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November 2003:
Since the last edition of Water Colours, the
expedition has carried out a Scouting trip to Ethiopia producing many
positive results. With just
under 12-months to go before the journey commences, planning and
preparation for the expedition is on track.
The following is an update on the team's progress to date.
The highlights of the last few months are:
1.
Les carries out scouting trip to Ethiopia
2. Colours of the Nile receives
official Governmental support
3.
Expedition acquires difficult to obtain maps from the Ethiopian Mapping
Commission
4.
Ali discovers early family ties in Sudan
5.
Download a stunning Ethiopian screensaver at niletrip.com.
1. Les carries out scouting trip to Ethiopia.
A
recent scouting trip to Ethiopia has helped shore up strategy and planning
for the expedition’s requirements for the upper reaches of the river.
The following is a brief overview of some of the activities
undertaken:
Scouting
the River – Lake Tana to the First Portuguese Bridge
As part of the
scouting trip a reconnaissance was made of the upper reaches of the Blue
Nile from the outlet at Lake Tana to the First Portuguese bridge.
The primary purpose for visiting the river was to ascertain the
conditions that can be expected next September.
Variables such as the volume of water, obstacles on the river, the
swiftness of the current and the weather in September are all important
factors to consider for next year’s monumental journey.
Information gathered will prove invaluable in terms of knowing how
much gear can be loaded in the boats, what type of equipment to use and
what to expect in terms of rainfall and fluctuations in the river’s
volume of water.
In
addition to scouting the river for water levels, hazards and potential
dangers, a number of stunning photographs were taken that have been
incorporated into a screensaver that is now available for download at
niletrip.com!
Dr.
Mengistu Provides Expert Advice
In
order to address potential health concerns on the journey next year, a
meeting was set up with Dr. Mengistu Mekkonen, a local physician familiar
with illnesses found in the Ethiopian lowlands.
As part of his involvement with Bridges to Prosperity (www.bridgestoprosperity.org),
Dr. Mengistu treated over 1,000 patients along the Blue Nile and was able
to offer first hand knowledge of the types of health concerns the
expedition may encounter. As
part of the consultation Dr. Megistu was able to prepare a list of the
type of diseases most prevalent in the region, strategies for prevention
and treatment and also arrange a trip to a local pharmacy to purchase
samples of the medication needed to treat the most common complaints.
A big thank you goes out to Dr. Mengistu whose assistance was
invaluable. The expedition
team looks forward to meeting Dr. Mengistu next year.
Meetings
With Local Tour Operators
While
in Addis Ababa contact was made with a number of local tour operators,
guides and rafting outfits. These
operators offered feedback on the type of equipment available in Ethiopia,
the type of logistics support required in the region of the Blue Nile and
the type of services that their firms could offer.
No decisions have been made yet with regard to local assistance.
Accommodation
& Transportation
In
order to plan for next year it was necessary to scout out potential
accommodation and assess the caliber of local transportation in the
region. As a result of the
recent visit, one or two very good hotels have been selected for the
team’s accommodations in Addis Ababa and Bahir Dar.
Provided reasonable rates and/or sponsorship can be obtained from
these proprietors these hotels will provide temporary lodgings for the
team while en route to the river. To provide more flexibility in reaching locations off the
beaten track, it will be necessary to hire a truck and driver rather than
rely on public transportation. A
number of companies offering these services have been located in Addis
Ababa and Bahir Dar.
Location
Scouting For the Documentary
A
portion of time was spent during the recent scouting trip to build a
foundation for the expedition documentary. The
team’s commitment to developing a professionally made documentary
requires that the expedition footage captures scenes of breathtaking
images and scenery. Therefore, a few side excursions were made to develop ideas
and identify unique locations for filming segments of the documentary.
This work will assist the team in developing a film treatment based
on local folklore, history and areas of cultural significance.
Photos were also taken of potential locations to help in the
difficult process of selecting from among an abundance of natural choices.
A
Big Thank You To Zoe Keone & Ken Frantz
A
big thank you is extended to Zoe Keone and Ken Frantz on behalf of The
Colours of the Nile expedition. Zoe
Keone was instrumental in arranging meetings with local business
operators, government officials, the expatriate community and acting as a
guide, translator and interpreter while navigating around Addis Ababa.
Zoe, who is a professional photographer and project manager with
Bridges to Prosperity www.bridgestoprosperity.org, provided much needed
assistance understanding the cultural nuances involved in dealing with
resources in Ethiopia. Her
help was invaluable in accomplishing a number of difficult tasks.
A big thank you is also extended to Ken Frantz, founder and
director of Bridges to Prosperity, who provided valuable insight, advice,
contacts and was ultimately responsible for putting the team in touch with
the Bridges to Prosperity team in Addis Ababa.
The team looks forward to meeting Zoe Keone and Chris Rollins next
year in Addis Ababa.
2.
Colours of the Nile receives official Governmental support
In
order to travel on the Ethiopian section of the Blue Nile the expedition
team will require special letters of permission.
Typically permission is provided by way of letters of support from
government ministries. As
such, meetings were conducted with various government officials while in
Addis Ababa and Bahir Dar and letters of support obtained from The
Ethiopian Tourism Commission and the Canadian Embassy.
In addition, the Canadian Embassy has written letters on behalf of
the expedition to key ministries in the Ethiopian government to help
obtain the outstanding letters of support.
A special thank you is extended to Yusuf A. Abdullahi, Ethiopian
Tourism Commissioner, for his letter of support for the Colours of the
Nile expedition, and to Richard Le Bars, Etaferahu Getahun, Joanne Ong and
Fitsum Getachew at the Canadian Embassy for all of the support offered by
the Canadian Embassy in Addis Ababa.
The team looks forward to meeting you all next year.
To see copies of the letters please click
here.
3.
Expedition acquires difficult to obtain maps from the Ethiopian Mapping
Commission
Maps
of Ethiopia are tightly controlled by the Ethiopian Mapping Commission and
distributed only for official purposes. Therefore, the Colours of the Nile
expedition considers it a distinct privilege to have been granted official
authorization to obtain the maps. The
maps are of excellent quality, offer a ratio of 1:50,000 and are so
detailed they display features of the river as fine as sandbars and
cataracts. The Ethiopian
Mapping Commission has painstakingly mapped the region of the Blue Nile
and some lesser-known quadrants of the river were added as recently as
2001. The expedition has
obtained 41 plates that cover everything from the source of the Blue Nile
at Gishe Abay all the way to the Sudan frontier.
These maps will prove invaluable for the planning and navigation of
the river. A special thank
you is extended to Yusuf A. Abdullahi of the Ethiopian Tourism Commission
for providing assistance in obtaining the coveted maps.
It is the expedition’s understanding that no previous group
attempting the river has ever been able to acquire these maps.
4.
Ali discovers early family ties in Sudan
In
the course of his Colours of the Nile research, Ali Donald uncovered some
interesting facts about a relative, Donald Donald of Inverness, who was
residing in Sudan during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
He was met in Minia by two English explorers, Leigh and Smelt, who
learnt Donald had been captured during the abortive British landing at
Rosetta in 1796.He had been sold as a slave, circumcised, converted to
Islam and was apparently content. At
all events, he had no wish to accompany to the 2 travellers on their
return to civilization.
Ali
hopes to unearth further details from his Great Uncle’s extensive genealogy
records covering the Donald clan’s long and colourful history.
5.
Download a stunning Ethiopian screensaver at niletrip.com.
The
Colours of the Nile is pleased to offer our second free screensaver
download, "A Tapestry of Ethiopia" that can be downloaded from the expedition website.
Your monitor will become a visual masterpiece with images of the
breathtakingly scenic Ethiopian highlands and its people.
The photos were taken by Les during his reconnaissance trip to
Ethiopia.
To
download the screensaver click here.
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can subscribe to Water Colours, the Colours of the Nile email updates and receive the
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