We are travelling to above all, learn new things; in new places. What a better thing to do, than learn how to white water kayak. On the mighty Nile to boot! We were not going to go rafting down the Nile, so lets learn to kayak instead!

"Are you comfortable? Does it feel right?" Are all good questions. But not to a novice buoyed with ignorant enthusiasm. But I didn't have the foggiest notion about what is comfortable in a whitewater kayak. Nor did I have the faintest idea if it felt right?

Looking over at Ing, she was just asked the same thing. I just shrugged my shoulders at her and hoped for the best. Did you know that the white water kayak is inherently stable and that it is your hips that are used to do most of the controlling of the unwielding beast? I didn't either! Not until it happened to come out in conversation with the instructor, I didn't. I was the last to get into the water. Into my splashdeck and get into my comfortable, right fitting boat. The splashdeck is a neoprene garment that sits around your waist and when you are in the kayak, you slip over the edge of the kayak's cockpit. The splashdeck is there to keep the water out of the kayak as you go hurtling down the rapids and for when you turn turtle. It is designed to be tight and hence, it keeps you in the kayak. Even when you are upside down! But, it does come with a handy ejection handle though.

Anyway, I am all snug in my boat and rocking myself, and wiggling the boat on the step to plop into the water and start the lesson. In our class there were people far more nervous than I was who had got in without any problems. I was so looking forward to learning some new skills! Wiggle wiggle and plop into the water I go. But for some reason, I turn turtle. Once you are in your kayak, you are in. Unless you know how to get out, that is how you stay! Bear in mind, we have yet to cover an ejection techniques yet and I was in serious need of some information that might help me remedy this situation! If you hold your breath now, you can comfortably do so for about 30 seconds. A minute at a push. Try it now and see how easy. Now try doing the same thing underwater with the perspective having changed. Now minute up is up and the next minute, there is no air, the water is moving, there is no light and up is suddenly down and you are blowing air out your nose to prevent yourself from drowning! Let me tell you, down there, stuck in a kayak ten seconds is a long long time! And very frightening! What could I do but snatch a gulp of air and …… and…….nobody seemed like they might actually rescue me.

Somehow I had presence of mind not to panic, a lot, and use the ejection handle. Cool air never tasted sweeter. From the looks on the other faces in their kayaks, I think they all shat themselves! What a way to start the day! Not a very good start, to say the least!

I know little about white water kayaking, except that you paddled like the blazes and that you needed some good techniques and skill to really enjoy it. This part of the Nile is famous for its rapids and standing waves, so it attracts kayaks from around the world. Sharing a beer with these guys after time on the water, they got all misty eyed when they talked about how much fun it was! That was plain to see. But I never felt that at this school. There are times when knowing too much is a burden. This was one of them. Being an instructor requires patience, empathy, understanding and knowledge. To ensure that your students get the best out of a session, they need to feel safe and confident in what you have taught them, and how they have applied it. They also need to trust your ability to exercise good judgement.

As the morning and afternoon wore on, and more and more techniques were introduced, I never felt confident in those around to rescue me. We could barely keep our kayaks going where we wanted them to go. And now we should be rescuing each other? In fast moving white water? Are you insane? And there in lies the rub. I never felt safe on the water with my classmates. We were all trying our level best to look after ourselves. Never mind the person that has just turned turtle! Knowing that there was an element of safety that was ignored or not recognized, led to frustration on my part. I didn't like the fact that the instructors rolled their eyes when seeming simple techniques were cocked up again and again. Plus, that the bloody kayak was stubbornly not doing what to do what I needed/wanted it to do!

So, after 8 hours in the waters and rapids of the Nile, I can say that I spent half the day scared witless by my incompetency, and the others around me; and the other half day frustrated because it did not have to be like this. Happily though, I have an awesome suntan on my arms. On both arms, I have two dead straight lines from my rash vest. Suncream didn't work at all! And we (Ing , myself and our kayaks) managed to swim through a Grade 2 rapid and all the others that followed!