Luckily for us, we meet the Czech countryman  being in charge of making a service for safari tourist trips. He helps us to catch the car and  manages the hotel-accommodation. We are lodged in the oldest hotel in Addis Ababa, nothing special, anyway, you use the shower and bed with pleasure. In the morning we walk round the town and make a stop at Czech Embassy, in order to get more information regarding Bue Nile and its surroundings.

     We are cordially welcomed  at the Embassy , they are  informed very well about our plans and ideas. No, doubt, the tam-tam drums beat perfectly.  While drinking coffee, we discuss  all possible dangers and way of help. However, we are told, if something negative happens, we cannot expect any help. The area we wish to visit is unexplored  and the maps we have available , are distorted.  The only help which comes into question, is from air  and this will be eventually big problem, too.  All helicopters which are in action in Ethiopia, are to be found on borders with Eritrea or in Somalia. for the time being. As something happens to us, we have to help ourselves  with our own forces.  We  ask for the possibility  to leave some parts of our fittings in Embassy premises. Our wishes are fulfilled.

     So, we return to the hotel to repack our belongings. We take only the most important things  which will be needfull in canon , especially the objects which can be easily let in kayaks.However, the raft produced for the wild water( with the possibility of placing a motor of company Gumotex ) did not arrived in time, so all needed we take in  a stern of kayak.

Unfortunately, it cannot be get in. many pieces. Dried meat Jerky and the powder food for 10 days, a mattrass. sleeping bag  and peli-case including a  technique. This must  be sufficient.

The rest of belongings are delivered to the Embassy by car.  It is a good luck that the car Ziguli is  in a combi execution, otherwise we could not load  and transport everything what remained. At the Embassy we are copying all our documents and cards  with insurance , for the order´s sake. We say good-bye to the Embassy staff and return to the hotel , as we have to leave at 4 o´clock next morning. The journey to Tana Lake to small town of Bahar Dar will be long.

     Drowsy we are binding the boats on the roof of a car. I  notice how young is our driver, 20 years of age. We  trust he is experienced.  We are leaving  the town and the driver is giving more gas in speed. The road is well asphalted  but everybody is driving as fast as he can. The tachometer shows sometimes the speed of 150 kms/hour. George does his best to advise him that the speed is to fast, however, the driver does not understand. The language barrier is a big problem, but you do not receive in Ethiopia  the car without a driver, so we fear for it  during the whole journey. After several hours, we avoid the bus placed upside down on roof , the same we have. All passengers are O.K. and are sitting covered in coveres from the car.

The driver  finally understood  and continued ahead slowly.

     After seven o´clock the Blue Nile valley is opening  in front of  us. Brown river is streaming through deep canon taking its secret of unknown country. The asphalted road is finished and we  are descending  on gravel to the bridge. On this place we should have finish our water-tour. The workers are doing their best to construct the road up to the new bridge, unfortunately the water pulls down the road to the valley during rain period every zdar.

     We drive several kilometers distance for two hours at least. The old bridge does not look like too  stable , only one car is allowed to pass. We wait for the advice , when we can pass the bridge.  The green flag is making the sign for us, so we continue our drive. However, the road  is worse. We creep the hill and the raised dust from the other cars is everywhere.  Further, in a gap, there is the asphalt again. This is an advice for our driver to go faster. Anyway,  we are passing many villages  where it is a duty to go slowly.

     We stop in small town of Debre Markos to get a lunch. However, in a restaurant it is available  a menu in local  language only , as nobody is speaking English. A spaghetti is the only expression they understand , so we order it. Within half an hour  we receive big  tin  tray  where we find a spaghetti ,the sauce in  a small dish  and  near by is put something as used  rag for a floor.  It is „Injara“. We do not trust a lot to this food, but we are very hungry so we are starting to eat. The taste is a little sourish , when you dip it  into the sauce  it is quite tasty.

After a lunch we continue our drive to the town of Bahar Dar, where the Blue Nile is flowing out of Tana Lake.

     We are looking for the suitable hotel for lodging, after one hour  of  disputes with local guides (they ask payment for each advice) we accommodate  in new reconstructed camping place. It is not open yet. In late afternoon we walk to the town to get more information  about the river. Everybody, we ask, is the best „Guide“ and knows the river very well.  

In a local pub we meet the old couple from Canada. They recommend us the boy of name Salomon. We order a dinner and wait for Salomon , he arrives within an hour. However, he knows nothing about the lower part of the river , but he told to secure a  trip to waterfalls for us. We  agreed to meet  at 8 o´clock in the morning next day.

     Lukáš has his name-day , so he welcomes us to drink a beer. We enter  a local bar and we hear the tones of a music band. In a  bar-darkness we are drinking a beer and watching  the dance couple in strange dancing creations. After a while they noticed us and we are drawn into a circle. The bar is later so full of people that you can hardly move there. The entertainment is starting. It is a pity that we cannot stay any longer, as we have to go to bed , tommorow we start our track to waterfalls.

     At 8 o´clock we mount the car and drive 40 kms distance  along the stony road to waterfalls. We have to pay a  entrance fee of  Birr 15 ( CZK 35)  in a small village , we continue approx. 1 km ahead , here is situated parking place. We drive along the narrow path up to the old stone bridge across  the Nile . The river is cut into a canon. We think that this is an arm of a river, but it is not so. In the river it is not much water. We find after a while that most of water is lead away over waterfalls to the local electric power station. We continue ahead along the path among cottages of   spange-sellers. We mount the hill where we have a marvelous view of a waterfall with a rainbow. In order to reach the waterfall, we have to go round the canon of small tributary and to wade through on one place.

The waterfall is high approx. 20 m , it could be probably possible to jump it on kayak.We are not able to estimate direct on  waterfall edge and  carry  out  in a peace.  We reach the canon under the waterfall through  a small tributary. We return to the car. The friends  watch  the outflow of the power station ,  the rest  of us  goes shopping to the market place.

We  pack our belongings  in the evening and go soon  to bed .

Tomorrow starts our journey to unknown places, we do not know anything about...

Five days in canon

     In the morning we wake up early and  scuffle the belongings into the boats, there is a lot of things so that we cannot get into. Breakfast taken in a hurry and walk to the bridge at the outflow of a lake. The boats are so heavy that we hardly  carry them, full of belongings necessary for 10 days stay on water. However, nearby the bridge we are stopped with a soldier with a shot-gun. He does not will  us to let go to the water.  He requires some documents regarding permission for floating. Unfortunately, we do not have any document ,

as required, available. After a discussion we came to the conclusion. It is not permitted to make photos  and films of bridges and power station. We promise that we do not make photos of their strategic points and descend  to the water accompanied by enormous  crowd of black men  which arose during our discussion with a soldier.

     We say good-bye to the rest of our expedition and  guess on meeting point under waterfall.

It is the only place we can meet before we enter the canon. The water is warm  as a coffee but it is streaming.The river is  branched into several arms behind the town. We try always to choose the watery arm , in order not to finish somewhere in bush. We follow the water-level , if the river-horses appear to ride round them on big bend. It is quite hot and we see only the smoothed paths into bush where the animals have a rest in a mud.

After five kilometers the river is descending  of the hill. The rapids are not difficult but you cannot watch them. The banks are  overgrown thickly with bush and it is impossible to go out.  We are driving according to our memory („eyes“).

     After an hour´s paddling we reach the place where the river is disappearing deeply downstairs. It is impossible to go to the edge. The stream is quite strong there , this could  us pull down , and if there were no  passage, so big problem could arise. Anyway, we can get out in a small bend, where the cows enter in order to drink. We are on a bank but it is not possible to reach the rapid directly , in order to have a look at it. We have to paddle a little against the stream and cross the other side, we trust the transfer would be better there. So, we are crossing the opposite side  and are watching the rapid.  It is a  broken rocky stage of  at least  5 meters high. The transit could be possible but nobody has the courage to pass it, with so heavy boat. It is a nonsence to  make a risk from the very beginning.

    We carry the boats and continue in our way. We wander in the arms of a river , where the rapids change the calm sections.  I  always stop  over the rapid on the edge in the last turning at the bank , in order to run of the water , if it would  not be possible to continue.  Nevertheless, there is always a free passage, which becomes more difficult but it is possible to continue. With the exception of one rapid , where the river is descending of some ten meters downstairs. The rollers, high as buildings and sharp stones take us the courage to risk.The river becomes calm  under fury element. We watch two crocodiles  having sun-bath on the bank for the first time. When they noticed us ,they jumped into a water. We frightened a little at this scene and paddled  quickly away.

     We continue to slip through a wilderness looking forward to a waterfall. Unfortunately, we do not see it. The river is turning and bending a lot, it takes more time as expected. We have to reach the waterfalls till four o´clock, in order to catch and  pass the canon under waterfall before dusk. We see the people walking along the banks, our  daydreams waterfall is approaching.

     The people  are waving to us  and crying something. We always make a sign to them.

We go out of  bush and in front of us we see  the water-gates turning the water on electric power station. We take an aim at left arm , where the waterfall could be placed. We stop, after several minutes, on the waterfall edge. From the top  it seems to be higher. We take heavy boats on our arms  and carry to the small tributary, through which we should pass  the canon under the waterfall. It would be better to jump over stones as to cyrry so heavy boat!

     We enter the Nile direct under the waterfall. It is a wonderfull view on falling mass of water and rocky walls leading the Nile waters into unknown places ! We enter the canon, it is 5 o´clock and at 6 the sun is falling down. We have to be in a hurry, in order to find a place for sleeping. The water is  easy , with the exception of one rapid , which we are watching now. Two rollers. We pass it with George and Paul prefers to carry the boat. After one kilometer of distance the water from power station flows  and the canon is opening. As it is getting dark , we stop on the first free place where it is possible to built a tent. We eat dry meat and energetic chocolate  to the dinner. We do not have more energy to eat more.

     In the morning we make up the fire and cook a soup. We consumed some food , so the belongings are put better into the boat, maybe, we learned a little how to do it.

At half past eight we are on water again.  The river is making zigzag between the rocks and its stream is quick.  If it would continue like this, so we make more kilometres.  At 9 o´clock we meet the second part of our expedition , with them we originally should met yesterday..

However, we went slowly , so we did not met. The local man is accompanying them.

He is roasting the maize on fire for us. As a second course  is served the mashed potatoes with a meat. We drink for the first time the tea, made from the river Nile. It is nothing special  but we are not thirsty any more.

     We  do not stay for long time and say bye-bye to our  foot-passengers part . They are going to  make films and photos of local villages , so we hope that we meet them again  within  five days  in canon, where the access way would exist ,or in ten days in hotel in Addis Ababa.

      The river  is of  the same character. We are glad that it is so and  continue quickly ahead. We swing on waves and from time to time we jump over a roller, watching the wonderful nature, enjoy birds´ singing and  baboons running along the bank. When the river cuts into among  perpendicular  rocky walls and descends quickly downstairs, we stop at the last moment. It is seething  between the rocks. We are carrying the boats 500 m ahead. We are extremely tired, so we nearly trail it. The river remains cut in perpendicular walls showing its wilderness. After having studying it, we find that it would be possible to pass it, we  march on too slowly.

     We have to mount over a canon on one rapid. We are climbing up with Paul the bush , thorns  and prickles  are sticking into hands and legs. The pass is practicable , we trust that it will be more calm  ahead.  Anyway, George  decided to have a look  far away. It seems to be O.K.

     We are starting to go to the rapid. I see as George´s boat is flying and falling down , bottom upwards. I wonder. It was nothing on this place, the wave only. Just the wave and heavy stern of kayak  caused the problem.  We take steps hundreds of meters ahead. It is necessary  to get out from the boat, climb across the stones, watch the way direction, this operations are to be repeated again and again.

      We have to find the suitable place for sleeping , the dusk is coming, we are still among the rocks. The river is disappearing in stones and three enormous rollers force us to carry the boats again. The dark will be in any moment. We tow the boats across the stones and are  partially in a water , it is impossible to pass in other way. Several meters remain in order to overcome this last obstacle. But how to mount ?  We find a roller high as a building nearby and a perpendicular wall is above us.

     Paul together with George  let downstairs on a rope. They huddle together the rope across the stone , on which they fasten a boat and I am sinking it down. The boat is terribly heavy but it succedes.  The boys head through the second rope (swing) into a shink in a stone. It went through! The further pass without problem. A  small sandy beach appears just behind the rapid where we build the tent  We are extremely tired, taste some food and go asleep.

     In the morning we are starting  at eight o´clock, expecting that the river could be cut again in the rocks.  But everything is changing. The rocks step back  and hills along the river raise.

The biggest would be over 4000 meters!  The difficulty of  the flow is decreasing. We have not found any affluent, so we take the water for drinking directly from Nile. It seems to be not too bad, after adding the disinfection. We rush the river down. We trust that we cover good distance today. The rapids with big waves are changing with calm sections , but here we can watch the crocodiles. They wallow in the sun and  when they observe us they disappear in a water. Some of them are of three meters length at least.

We all have burnt hands and faces  of sunshine after several hours.In spite of the fact that we lubricate our skins every morning, this does not help a lot.  The sun in Africa is so strong!

We went approx. 80 kms on this day. Everything pains us, so we build a tent at an affluent with pure water.

     While eating, the black man with children is coming to us suddenly. We do not know from which direction he came. However, we  cannot understand each other, we do not know the Amhar language. I understood after a while. We hear and see  cattle-herd  not far away.  So we come to an understanding  with him by means of hands and legs. The man is studying with interest our belongings. Paul begins to write a diary. The man takes the pencil and the diary from his hands and writes something to the exercise-book.  The local people can write and read , so they had to go to school. However, they cannot use the obtained education under these conditions. They say good-bye to us and drive the cattle up to the hills.

     The next day the river becomes more calm and flows among  high hills. It looks like here as  in Grand Canyon Colorado of America. It is wonderful. There are more calm sections but we watch also more crocodiles , which start to be intrusive. They follow us and some even swim behind us. We are more quicker as they and they do not prefer to enter into stream –some of them tried it. Many coloured birds are flying around, we meet even the eagle-whiteheaded and big bird , similar to  heron ash-coloured, its beak is bigger. The baboons are jumping on the trees and try to hide. These are of hundreds and hundreds. We have always to pay attention on water-level to watch the crocodiles in order to avoid the encounter with them

     We wish to film some small crocodile , but suddenly appears  bigger one nearby our boat , so we prefer to drive away. We begin to be exhausted, the fibrous matter is missing. The dried food as well as  dried meat do not give us much vitamins. We  are doing our best to drink a lot, in spite of this fact  we feel lack of water  (dehydratation) We drink four litres of water daily, it is, however, insufficient , under such load.  We peel off  the skin of our bodies and have completely cracked lips. We hope that in couple of days we overcome these difficulties.

The vision of hotel room and good food pushes us forward !

In the evening we build the tent on sandy beach along the road thinking that this would be a way to the canon.. Unfortunately, it is wrong way , it is cattle path to the water-spring.

We estimate, according to the  map that we made again 80 kms approximately. We are of the opinion that it is not  long section forward. We try to finish it tomorrow.

     We rush early morning. At 8 o´clock we are , with paddles in hands, driving down the river.We are forced to paddle a lot , it is not a  strong stream, and the crocodiles are really intrusive. I paddle in a peace, George suddenly cries : „ Attention , the crocodile is following you!“ I look back and see the crocodile heading for my boat. I make several gearings, the monster is following me continually, he is not ready to give up. So, I  give more quick gearings out of him. Crocodile stopped to enjoy this pursuit , so he turned back to his shelter.

We are looking out the bridge after several hours´of drive. We are exhausted , we hardly draggle. We do not have the taste to sleep in a tent in this desolate canon.  The rivers curves and has no end, any bend seems to be the last one. At 5 o´clock only we watch the dust over the valley! It is  the dust from the bridge-construction.

     We made it! It is over! We draw the boats on  mudded bank and change to dry clothes.

Local workers are astonished and surprised from where we came. We explain them from which place we arrived. They nod their heads saying that we had good luck as we were not assaulted by crocodiles.

      They help us to carry the boats to the road . We try to hire the car to Addis Abeba .

The soldier watching  the bridge is requiring again some document. He does not speak English a lot, so he gives up after ten minutes and  tries to catch the suitable car for us.

     We are fortunate, after half an hour the truck loaded with rice,stops. We put the boats up to a body among the passengers. The driver takes us into a cabin. Four men in cabin, why not ?

 you cannot believe how we look forward to the hotel !  We do not forsee at all that we go the distance of 200 kms for eight hours! The can is overloaded , it does not move.

We have a stop for taking a meal. We wish to order big portions, meat with potatoes. The waiter  says, O.K., but he returns after a while informing that only the omelette is available.

We have no other solution , so we take this food.

At one o´clock in the morning we arrive to the hotel. We are not able to fulfill the required documents. We are so extremely tired!