My First Water Zorbing Experience

“Yep… that’s me. You’re probably wondering how I ended up in this situation.”

That’s the thought that played in my head when I saw videos and pictures of me doing this activity 😩

People say there are no adrenaline-pumping activities in Abuja apart from hiking — well, jokes on them. As luck would have it, Ijoba Travels posted a couple of activities to try out in Abuja on Instagram and mentioned this spot at Amazon, Jabi, where they had not only water zorbing but also other water-based activities like kayaking. I had done the latter before, so why not try something different?, I reached out, bought a ticket, and committed because honestly, I really needed to do something to decompress from the hustle and bustle of life.

So, come the day of my activity, I dressed up and headed out buzzing with excitement, not entirely sure what to expect but excited regardless, because why not? Life is enjoyed by the spontaneous. I got there and immediately liked what I saw. The environment was peaceful, the lake was clean, and they asked me to wait a couple of minutes for the lifeguard to come give me a briefing.

My heart skipped, the thought that crept into my mind was, “Lifeguard keh.. I cannot swim to save my life oh.” But when he came, he quickly allayed my fears, it was just a precaution, and mishaps had never actually occurred. I liked that, though. It told me the business was safety-conscious, and that mattered.

They asked me to remove my shoes and any sharp objects — earrings, watch, all of that — since I’d be going into a balloon-like structure attached by rope and anchored at the dock of the lake. I complied, stepped into the collapsed balloon, and they pumped it up. By this point I was already grinning and laughing from ear to ear, absolutely sick with excitement.

Then they pushed me into the water and that was where the real fun began.

At first, I panicked. The ball was rolling, I was rolling with it, and because I kept trying to stand, I just kept falling and tumbling. The Nigerian in me fully jumped out — I started calling on God and the entire universe to come rescue me. Then I remembered what the lifeguard had said, it would feel like falling into an abyss at first, but I wasn’t actually in danger. The key was to stop fighting the water, because the water was what was pushing the balloon.

So I mustered every ounce of courage I had, muttered “one with the water” to myself… and relaxed.

And it was so much fun, all I had to do was steer the balloon gently in the direction I wanted and stop fighting the flow. You see — life is sweet when you just relax.

We went on for about 40 minutes until my booked time ran out and I was pulled back to the dock by the rope. It was such an exhilarating experience, and I genuinely wished I had paid for two tickets *wipes tears*. But oh well, we go again another day.

Glad I got to try a different kind of adventure for a change, and honestly?...You should too.