WCKA Newsletter - December 2007
ACADEMICS
Academics
finished strong this semester, with the student body voting to charge
through the last three weeks with relatively no weekend breaks. This
gave us time to compete at the highly anticipated Nile Freestyle
Festival and go on a four-day safari to Murchison Falls National Park
in Western Uganda.
Dan’s Literature classes finished the
semester with a powerful non-fiction book called A Long Way Gone, by a
Sierra Leonian boy named Ishmael Beah. The book was a firsthand account
of Beah’s experiences as a child soldier for three years. US History
was wrapping up the Civil War and the nineteenth century with a primary
source paper, which was an analysis of a primary source. Primary
sources included the Journals of Lewis and Clark, Voices from Slavery,
and journals from civil war soldiers. In Government, students reviewed
the platforms of presidential hopefuls, Civil Rights, Due Process of
law and the functions and general stances of political parties. Spanish
II finished studying the Preterit tense and came to class with
vocabulary on kayaking, natural world/environment, and
food/restaurants, There was extensive review of all prior subjects for
the final. Spanish I finished with the goal of sustaining a
conversation for as long as possible in their final, a skit. The
students lasted for almost fifteen minutes, using all the Spanish
they’d learned from this semester.
In Algebra II we finished
up completing every possible quadratic function possible. They now know
how to calculate the path of a flying baseball at any moment. In
Chemistry, they worked on the five different types of chemical
reactions and learned how to balance equations. In Biology, the final
was on photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Learning how we get
energy from the sun. Physics finished with a light brush over the
subject of Quantum physics. In an emphatic stroke of inspiration and
whimsy, we studied the anomalies that have been confounding physicists
for the past century. In Algebra I, the student was solving linear
equations, dealing with the slope and rate of change of lines, and
finding intercepts of the x and y axis. The Geometry student finished
up with finding areas of varying geometric figures, and preparing to
prove triangle congruent. In Pre-Calculus, we spent the final quarter
dealing with different exponent rules and logarithmic functions. The
final chapter of the quarter involved finding coordinates, vertices,
and foci of ellipses.
And a special thanks needs to be given
to the Video class for putting the video together before we left
Africa, in order to utilize the DVD burning tower at the Nile River
Explorers video studio. This enabled all of us to be able to show our
family and friends the semester video as soon as we got home. It’s
definitely an epic video, and everyone should be encouraged to see it.
ATHLETICS
The
Hairy Lemon, our island resort paradise that housed us for almost three
weeks, allowed us to train extensively on one of the world’s best surf
waves: Nile Special. Nile Special was only a ten-minute paddle up the
eddy from the Hairy Lemon, so it was easy to paddle for morning
workouts—or even before morning workouts. Morning workouts at the Lemon
that weren’t kayaking consisted of yoga, chicken fighting in the Nile,
volleyball, and several leg workouts in anticipation for ski season.
The
Nile Freestyle Festival happened on the 30th of November through the
3rd of December. There were three events, the first being the freestyle
surf competition, which we competed in. The second day was the
endurance race, a 45 km paddle from the top of the Day 1 section to the
bottom of the Day 2 section—in playboats. The third day was the Boda
Boda race, which was a multi-sport event that involved kayaking,
running up the hill, racing boda bodas (motorcycle taxis) with your
kayak back to NRE, and an obstacle course.
World Class only
competed the first day, at Nile Special. There was a large crowd of
local spectators lining each side of the river. There wasn’t a junior
class, so we were all competing against the likes of Steve Fisher, Sam
Ward and Karl Moser. Josh Bechtel was nudged out of finals, but took
fifth overall, with our own Michael Palmer finishing in the top ten as
well. It was so exciting watching the local Ugandan paddlers and Steve
Fisher tear up the surf wave that has, for the past few years, helped
define the pinnacle of freestyle kayaking.
COMMUNITY AND CULTURE
We
left the Freestyle Festival after the first day because we’d booked a
four-day safari to Murchison Falls National Park in Western Uganda. The
trip consisted of a similar game drive to the one we’d had in Botswana
on the Delta on the shore of Lake Albert, but then we also were
motor-boated up river through all the crocodiles and hippos to
Murchison Falls. Many paddlers call Murchison the most powerful section
of river in the world, because almost the whole Nile feeds into a
narrow, 10 meter crack and bounces off the walls as it falls 85 feet.
Locals say that sometimes hippos would swim in and there would be a
little splash of red, and then nothing. It was definitely a magnificent
site to see. Its grandeur rivaled that of Victoria Falls, and we felt
compelled to spread some more of Max’s ashes at Murchison. After the
Falls, we spent the night in the jungle, Chimp trekking in the Budongo
Forest, an area famous for hosting the studies of Jane Goodall. After
four days of bouncing in the back of an overland truck, everyone was
relieved to get back to our island getaway.
During our last
week, we moved back up to Bujagali Falls, and took finals at Eden Rock
campground. We spent another day helping out Soft Power, this time
driving to a faraway village to educate the locals about malaria, and
to sell mosquito nets. We also took time to try some local restaurants,
which offered cuisine such as mashed plantains, millet, beans and
chapatis. The food wasn’t bad, but it could not rival the cheesy-bean
toasties and banana/mango smoothies that we found on our second-to-last
day at De Nile Café next to Eden Rock.
We left in two groups,
with our good-byes coming before we were ready. As we all go our
separate ways, and experiences from this semester become memories, I
think we’ll all realize how close our group was at the end, which was
our goal accomplished—to have the tightest WCKA group ever. If you
don’t believe me, watch the semester video.
WCKA Newsletter - November 2007
ACADEMICS
The
academics have been going really great so far this month. In British
Literature, the class just finished up A Clockwork Orange by Anthony
Burgess and is starting on A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by
Ishmael Beah. In American Literature we finally finished Invisible Man
by Ralph Ellison and are now also starting on A Long Way Gone: Memoirs
of a Boy Soldier. In Spanish 1, students are working on reflexive verbs
and family members. In Physics, we’re just finishing up on energy, and
now working on the Doppler Effect, Bernoulli’s Principle, and
Archimedes’s Principle.
American History has just finished up
on the Mexican-American War and the increase tension of slavery, and is
now entering the Civil War and reading primary documents of history
during that time period. Spanish 2 is now working on the preterit and
reviewing the work over that year, after just finishing up on reflexive
and action verbs. Government class is studying the due process and
civil liberties/rights. They’re also beginning a letter to their local
representative about a local issue of the student’s choice.
In
chemistry, the class is learning the concept of the mole and how to
calculate measuring quantities. They’re now working on how to balance
equations, and studying five different chemical reactions. Algebra 2,
the class is learning about the quadratic formulas and how they relate
to real life, such as gravity and velocity. Biology has just finished
the functions of cells and their organelles, and is now studying
photosynthesis. In Videography class, we’re working on putting together
the all the small videos we have of the first quarter for the semester
video.
Algebra is working on rates of change, dealing with
slopes and lines and how they deal with the real world. Algebra has
just finished up on absolute value and inequalities. Geometry is just
finished up on Pythagorean triples, and areas of triangles, trapezoids,
and regular polygons. Pre-calculus has just finished with different
properties of functions and is starting on exponents and logarithms.
-Chad Skogstad
ATHLETICS
Athletics
are on the up and up. Today marks our first full day at The Hairy
Lemon, the tropical island oasis we currently call home. After a few
weeks on the Zambezi, everybody is excited for the relaxing change in
pace. The river run back in Zambia was epic, as is the playboating here
in Uganda. We had some interesting days in Zambia for sure, the mighty
Zambezi is one of the best river runs in the world and its big water
characteristic was amazing, but on the down side it is in an enormous
canyon. Not to take anything away from such a sweet river, but now in
Uganda, the put in is literally at the doorstep of our cabins. It’s
niiiiiice.
Now to the mighty White Nile and Nile Special! We
spent our first week on the day one section of the Nile. The big water
rapids were super fun. While we were there we could walk to the put-in
and enjoy a plethora of options down all the different channels. Some
of the big rapids include Bladerunner, the Hump, Ribcage, Silverback,
Jungle Book, and Bujagali Falls. All the rapids are enormous but have
relatively easy lines for being so monstrous.
Since then we
have moved to the Hairy Lemon, which is located on the bottom of the
Day 2 section of the run. Now that we are camped out just downstream of
one of the best waves in the world, group moral is better than ever.
There is a play hole at the camp ground which the all A-students are
allowed to play at during free periods, and in the afternoons we split
the group between the two spots to shorten the line at Special. At
Special everyone has been going bigger than ever. People are learning
new tricks, and the progression is huge. The wave is
super-awesome-gnarly-wicked!!!
-Sam Freihofer
COMMUNITY AND CULTURE
In
the past four weeks at WCKA we have done some extracurricular
activities. Some of these activities included our two day safari in
Chobe National Park, a dinner at one of the local villages in Zambia, a
trip to Victoria Falls, and our work with Soft Power Education in
Uganda. On October 25th and 26th we went on a safari in Chobe National
Park in Botswana, it was a two-day drive around the park and a boat
tour on the Chobe River. Throughout the safari we saw tons of animals
including: lions, giraffes, elephants, birds etc…
After the
safari with another week of paddling and school, the students decided
they wanted to do a visit to one of the local villages. So the teachers
set it up with some of the porters and we paddled on the lower Zambezi
ending the day at one of the villages near the take out. The locals
welcomed us warmly; they invited us into their houses and offered us
food and drink. We hung out at the village talking with the locals and
watching them make crafts. Later that night they made us dinner. It was
probably the first time that most of us had the opportunity to eat with
our hands. The meal was great, it consisted of shima (corn meal) with
meat and veggies to dip it in. After experiencing the local culture and
customs we headed back to camp.
Near the end of our stay in
Zambia we headed to Victoria Falls one of the seven natural wonders of
the world. While at Vic. Falls we hung out in the Devils Armchair, a
pool at the top of the 300ft waterfall, and looked over the edge. Then
before we left the falls we spread some of our dear friend Max’s ashes
on one of the coolest places on the planet. Then after another couple
days in Zambia we headed up to Uganda to continue paddling and school
at the White Nile. Our project while in Uganda was to help Soft Power
Education, where we had donated money from our Paddle-A-Thon on the
Gauley River to build sanitation stations at local schools. We spent
two days building sinks outside of bathrooms for the kids to wash their
hands and taught them the importance of hygiene to good health.
-Nate Garcia
WCKA Newsletter - March 2005
Well, our 10 weeks in Ecuador
have finally come to an end and through some miracle of time and
motion, and who-knows-what else, we feel simultaneously as though we
have been here forever, while having just arrived. Now it is time for a
little R&R with our families and friends before we join together
again for the second leg of the semester; the West Coast Tour.
Athletics
Despite
the lackadaisical atmosphere that is synonymous with a beach trip, our
few weeks in Canoa turned out to hold some of the most impressive play
boating we have seen in Ecuador. Every day, the surf churning a mere
300 feet from our beds provided both students and faculty with an
endless array of near-perfect waves, while spectators were generally
given an awesome show of the newest aerial freestyle moves. The
relatively small size of Canoa’s waves also allowed almost every
student and teacher the chance to try out the other beach activities,
from body surfing to boogie boarding and good old fashioned board
surfing. Surfing was not the only physical activity we indulged in
while at the beach however as we continued our running and callisthenic
workouts when the morning surf wasn’t at its best. While leaving the
warm air and sunny skies of the beach was hard, it was a fairly easy
transition to the mountain life of Borja where Small World Adventures
is located. Our riverfront lodging provided us with easy shuttles, as
we generally found ourselves either putting in or taking out ‘at home.’
While in Borja, the steep mountains and daily rainfall of the Quijos
river valley provided us with some of the best down-river kayaking we
had seen in Ecuador. With so many awesome runs so close, it often came
down to the flip of a coin to decide which run we would do on a given
day. With most of the runs coming one after another, it was not
uncommon for us to connect 2 or 3 sections on the same river in a
single afternoon. Morning workouts also bumped up in intensity, as they
generally began with a 10-minute uphill run before playing Ultimate
Frisbee or Soccer. All in all, it seemed like Borja was just the place
to end this trip with a bang.
Academics
We
have been especially fortunate this March when it comes to educational
opportunities. First of all, both the beach and our riverfront
accommodations at Small World gave us ample room for classes; even with
multiple classes occurring simultaneously, it was possible for each
class to find a quiet space apart, making for a very conducive learning
atmosphere. Also, with little traveling this month it was possible to
continue each week of class without interruption. Despite the impending
break, classes continued as usual and with undiminished intensity,
right to the end. English classes have finished their readings for this
quarter and are currently working on creative and analytical writing
projects. Government continues to study Congress and the Presidency,
with ample discussions on current affairs. Physics class is continuing
study of the world around us by learning about electrostatics, while
Biology class continues to digest new information on human nutrition
and the intestinal system. Chemistry has just finished learning how to
balance chemical equations; Algebra class is studying logarithms; and
both Geometry and Pre-calc are studying trigonometric functions.
Calculus has just begun studying separable differential equations and,
finally, Spanish classes have been making the best of this unique
immersion opportunity. While we will all miss the educational
opportunities available in a country as diverse as Ecuador, we also
look forward to what lies ahead during our travels in the U.S.
Activities
This
March has turned out to be one of WCKA’s most eventful to date when it
comes to cultural interaction. While still at the beach, we were
presented the opportunity to visit the world-famous Isla Corazón, a
mangrove forest on a heart-shaped island just south of Canoa. The
island, which is located in the middle of a bay, is home to the largest
Frigate bird population in the Pacific and can only be explored by
canoe. Our local guides showed us the intricacies of a mangrove forest,
the diversity of wildlife there, and taught us how to hunt for crabs,
which involves sticking one’s arm shoulder-deep into the mud. It was
most definitely an experience that we will not forget any time soon.
This was not, however, to be our last amazing experience in Ecuador. To
start off our final week, the small town of Bom Bón (a 30 minute drive
from Borja) allowed World Class to host a tree-planting, kayak-teaching
extravaganza in their picturesque mountain surroundings. The day began
with a three-hour kayak clinic, where the bravest of Bom Bón’s citizens
were offered the chance to jump into a kayak and paddle around. Some of
the participants even ventured as far as learning how to roll, with two
of the clinic’s students mastering the skill before lunch. The whole
clinic: participants, spectators, teachers, and all, then climbed the
hill to Bom Bón, where World Class was served a spectacular lunch
courtesy of the town’s best chefs. The day continued with the planting
of 250 trees, followed by an intense game of soccer on the town’s
playing field. Though we fancy ourselves full-time athletes, we were
soundly trounced by the locals’ amazing soccer skills and ball control.
We were happy to come out of the match with two goals to their six. As
we drove away, a tacit agreement seemed to have been made for a rematch
when we return.
We hope everyone has a great break, see you in April!
-Philly Williams
WCKA Newsletter - February 2005
February
was an action-packed month at World Class. Traversing much of Ecuador
we have left Tena, enjoyed Santo Domingo, and begun our discoveries of
Canoa. Considering the amount of fun Ecuador has provided in the last
month and a half, we look forward to the adventures March will bring.
Athletics
After
leaving the rusty gym, rock-strewn playing field, and wide variety of
paddling in Tena, we arrived in Santo Domingo. Here we were able to
continue a morning workout schedule similar to Tena’s, but unrivaled in
intensity. Workouts consisted of Ultimate Frisbee on a playing field
near our hotel or a continuation of our weight-training at a nearby
gym. The gym was for more than pumping iron however as step aerobics
classes, Tae-Bo, and salsa dancing also took place; allowing both
students and teachers alike the opportunity to try alternative ways to
workout. Although fun, the morning workouts were not the highlight of
our athletic experience in Santo Domingo, the paddling was.
Fortunately, for us river rats, the skies opened up during our stay
giving us the opportunity to try several different local runs. These
included the big water play waves of the Toachi and Blanco, the fast,
dynamic wave on the Baba (which had an excellent class III-IV run just
upstream), and some low-volume class IV on the Damas. Santo Domingo’s
plethora of excellent whitewater allowed for very few repeated runs and
an endless stream of adventures. For now, we are enjoying two paddling
workouts a day, along with the occasional ocean swim. Our time in Canoa
has only just begun and we look forward to the many athletic
excitements provided at the beach.
Activities
While
still in Tena we witnessed Carnival first hand. Carnival is a
celebration taking place at the beginning of Lent. The school went
through a week of getting pummeled by water balloons, hosed down by odd
scented shaving cream, and squirted by water guns. At the end of the
week, one group ventured into Tena to see what the Saturday night of
Carnival was like. The night was highlighted by dancing on an empty
basketball court in front of 500 Ecuadorian people, with no music as a
guide and, of course, in the pouring rain. On the Final day of
Carnival, some of our strongest paddlers participated in a kayak race
that was included in a large festival on the banks of the Mishualli.
Katie Scott won the Women’s division and Scott Ligare placed second in
the Men’s behind the one and only Rescue Dan. After this excitement,
everyone packed up their gear and we went from the small town
atmosphere of Tena to the hustle and bustle of Santo Domingo. Since our
time in Santo Domingo was short, we were only able to organize one
outing which turned out to be a driving tour of the city and
surrounding area, followed by lunch at a local eatery. For now, we are
enjoying the relaxing atmosphere that can only be found on the beach
and can only be properly accompanied by a hammock and fresh coconut
milk.
Academics
Even though February was a
short month, we were able to cram in our required work and then some.
The classroom setting in Tena differed from the relaxing poolside
atmosphere in Santo Domingo, but both worked equally well for school,
allowing each class peace and quiet for their studies. The school
setting has changed quite dramatically in the past few days however as
classes are currently reporting in under thatched roofs, with the
Pacific Ocean a stone’s throw away. While English classes are reading
and writing in hammocks, physics class is researching the way light
works. Geometry class is getting geared up for building sand castles on
Canoa’s soft, sandy beaches and with the wind finally picking up, their
specially engineered kites are ready to fly. Biology is diving into
aquatic ecosystems and looking forward to dissecting crabs found along
the beach. Finally, government class has been utilizing trips to
Internet cafés in order to research recent demonstrations right here in
Ecuador, as well as to keep up to date on the Bush White House. With so
many academic opportunities available here in Canoa, it is no wonder
why both students and faculty alike are firmly embedded in their
studies.
Peace and love from all of us out in the races.
The Publications class: Adriene, Andrea, Katie, Mindy, Nick, Philly, and Wes
WCKA Newsletter - January 2005
After
leaving the bitter winter wonderland of Denver and navigating our way
through the chaos of international travel (complete with a
boat-and-paddle embargo), we have settled into our cozy home at the
hostel Villa Belen. Now that we have all reunited under the warm
Ecuadorian sun, it seems clear that this will be one of our best
semesters to date.
ACADEMICS
Even though it is still
early in the semester, the students are quickly adapting to the daily
routine. Since we are living in a Spanish-speaking country, Spanish
class takes place 24 hours a day. Despite the hustle and bustle of
Latin America, the World Literature students have been able to immerse
themselves in the story of Savages, a book about the effects on
indigenous culture by oil drilling in the Amazonian rainforest. The
Physics and Science classes have been utilizing the diverse landscape
conveniently located in our back yard by studying the motion and energy
of waves. Biology labs have involved the study of pigeon-sized
cockroaches and travels to the local island preserve; whereas Geometry
class is still waiting for the wind to pick up so they can put their
mathematically engineered kite designs to use. Finally, Calculus class
is taking advantage of its 1:1 student to teacher ratio to study
Riemann sums and Simpson’s Rule.
ATHLETICS
We
began the new athletic year by attending the Napo River Festival and
entering the downriver race. The Napo River Festival celebrates
Ecuador’s Napo region and the accompanying watersheds. Organized by the
Ecuadorian River Institute (www.kayakecuador.com), the event brings the
entire river community together from the indigenous community to
tourists like us. Sporting sunburns and sore muscles the next day, we
took our second river trip down the Jatunyacu, a class 2-3 river with a
highly entertaining hole. Our next adventure included the Mishualli
which offered a wide range of difficulty from low volume boulder
gardens to big water play. Immersing ourselves in the local culture,
soccer has been rotated into our morning workout schedule. Access to a
gym across the street also allows us to complement our cardio workouts
by pumping old-school iron. January came to a close with an informal
rodeo at Hatless Hole on the Jatunyacu. After official judging, Andrea
and AJ were deemed the winners and awarded awesome (and very valuable)
aviator sunglasses.
ACTIVITIES
Tena’s
small size and friendly atmosphere has allowed for full immersion into
Ecuadorian culture. Activities have included the usual internet and
phone runs, trips to local discothèques, as well as the beginning of a
new school-wide fascination for a treat called BonIce. But we have not
limited ourselves simply to Tena’s wonders. Recently, we commandeered a
local bus in order to visit the famous water slides outside of nearby
Archidona. The slides provided for great times (with Chris achieving
the most-air award), as well as a brief spelunking expedition through
the water park’s natural cave system. Additionally, we have been able
to exploit our close proximity to Ecuador’s vast jungle by spending a
self-guided overnighter deep in the Amazon rain forest. This allowed us
to get a close up and inside look at one of the most diverse rain
forests in the world. An experience that none of us will forget.
Thank
you’s this month go out wholeheartedly to Matt Terry of the Ecuadorian
Rivers Institute and Jeff Brummel from the Crossroads Hostel for their
assistance with getting our kayaks to Ecuador, along with everything
else. Norma, Jekel, and the gang at the Villa Belen, you have been
incredible. Dan Dixon, thanks for looking out for us, and of course
Louis, Marco, and Louis Jr., we appreciate your informal Spanish
lessons and excellent driving skills.
Written by Andrea, Adriene, Katie, Philly, Wes, and Mindy WCKA Newsletter - December 2004
World Class wrapped it up in early December, holding finals and tucking
into one last rotisserie pig at the Hairy Lemon; taking a few (never
enough) final rides on the river; and saying our goodbyes to the Nile
and the many good people we met along the way.
ACADEMICS
After a few days off of school for preparation, students took final
exams, wrote final papers, and finished up final projects from the 3rd
to the 7th. Aside from a few, scattered, anomalous results, everyone
did quite well, proving once again that paddling and studying success
are never mutually exclusive. Teachers worked out grades and wrote up
narratives after returning stateside, and semester reports were mailed
on the 22nd. Congratulations are in order all around, as it appears to
have been a most successful semester academically.
ATHLETICS
While winding up finals and our stay at the lovely Hairy Lemon,
paddling continued at Malalu and Nile Special, with a few last
excursions to the Back Wave following our return to Eden Rock. While
nothing particularly spectacular occurred, let it be recognized that a
much-improved group of paddlers has returned from the Zambezi and the
Nile, with many already planning their returns and future assaults upon
the waves of Africa.
ACTIVITIES
World Class was feted on the 9th at the pottery center we had worked on
for Soft Power. We got to see the newly completed buildings, clinic,
and jet fuel-fired (no kidding) kiln. We also met again with the
apprentices, their families, and many other community members; while a
few brave souls volunteered for dance instruction, to the accompaniment
of an awesome drum band and an equally awesome end-of-the-monsoon
downpour. Later that evening a barbecue was held at Eden Rock for the
pottery center staff and participants, after which some of us threw
together some pretty impressive pirate costumes for a farewell bash at
NRE.
On the morning of the 10th, the first group took off for Entebbe,
leaving seven stragglers to follow on the 12th. Both groups spent one
night and one day in Johannesburg, followed by a nineteen and a
half-hour flight to Atlanta. From Atlanta most flew home, while a few
hardy souls piloted the vans and trailers back to Missoula. The good
news is that, as opposed to the trip east in August, this time we got
to stop for SLEEP a couple of times along the way; and also managed to
stay a few days ahead of the bad weather that has since descended upon
the Midwest.
Thank you's to all the usual suspects and a few more: Shreder, Dan,
Polly, and Tyler, for documenting our adventures and just for being
there and adding another dimension to our otherwise pedestrian (just
kidding) lives.
Happy New Year to all! Stay tuned for news from Ecuador and dispatches from spring semester's Publications class.
P.S. - Garcito get better soon. We will miss your enthusiasm and
energy. Also, Big Garcia (AKA Gar-Dawg) CONGRATULATIONS on finishing
your coursework; and Sam, we will miss you like crazy as well and look
forward to meeting up (with all or any of you) somewhere in the West of
America, the sooner the better.
Last but not least, welcome to the incoming students, be prepared for an epic time.
WCKA Newsletter - November 2004
November was an incredible, and incredibly full, month for World Class.
We traveled over 4,000 kilometers through East Africa, saw
awe-inspiring sights, met awe-inspiring people, and paddled
awe-inspiring whitewater.
Academics
While many of the students expected our overland adventure to be a
reprieve from studies, it turned out to be a continual academic
experience. One of our stops was at an orphanage for baby elephants and
rhinos, another at a giraffe-rehabilitation center. In each place we
were able to get a closer, more intimate understanding of some of the
planet’s wild and wonderful animals. Our journey through the Ngorogoro
Crater and the Serengeti Plain of Tanzania provided us as well, with
many opportunities for knowledgeable guides to impart information about
the countless animals we encountered. Despite the jostling of our
overland vehicle, and our many hours of traveling both in the truck and
in the safari jeeps, we were able to complete more than a full week of
classes before arriving in Uganda. Our current coursework included
study of the discovery of the Nile in Cultural Studies; Fluid Dynamics
in Physics; Integrals in Calculus; The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
in American Lit.; Heart of Darkness in World Lit.; and My Traitor’s
Heart in Brit Lit.. All teachers and students are preparing for their
exams and final papers, with only a few more class days left before
exam week and our return to the States in mid-December.
Athletics
Our two-week overland trip was not all just sitting in a jouncey truck,
looking out the window, and watching the African landscape go by at 80
KPH. While on the road we found time for strength and core workouts, as
well as a few games of Ultimate and Capture the Flag to mix it up. Once
we arrived at Bujagaali Falls, on the White Nile, we found ourselves in
shape and eager to paddle.
Our arrival at the Nile held the anticipation of surfing Nile Special
and Malalu, two of the best waves in the world. The two sections of the
Nile we have been paddling have rapids ranging from Class III to Class
V. The day-one section, called Silverback, is a 10 kilometer run in a
Class III/IV section. The day-two section, which is a Class III/IV play
run, is a fifteen kilometer run that has an abundance of play waves and
holes as well as two of the best kayaking waves in world. When it comes
time to paddle after classes, the students split up into two groups and
have the option of running Silverback, or Day Two; throwing huge aerial
maneuvers on Nile Special and Malalu.
Activities
The month of November proved to be rich in cultural activities, as the
first half of the month we spent on our overland trip. For thirteen
glorious days we explored East Africa, beginning in Livingston, Zambia,
traveling across Tanzania and Kenya, and ultimately ending up in Uganda
at the headwaters of the mighty Nile River.
While in Tanzania, we stopped briefly for a 3-day excursion into the
Serengeti Plain and the Ngorogoro Crater to see close-up some of
Africa’s most incredible wildlife. At our Serengeti campground we were
instructed, once night fell, to stay close to camp or “Animals Might
Attack.” Needless to say, no one left their seats around the campfire
to go exploring at night. By the end of our safari, we had seen lions,
leopards, elephants, wildebeests, flamingos, cheetahs, hippos,
giraffes, gazelle, and enough zebras to make your head spin.
At the elephant orphanage we watched seven small elephants, ranging in
age from four months to two years, playing in the mud with each other
and their human “mentors;” we learned about their individual histories
and heard about plans for their re-introduction into the wild. At the
giraffe sanctuary we stood on a terrace which put us at eye level with
the giraffes; from there we fed them, and were allowed to pet them so
long as the food kept coming. A few students held the giraffes’ food
pellets between their own lips and the giraffes had to “kiss” them in
order to get at the food! All in all, our overland trip turned out to
be an awesome AND epic adventure.
On the 12th we arrived in Jinja, Uganda, where we were introduced to
the Soft Power Education staff and crew. At a Soft Power constructed
primary school we were serenaded by about a hundred students; we saw
another school which the organization was in the process of fixing up,
and one that they were preparing to begin work on, all with the
volunteer assistance of overland trekkers and white water adventurers.
We had the opportunity to work on the construction of a pottery center
near our camp. We shoveled, hauled, and pounded mud, laid brick, threw
pots, and sculpted busts of each other and of the pottery apprentices.
We also met a whole bunch of terrific little kids, who pitched in and
helped us at the site and then held tight to our hands as they escorted
us safely back to the road. We were able to see what an amazing
operation Soft Power is, which made the $5000 (!!!) we raised for them
all the more meaningful.
Finally, we heard from an aid worker, stories of the little-known
guerrilla war which has been going on for years along the Sudan border
and of its terrible impact on the people, especially the children,
there. We all left this presentation feeling particularly lucky to have
been born and raised in a country where we don’t have to worry about
being kidnapped in the middle of the night to fight for someone else’s
cause.
Overall, November proved to be one of the most culturally rich and diverse months in World Class history.
Thank You’s go out to many people, especially Matt, our driver, and
Bernard, our cook and pal on the overland; our guides in the Serengeti
and Ngorogoro; Mike and Bonnie for gracefully putting up with our
madness for two weeks; David, Henry, The Bow & Arrow guy, and all
the rest of the staff at Eden Rock; Jamie; Maddy, Georgie, and everyone
at Soft Power; the NRE crew; and, finally, Rob, Erin, and Austin at the
Hairy Lemon, who are still taking good care of us on their island
paradise.
By: Philly, Mike, and A.J.
Uganda = Heaven
The White Nile river flows from Africa's largest fresh water source and
then continues through Uganda to eventually meet the Blue Nile to
create the mighty Nile River. As the river flows on its course to
Cairo it runs through some of the planet's best whitewater. The spot
is ideal for World Class because the river offers 40 miles of big water
rapids with plenty of challenges for all levels of whitewater
kayakers.
WCKA splits its time between the Eden Rock campground in Bujagali
Falls, and the island paradise oddly named the Hairy Lemon. Eden rock
is a secluded campground that provides all the amenities while being
located right next to legendary Bujagali Falls and the infamous
Silverback section. This quick 8 kilometer run holds more quality
rapids than most major rivers. It is also the site for the new
Bujagali dam that will flood the top part of the White Nile upon
completion. Paddlers around the world are migrating to the White Nile
to experience this stretch of river before it is inundated.
40 miles
downstream lies the paradise island turned kayaking hot spot, the Hairy
Lemon. Australian fishing enthusiasts originally turned the island
into a fishing location, but its close proximity to the Nile Special
wave quickly made it the place for kayaking tourists. Adding to the
appeal the Hairy Lemon is an island in the middle of the White Nile
secluding it from noisy tourists and rowdy rafting customers. World
Class has the luxury of staying at the island during the 2007 Nile
Freestyle Festival allowing the students to test themselves against
kayaking's best.
Soft Power Health Soft
Power Health is a US based nonprofit organization that operates a
community clinic in Uganda. The clinic is run by the kayaking Doctor
Jessie Stone, and focuses on increasing health education and preventing
malaria in the country. World Class teams up with Soft Power to raise
money through the Paddle-a-thon and to help with the educational
programs in riverside villages. In 2007, WCKA spent a day with the
program teaching grade school classes about the benefit of proper
hygiene. With Dr. Stone's guidance and the help of a Lusogan
translator, the students had the chance to become the teachers and make
a difference in young peoples lives. For a full write up on the project please visit the Service Project page.
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