Day 2- Wave Surfing, Eh?!
Haley and I woke up with the sun this morning, she doesn’t sleep and with the time difference it was like midnight for me, seemed like a good time to get out of the mosquito net of safety and begin another adventure.
We had some coffee with Emily Ward of Kayak The Nile, ate 2 mangoes, and talked about what the Nile is like these days. The driver came to pick us up to get money at the bank, which took forever…. African time is a totally different idea than Costa Rica time. We had to stop in town for more coffee and a chapati, Google it, seriously amazing. Amazing. After a while of faffing we were off to the Hairy Lemon, down a bumpy dirt road that goes through those African villages that everyone sees on TV. Kids yell at the car the second they see white people, particularly 2 females, men whistle and wave. We make it to the river where we load my stuff in a boat and cross the river to the island. My home for 4 weeks, an island in the middle of the White Nile, The Hairy Lemon. This is my dream.
Haley and I get on the island and we hang some tarps over the tent for more shade. The sun is a different animal over here, I seriously think it is hotter! I catch up with some friends whom haven't seen in a while and then we get on the water.
I was apprehensive at first, Nile Special is a huge wave, from the bottom to the top it is about 10+ feet tall. Big water has never been my forté but I sure do LOVE surfing big waves, that is the truth. My 3rd ride on the wave and I hit the biggest pan-am I have ever done in my life. I even stayed on the wave. Someone watching said that was the biggest move he has ever seen a girl do on this wave. After that ride, I knew I was supposed to be here. I may be away from my family, most of my friends, and my amazing boyfriend but something told me to come here and I am going to get this job done. I don’t know what that job is yet, but I’m going to get this done!
