Bost Trippin' Up the Nile

I have promised several people that I would do my next blog post on what my normal day is like. What do I do, what is work like, what is the food like, how are the evenings, etc. But thats hugely boring compared to the boat trip up the Nile that I took last week. So 'A Day in the Life Of' is going to have to wait. Let's instead imagine ourselves traveling by boat up the Nile River.

As above the picture indicates, I went with a group of people (friends & coworkers...coworkers=friends here as I still don't really know anybody else) and chartered a boat to take us up the Nile. Our trip was to last about 5 hours, and we were supposed to head towards some pretty waterfall up river. We were able (thank god) to pack our boat full of food and alcohol as well as fun loving people.

The waterfall never really materialized (it ended up being some rapids that wouldn't have even been much fun in a raft), but the scenery was well worth the trip. Sudan used to be home to hundreds of species of land animals as well as bird life. Only 60 years ago one could find elephants, lions, African buffalo, hyenas, and all sorts of other big game...but hunting, poaching, and 40 years of civil war have eliminated almost all wildlife. We did see lots of colorful and interesting looking birds though (not pictured), and were hoping to see crocodiles. The Nile is apparently stuffed full of crocs, but we didn't get to see any.

Not seeing crocs was probably a good thing though...as I and others went swimming and floating when the day got too hot (and the lack of onboard bathroom facilities proved to be too much). When we got to a point that was walking distance from the 'waterfall' we pulled to shore for a brief hike along the riverside. It was a good break and a good chance to see some different scenery.

There were seveal times throughout the day when I had to pinch myself. I couldn't believe that I was boating up and swimming in the Nile...one of the biggest, most important rivers in the world. I truly felt like I was in Africa. The day was beautiful, the water was beautiful, the people were beautiful. Everything was perfect.