Walking the Nile

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Nevertheless even these men are desperate and will do anything to conceal their tracks and thus we are strongly advised to stay close to the road. Only after the initiation ceremony is complete do I wonder why they are staring at my head my hair has turned bright red. This then provides us with plenty of rest time after we reach our set destination or close to 4pm whichever is the sooner. Following the recent, sad and tragic death of American travel journalist Matthew Power who was reporting upon Captain Levison Wood’s attempt to become the first person to walk the River Nile in Africa, the news released from the expedition has been respectfully muted.

I was immediately apprehended and arrested by a heavily armed ‘soldier’ and taken to a compound that resembled a scene out of an eighties film set. Although I was feeling very frustrated and angered by the enforced extra distance, this was tempered by the emotion of sheer joy when I discovered the blissful opportunity to soak my feet and sip a cold beer.This decision held its own inherent risk, but at least we could disappear off the local radar, at least for a while, or so we thought. For Boston, he can take some time out to meet with his wife and children prior to meeting up for his final leg of the venture in Uganda. With additional confirmation from Matthew’s family that they wanted the expedition to continue, Captain Wood has recently resumed the odyssey northwards along with his constant companion and local guide interpreter Boston. The number of people we meet in the countryside has increased markedly and everywhere we go it appears that they have heard of our progress and greet us with a warm smile.

Yes it’s true they have to contend with making a living under the most trying circumstances, yet somehow they manage and remain the most generous and warm hearted people you could ever wish to meet. With a usual breakfast of African Chai and stale chapattis, which I spice up with lemon and sugar, in the hope of making them taste like pancakes – much to the locals’ amusement. The few people we see soon head for cover the moment they glimpse our arrival and with that any chance of purchasing food for a meal diminish to zero. Their introduction to the lake is widely regarded as disastrous, both in human and environmental terms.

A very emotional start to the morning watching Boston climb onto the back of a truck before beginning his homeward bound journey heading back to Juba and thence to his family in Kampala. Being on his own is nothing new to him as there have been many other solitary adventures, through Russia, Iraq, Iran and Pakistan in the past. So after some discussion we decided to push on and find a quiet spot away from the road and set up camp. We have made excellent progress and managed to stay on schedule covering an average of 100 plus miles each week.

Together they encounter some of the most spectacular sights of the mission, camping among the ancient Meroe Pyramids. His nine-month journey takes him through jungles, savannah, deserts, cities and war zones in some of the continent’s most remote and spectacular locations. There is a great article written about Matthew Power written by Business Week – what a top bloke, read about him here.For the first time since we started the journey together I begin to doubt the purpose of the undertaking and after having lost my colleague Matt Power recently in Uganda the whole enterprise is certainly not worth another life. Feeling rather proud of my new status I stand amongst my brothers who take my hand and welcome me with long undulating shakes that continue for minutes. His travel companions believe the cause of death was heatstroke, but we won’t know more until an autopsy is completed. The explorer then tackles his toughest physical challenge - crossing the Bayuda volcanic field - where temperatures can reach 55C.