I had waited long enough for my turn, counting every breath, stretching my patience to the very edge and hoping this image in my head – water biking as I watched the sunset – wouldn’t fall prey to the unforgiving principles of time and tide.
I watched the sun recede, ever so subtly, further into the horizon, giving the big sky mesmerizing tinges of hazel, pink and bright orange, overlapping each other to create a dreamy range, the one that seemed to get my heart racing, hoping the fairytale wouldn’t go up in smoke before it even materialized.
Wishing upon the heavens to not go head bowed low in utter disappointment having not done the activity, I cheered myself on the waiting journey, engaging in small talk with a colleague, focusing on the tiny inconsequential waves that washed upon the constricted banks of the Nile River. I wanted it so bad my soul ached with every lapse of a minute.
“Pesh, you can take this,” a colleague who had finished biking beckoned me to the ledge of the board as I readied for the adventure- life jacket fasted, shoes off, jeans rolled up to the calves. My insides quivered, my heart leaped, it was hard to conceal my excitement, well, I didn’t need to.
I finally had my hands on the handlebar, feet sturdy on the pedals, mind on the fiery red sunset and body finally out of tension. Pedaling backwards, I made way into the wide front, back against the sunset as I savored each second of the floating dream. This was one of those moments where my chaotic mind was completely at ease, laid back and actually living in the moment – I don’t often get this such a moment – of stillness, tranquility and peace.
I pedaled further left, buying time before I turned on my right, where God’s gift to mankind was slowly unfolding. We were four people in the waters, the last batch. Jason Derulo’s Savage Love filled the airwaves, beats resounding in the Nile’s shallow bed. The waters were still, allowing us the best of the biking experience and my heart was full.
I smiled at the memory of my father teaching me how to ride a bicycle, his careful instruction to keep the eyes on the pathway, left hand on the break in case need arose but most importantly, doing it with confidence. Oh, how I miss those old times – a princess and her daddy, in a world full of dreams and possibilities, my greatest inspiration, the man whose journaling before bed ritual inspired and shaped my own writing journey that has blossomed into a beautiful career.
Sunset on the Nile – A dream Come True
I didn’t want my beautiful past to overshadow the moment, I snapped out of the stupid grin soon enough. Straining the handlebar to the right, I pedaled faster, steadying just in time to catch a glimpse of the sun that was slowly morphing into that enchanting display of color that awakens new hope in my spirit every time it graces the earth with its appearance.
The hour was quintessentially golden, at 6:21 pm, the setting sun kissed the still waters of the Nile, painting a glistening red trail that seemed to touch the horizon, taking with it, every damn care of mine, leaving me unrelentingly giddy, bound under the spell of its very charm.
I didn’t want to close my eyes, lest I miss a split second of the quiet spectacle. There had to be another way of freezing the moment to re-live it. How could a sunset be so beautiful, so full of life, so refreshing yet so heartbreakingly elusive?
How has no scientist devised a way of stretching the length of time a sunset graces mother earth?
I had no time to summon the god fathers of invention, I had a floatie of a bike keeping me exactly where I needed to be, a couple of my good friends a meter away living large on the ‘Epic Escapades MVs’, the vibrant expanse of the Nile and a sunset fairytale to live. How could I possibly not feel like an achiever?
Ride the Wave – they said
I have always been a cherophobic human being, always feeling like being too happy might invite in an equal measure of sadness. I keep it neutral, I never want to find myself overly excited, because not once, I have been over the moon but soon enough I topple, plummet back to earth with no cushion in waiting for when I hit the ground.
We were having a time of our lives in the middle of the water expanse, casually chit chatting as I imagined our beautiful silhouettes from the back side against the most epic backdrop, the sunset.
Unannounced, vicious and definitely unwanted, a wave showed up at a time when we barely had 5 minutes to wind up this hell of a good time, pack the floaties and return to our undesirable work and life routines back in the fast-paced Kampala.
Like hitting a huge hump while stuffed in a giant balloon and bouncing off unscathed only to land onto yet another obstacle, nothing could have prepared us for the wave.
A loud scream from one of my colleagues confirmed three things to me; that it was a moment we could die, that I wasn’t the only one about to shit my pants but also, if we got to the board alive, that would be a story for my grandkids to hear every Christmas, seated on the porch, watching the sunset with absolutely no regrets for the adventurous life I lived.
About Water Biking in Jinja
Launched in February 2023 by the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, this water biking activity is operated by Epic Escapades in Jinja at a fare of Shs 80,000 (Ugandans) for 30 minutes and US$40 for foreigners.
The site is very accessible on Crescent Road, Brisk Hotel Triangle (next to Jinja Sailing Club). The activity is very safe and unless otherwise, the bikes are engineered to not topple so safety is guaranteed, generally.
Until the next adventure, cheers!