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Kayaking Mexico

June 25, 2012 By Jillian

Kayaking Mexico may not be the first way you think of exploring the country, but perhaps it should be. Mexico’s coastlines and jungle regions are criss-crossed with hundreds of rivers, streams and waterways just begging for you to get out and explore. Exploring by kayak or small boat will not only give you a new perspective on the land, but will also give you access to places most tourists won’t see.

We kayaked the Rio Micos in Mexico’s Huasteca region outside of San Luis Potosi with some friends who had never kayaked before. A series of small waterfalls, with deep pools beneath them, we felt like National Geographic explorers floating down the river. With the beautiful turquoise water and tropical birds, I felt a bit like telling Danny, “We’re not in Kansas anymore”. We “explored” until we came upon the local popular swimming hole at the end of the run. Suddenly we felt more like locals as we relaxed among local families and splashed around with the kids.

IF YOU WANT TO KAYAK MEXICO:

Fortunately Mexico is accessible, even if you only have a few days. Kayaking in Mexico is becoming a popular excursion from all inclusive resorts, cruises and budget hotels alike. Check out the equipment before you go, and don’t forget a waterproof case for your camera. Whitewater kayaking is limited at present in Mexico, but it is growing! Sea kayaking marine mammal safari’s from Mexico’s Baja Peninsula (Cabo San Lucas or La Paz) or Yucatan Peninsula (Cancun or Tulum) are also popular and worthwhile if you’re looking for something a little less heart pounding than whitewater kayaking. Mexico is a breathtaking country, so be sure to go inland if you have the opportunity and explore the ruins, jungles and diverse cultures of Mexico.

Source of the Nile

May 23, 2012 By Jillian

The Source of the Nile, the famed river of Egypt, is actually deep in Uganda. Well. technically the source of the White Nile is in Uganda. The Blue Nile starts in Ethiopia. Yes, there are two Nile rivers, which combine in the Sudanese Capital Khartoum to create the Nile river we think of today.

The source of the White Nile is a small tourist destination in Jinja, Uganda. At it’s beginning, the White Nile has a series of big water rapids, so Jinja has become somewhat of an adventure sports mecca for Uganda, that’s how we got there in the first place. We body boarded the huge waves of the Nile, an experience now significantly reduced by a hydroelectric dam. The upper part of the river, including Bujugali Falls is now closed. Class V water is still available downstream, but the closure of the falls means no more “carnage” viewing from the riverfront- a popular activity for locals and tourists alike.

IF YOU GO: The source of the Nile is a nice walk from Jinja’s city center. Matatus go from downtown, but it’s better to walk and reward yourself with an iced cold local brew when you arrive. Jinja is a very walkable and friendly city with a lot of outdoor activities- something not as common as you would think throughout Africa. There’s a decent expat population of whitewater kayakers and raft guides, so expect some Western comforts as well! There are a lot of rafting companies in town, we went with Nalubale Rafting- the only group at the time to over body boarding.

Photo: Bujagali Falls

August 23, 2011 By Jillian

Bujagali Falls isn’t a traditional waterfall. It’s more like a series of Class V rapids than the traditional drop you think of when you imagine a waterfall. That being said, it’s not a place to kid around. Adrenaline junkies like us have made the source of the Nile, near Jinja, Uganda a mecca for African whitewater paddling and adrenaline seeking nut jobs.

That’s not that the locals don’t have their fun. If paddling isn’t your thing, you can take a van to the falls and pay a local to swim the rapids. Besides being incredibly dangerous, it’s not the easiest way to earn some money, but I have to hand it to them for their bravery. We chose not to boogie board the falls. No surprise there…

We went to Jinja specifically for the whitewater. Not that there weren’t plenty of other reasons to go, but we really wanted to kayak the source of the Nile. Needless to say when we arrived, we heard about a new company offering river boarding, and well, an idea was formed. Riverboarding was incredible, although I’m still a bit shocked that all three of us made it down in one piece. Unfortunately there are plans to build a dam at Bujagali Falls, which will flood everything downstream from this scenic spot.

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.

IF YOU GO: Jinja isn’t too far from Kampala, the capital of Uganda, you can easily take a bus or van in a few hours. We found Jinja to be more developed than we expected, but then again our expectations weren’t too high. There’s a large expat community developing in Jinja, so you’ll find your share of margaritas and western food. Bring cash, we had difficulty accessing an ATM, even Barclay’s which worked throughout the rest of the country. Don’t worry, none of the commercial rafting companies allow tourists to raft the falls!

Good Activity, Bad Activity & Ugly Activity

March 11, 2011 By Danny

We travel to open ourselves to new experiences. Some of those involve meeting foreigners and others involve seeing sights and learning about cultre. Some of the most memorable travel experiences for us are those ‘once in a lifetime’ activities that often define a place. At times these are exceptional while other times…not so much. No matter what though, they all make for fond memories and good travel stories.

The Good – Our runner up for ‘Good Day’ in our first Good-Bad-Ugly post, this was whitewater riverboarding in Uganda. The headwaters of the White Nile are unsurprisingly white and filled with rafting companies oozing with tourists looking to head down river. As kayakers we don’t enjoy rafting quite as much as we used to and with our cousin with us kayaking wasn’t really an option. Instead we jumped into a raft with boogie boards and although we had to sit out a couple of the rockier rapids we mostly swam through the Nile’s class 5 rapids in what was an incredibly fun day. Best part about not being in a kayak was that we didn’t have to lift a finger to paddle through the long flatwater stretches between sections of whitewater. Runner Up: That would be the winner of our ‘Good Day’ in our first Good-Bad-Ugly ugly post…Mountain Biking Bolivia’s Death Road.

The Bad – We didn’t even know the ‘W’ trail existed before we were halfway down South America. We were planning to head all the way south so why not hike the ‘W’ as well. When we arrived to town we searched for lodging and in that time out in the cold, I caught cold. In the end our trip to the ‘W’ was cut short because I was ill and this was upsetting because we had otherwise perfect weather for the trip. I think the moral of this story is that when heading to a place with rather extreme weather is is best to pickup the extra clothing and gear before arrival so that you’re prepared when you put your feet on the ground.

The Ugly – Another kayaking story, this one on the Rio Jatunkayo in Ecuador. Prior to this river trip I usually only needed to roll (that’s what you do to get back up when you tip over) once or twice each time I ran a river and had only swam/ejected (that’s what you do when you can’t roll) once or twice ever. On this day, I went for at least seven swims but I’m not sure of that because I lost count. To add insult to injury the owner of the hostel we were staying at had paid for my boat and transportation as the ‘safety boater’ for the rafters he’d sent out that day. I wasn’t a very good safety boater at all…. I did go out a second day in a different boat and didn’t have a single problem…so I blame it on having had a crappy boat that first day.

This column of ishouldlogoff.com aims to answer those questions that we always get asked. What was your favorite this, or your worst that. Every week we aim to highlight a new topic and will do so until we run out of ideas. If you have an idea for a Good-Bad-Ugly post, feel free to tell us in the comment section below or send us an email. To read all of them, click here.

Kayaking Mexico

IF YOU WANT TO KAYAK MEXICO:

Source of the Nile

Photo: Bujagali Falls

Good Activity, Bad Activity & Ugly Activity

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