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In 1999 Virginia Morell, a correspondent for Science magazine, embarked on an
expedition with a group from National Geographic to the wild and relatively
uncharted region of the Blue Nile. They had high hopes of traversing the length of this
river from its headwaters to the Sudan where it joins the White Nile, the "Nile"
that is most familiar to the rest of us. It wasn't a journey to be taken lightly --- many
had perished in the river or disappeared within the interiors of this rugged terrain,
never to be seen again. Those who had managed to survive a partial excursion told horror
stories about bands of marauders attacking their camps, flood-swollen rapids swamping
their boats, and crocodiles that feasted on the less fortunate of their exploration party.
That anyone would even want to attempt such a trip is beyond the understanding of this
reader. But then, we armchair adventurers will probably never grasp the overwhelming
compulsion to explore firsthand some formidable unknown.
While the White Nile is the one most often credited with irrigating the arid areas of
northeastern Africa, it is really the Blue Nile that brings the life-sustaining flood
waters that rush through nearly 600 miles of untamed geography before joining its
well-known sister. Void of dams that could have made significant use of its power and
water supply, it has enticed explorers for centuries, but none had managed to document its
entire length until now. What the National Geographic team achieved is amazing, and the
story that Morell tells of their perilous journey is a fascinating travelogue of prose.
Relating the history of the region as far back as Biblical times, Morell creates a
panorama of the ancient land and the people who live along its boundaries that reflects a
mixture of old world and new.
"On the near shore was the land of Gojam. The Blue Nile encircled it like a moat, and
it was easy to see how in the past warring kings and princes had used the river like a
barricade... Gojamis, the people of Gojam, were proud and independent-minded... In their
isolation, they regarded themselves as the keepers of the old empire's true culture; their
spoken Amharic was the purest, their poets the most clever. Theirs was the land, too, of
wizards and magic, and of the buda, people cursed with the evil eye..."
Morell also relates the hardships they faced along the way, not the least of which was the
politics of the region. Continuous upheavals by warring factions that date back centuries
make it an unstable area for outsiders, regardless of how innocent or benevolent their
reason for being in the country. The myriad documents needed to satisfy each territorial
ruler who exerted authority in a given area is mind-boggling. It was not unexpected for
soldiers carrying weapons to accost the travelers, demanding proof that the group had
received permission to cross their domain. Although their posture was threatening, the
author makes it seem more of a nuisance to endure than any real threat to their safety,
but perhaps time and distance have mellowed her fears to a degree. Yet, as treacherous as
this sounds, there is also a warmhearted picture of the Ethiopian people woven into the
narrative that sheds light on a culture few readers could have encountered. From the
curious villagers who appeared on the cliffs to get their first glimpse of white-skinned
people, to the children who tagged after the team, offering goods for sale or assistance
to the weary, there is an undeniable love for this country that dominates Morell's
perspective.
"In many fields small groups of men, women, and children squatted on their haunches,
weeding each row by hand. Some stared as we passed; others rose and made three or four
quick bows in greeting. One farmer stopped his team of oxen...and whooped the news of our
arrival to his neighbors down the valley. Others felt compelled to rush up to shake our
hands and offer us thick slabs of [bread] or invite us to their homes for coffee."
Her colorful descriptions of each group of native people they encountered gives readers
some real insight into the complexity of customs and the diversity of heritages that have
evolved within Ethiopia. For that matter, some of their flair for fashion is reminiscent
of images in our own current culture.
"We loved studying the women, as much as they loved looking at us. Several of them
had round, decorative scars on their cheeks, and wore jewelry cleverly fashioned from bits
of Western flotsam --- the blue caps of ball-point pens, gun-shell casings, burned out
flashlight bulbs, metal watchbands, zippers, and safety pins."
And there's that indomitable spirit of adventure that captures those dramatic moments with
such clarity that readers will hear the snap of the crocodile's jaws or sense the thrill
of a white-water plunge. Despite how daunting and dangerous this undertaking was, the
author's delight with her adventure is apparent:
"Borcik set our boat up for the wettest run possible, and when we crashed into the
hole, it felt like we'd gone over Niagara Falls. A mountain of water fell over my head and
back, knocking off my hat and sunglasses. I screamed, I laughed, I gave the photo-victim
shots my all. Then we were airborne over the top of the wave and crashing up and down the
next set like a tiny boat on a big sea."
Fun? Well, not for the less hardy. Nevertheless, Virginia Morell's account of their
incredible expedition down the muddy, roiling river and her breathtaking descriptions of
the "bowers of star jasmine, tumbling through the branches of acacia trees..."
make for engrossing, entertaining reading about the majestic and mysterious Blue Nile.
--- Reviewed by Ann Bruns (BkPageWC@aol.com)
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