instructions, 🗣🗣🗣“PADDLE!! 🗣Keep PADDLING!!! 🗣🗣🧠PADDLE DEEPER! 🗣🗣🗣GET DOWN!!!, 🗣🗣🗣GET DOWN!!! 🗣Get Up!!! PADDLE!!! Get Down, Get Down!

It was so intense….

I watched my crew bouncing all around and then in the blink of an eye, I saw the homie flip out of the raft into the violent rapids. OH SHIT!! 😳😳😳😳😳😳😩

His body was completely submerged by the water, as his paddle sped past, headed downstream. He attempted to relax and maneuver to his back, in the midst of the rushing rapids, as the guide instructed for him to stay calm and try to float. One of the kayak guides worked tirelessly to get through the rapid to rescue my friend. He grabbed on to the kayak and was rowed back to the raft. Exhausted and a bit shooketh (naturally so), he looked at Hassan as he held on to the side of the raft and said, “get me out of here.” Hassan grabbed his life jacket and pulled him into the raft, a little less violently then when he pulled me in. I guess he figured since the homie “almost died,” he didn’t need to be slammed face first into the raft. 🙄

Once the team was all back on the raft and safe, the kayak guide that rescued me at the start of trip rowed up and asked, “do you want to try?” YES!!! I exclaimed eagerly! He hoped on the raft and I hopped into the kayak. It was so peaceful and much more difficult than I imagined in my mind. The guide told me that kayak paddling was all about energy, and apparently mine as all over the place because the was the direction that the kayak was going. Lol… Just as I finally go the swing of things, the trip was over and he dismounted the raft and headed back to the bus.

Hands down, this was the best experience of my life!!! That’s huge considering I went on Safari 🦍 and was chased by an elephant 🐘 and had the opportunity to take a two hour boat ride to a remote island to view chimpanzees feeding.

I’ll never forget my experience in the Nile! I faced so many fears in that river! I’m a better women because of the risks that I took on that river! So many manifestations happened that day! It was perfect!

One time, I took a swim in the Nile…

Until the next time, safe travels! 💋

Sallee Jay