He is the tough one who loves it when the going gets tough. Levison Wood, the British Army Officer turned explorer, writer and photographer loves to undertake journeys that most would not think about much less attempt. His record-breaking exploration of walking across the world’s longest river, the Nile is now being shown on Discovery Channel. This four-part series “Walking The Nile” takes viewers from the source of the river in Rwanda through Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Republic of Sudan and finally Egypt – some of the most dangerous places ridden with violence and strife. Besides the scenic beauty of different locales and varied communities, it shows the audienceunique customs of the places and its people.
Wood, in a chat, talks about how the journey came into being, the challenges he faced and some of the memorable incidents he is unlikely to forget.
How did “Walking The Nile” take shape?
It was a dream journey which I always wanted to do. So when the chance came I went ahead. It was an epic expedition through a region whose locales, people and history have always fascinated me.
Nile conjures up an image of mystery, history and grand spectacles. Is the reality different from such stereotypes?
Yes, I think Nile does conjure up those images for most people. It is a very evocative river. When people hear Nile they think of the last 500 miles that is the Egyptian Nile, the sand dunes, the Pyramids and all those things much like the Agathe Christie stereotype. That is true for the last bit. But Nile is more than 4000 miles long and goes through different countries. So people do not expect Nile of Rwanda or Uganda, the jungles, the wildernesses, populated with tribes. Nile is an incredible river, very diverse.
Share some of the challenges you faced. Did you at any point want to give up?
There were lots of challenges like walking through the war zones in South Sudan and chased by the animals. But I think the hardest was the mental challenge of the unknown coming up ahead and the uncertainty, not knowing how long will it take. I remember going to Sudan and there was this 250 miles long road to Khartoum, with nothing around and it was incredibly hot 57 degree Celsius. The sheer boredom and monotony gets you. So, honestly I did think of giving it up but then I reminded myself how lucky I was and did not give up.
In Uganda, I was chased by hippopotamus twice. There the Nile has got the highest concentration of crocodiles so these reptiles would dart from the bushes to the river which was very terrifying.
In Tanzania, a my guide and I got robbed on an empty road. Some parts of the Egyptian leg were dangerous because of the unrest there. In fact, I was put under house arrest there for a some time. Among all the countries the toughest was South Sudan because of the civil war and fighting.
Tell us some unforgettable moments from the expedition
Watching the vast African landscapes and animals in the wild like elephants was truly remarkable. Going to unknown places like the Meroe pyramids in Sudan which unlike the Egyptian ones have no tourists. It was amazing. From the empty deserts you have these Pyramids coming out of the sand. It is very evocative.
For me these journeys are all about meeting people and they are the ones who make it fascinating. Meeting different communities, tribes and being accepted by them. Like the Mundari tribe on South Sudan’s Channels Islands. They are nomads who live on these floating islands on the Nile where they take their cows. It is an incredibly traditional lifestyle. I do not think I have seen that anywhere else. They shampoo their hair with cow urine which turns it red. The reason being they do not want to use the river for bathing because of crocodiles.
How tough was it in comparison to the Himalayan expedition ?
Both were challenging. Nile was longer but the Himalayas was physically tougher but I enjoyed it for diversity, beauty and history.
How does your army training help you in your missions?
The practical training, discipline and putting yourself in the extreme environment comes from Army. More than that, it is the attitude to be able to push yourself mentally and physically more than you would expect.
(On Discovery Channel every Wednesday, 9 p.m.)
