1 00:00:01,912 --> 00:00:05,745 (singing in foreign language) 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 4 00:00:34,676 --> 00:00:37,093 (epic music) 5 00:00:50,671 --> 00:00:54,048 (wings flapping) 6 00:00:54,048 --> 00:00:56,465 (epic music) 7 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:03,050 - [Pasquale] Long before the heart of Africa was ever mapped 8 00:01:03,050 --> 00:01:06,283 explorers were irresistibly drawn to this secret world. 9 00:01:08,905 --> 00:01:12,738 (singing in foreign language) 10 00:01:38,190 --> 00:01:40,290 Africa's greatest secret of all 11 00:01:40,290 --> 00:01:42,470 for thousands of years was the source 12 00:01:42,470 --> 00:01:44,833 of the world's longest river, the Nile. 13 00:01:45,842 --> 00:01:49,675 (singing in foreign language) 14 00:01:53,430 --> 00:01:55,963 The Nile is unique among the world's rivers. 15 00:01:56,810 --> 00:01:59,660 Some call it the most important river on Earth 16 00:01:59,660 --> 00:02:02,823 because it gave life to the first great civilization. 17 00:02:06,790 --> 00:02:09,270 To a geologist like me, this desert 18 00:02:09,270 --> 00:02:11,303 is a rich and productive environment. 19 00:02:13,050 --> 00:02:14,800 Yet just a mile from the river, 20 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:16,653 I don't find a single living plant. 21 00:02:19,640 --> 00:02:21,910 As long as 8,000 years ago, 22 00:02:21,910 --> 00:02:24,080 farmers diverted water from the Nile 23 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:27,513 to irrigate their crops and made the desert bloom. 24 00:02:28,875 --> 00:02:31,292 (soft music) 25 00:02:32,740 --> 00:02:36,350 Without the Nile, there would have been no great pyramids, 26 00:02:36,350 --> 00:02:38,940 no advanced civilizations with all its innovations 27 00:02:38,940 --> 00:02:40,883 in language, art, and astronomy. 28 00:02:45,421 --> 00:02:48,190 Each summer the water level of the Nile 29 00:02:48,190 --> 00:02:51,060 rose several feet without a single drop of rain 30 00:02:51,060 --> 00:02:52,123 falling in Egypt. 31 00:02:56,770 --> 00:02:58,980 The early Egyptians built structures 32 00:02:58,980 --> 00:03:01,473 to measure the rise of the river precisely, 33 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:06,090 but a few times in history, 34 00:03:06,090 --> 00:03:08,050 the river mysteriously failed to rise 35 00:03:08,050 --> 00:03:10,020 for several summers in a row, 36 00:03:10,020 --> 00:03:11,793 causing famine throughout Egypt. 37 00:03:17,260 --> 00:03:19,530 Every year the farmers watched the river 38 00:03:19,530 --> 00:03:22,463 and wondered where does all this water come from? 39 00:03:23,980 --> 00:03:26,573 This was the Nile's first great mystery. 40 00:03:29,297 --> 00:03:34,297 (eerie music) (water bubbling) 41 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,420 In 1858, a British explorer set out 42 00:03:48,420 --> 00:03:50,233 to solve the mystery of the Nile. 43 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:52,842 He proclaimed Lake Victoria 44 00:03:52,842 --> 00:03:55,240 the one true source. 45 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:57,280 There was one minor problem, though. 46 00:03:57,280 --> 00:03:58,113 He was wrong. 47 00:04:00,406 --> 00:04:03,589 Lake Victoria contributes only a fraction 48 00:04:03,589 --> 00:04:05,153 of the Nile's rivers. 49 00:04:09,307 --> 00:04:11,760 The main source of the Nile 50 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:13,763 is in the rugged Highlands of Ethiopia. 51 00:04:15,792 --> 00:04:19,113 The riches of Egypt are a gift from Lake Tana. 52 00:04:20,094 --> 00:04:22,677 (upbeat music) 53 00:04:23,660 --> 00:04:25,860 Over 80% of the Nile's water 54 00:04:25,860 --> 00:04:29,233 comes from Ethiopia's Blue Nile and its tributaries. 55 00:04:30,900 --> 00:04:32,970 My goal is to lead the first team 56 00:04:32,970 --> 00:04:34,830 down the entire length of the Blue Nile 57 00:04:34,830 --> 00:04:36,460 from here in Ethiopia 58 00:04:36,460 --> 00:04:39,999 all the way to the Mediterranean, 3,000 miles. 59 00:04:39,999 --> 00:04:42,749 (rain pattering) 60 00:04:46,187 --> 00:04:49,437 (waterfall thundering) 61 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:56,480 I've brought my team to Lake Tana 62 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:58,313 for the expedition of a lifetime. 63 00:04:59,606 --> 00:05:01,551 We reached the Ethiopian Highlands 64 00:05:01,551 --> 00:05:04,493 just in time to witness a Christian procession. 65 00:05:08,702 --> 00:05:11,584 - [Saskia] I went for the first time to Ethiopia, 66 00:05:11,584 --> 00:05:14,163 and I trust Pasquale as our leader. 67 00:05:16,611 --> 00:05:18,490 (speaking in foreign language) 68 00:05:18,490 --> 00:05:20,269 - Yeah, he's one of the nine satyrs 69 00:05:20,269 --> 00:05:21,102 who came from 70 00:05:21,102 --> 00:05:25,019 (speaking in foreign language) 71 00:05:26,844 --> 00:05:31,844 (camera shutter clicking) (laughing) 72 00:05:33,840 --> 00:05:36,378 - [Saskia] Pasquale has led expeditions to Mount Everest 73 00:05:36,378 --> 00:05:39,853 and run many of the world's most violent rivers. 74 00:05:40,690 --> 00:05:42,440 He knows very well what he's doing. 75 00:05:43,411 --> 00:05:47,060 (singing in foreign language) 76 00:05:47,060 --> 00:05:49,200 - [Pasquale] We're here to attempt the first descent 77 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:51,914 of Africa's mightiest river, the Blue Nile. 78 00:05:51,914 --> 00:05:55,747 (singing in foreign language) 79 00:05:57,180 --> 00:05:59,970 I've hired some Ethiopian boatmen to be our cooks, 80 00:05:59,970 --> 00:06:01,563 our helpers, and bodyguards. 81 00:06:03,620 --> 00:06:04,950 We'll be heading into territory 82 00:06:04,950 --> 00:06:06,853 few outsiders have ever seen. 83 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:11,593 (singing in foreign language) 84 00:06:14,100 --> 00:06:15,740 The upper part of the Blue Nile 85 00:06:15,740 --> 00:06:18,123 was first run and mapped in 1968 86 00:06:18,123 --> 00:06:21,583 when a British Army expedition explored just this section. 87 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:24,930 They had many serious injuries. 88 00:06:24,930 --> 00:06:26,063 One man died. 89 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:29,020 They found that the Blue Nile was crawling 90 00:06:29,020 --> 00:06:31,373 with huge swarms of crocodiles. 91 00:06:33,164 --> 00:06:35,510 They had 70 experts. 92 00:06:35,510 --> 00:06:36,343 Pull back. 93 00:06:36,343 --> 00:06:38,360 My team is mostly novices. 94 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:39,913 All right, you're in the water again! 95 00:06:39,913 --> 00:06:41,600 Okay, get in, in the boat. 96 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:42,790 I'll really have to keep an eye 97 00:06:42,790 --> 00:06:45,353 on our Egyptian scientist, Dr. Mohamed Megahed. 98 00:06:46,275 --> 00:06:47,410 Mohamed, where's Mohamed? 99 00:06:47,410 --> 00:06:50,470 - [Mohamed] As a hydrologist, I spend my time indoors 100 00:06:50,470 --> 00:06:51,890 in a laboratory. 101 00:06:51,890 --> 00:06:54,630 Pasquale is worried about me, and so am I. 102 00:06:55,730 --> 00:06:57,830 - [Pasquale] Gordon Brown, our safety kayaker, 103 00:06:57,830 --> 00:06:59,150 is the only one who will be with me 104 00:06:59,150 --> 00:07:02,240 for the entire four month expedition. 105 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:03,073 - Come by. 106 00:07:03,073 --> 00:07:05,410 You grab these loops right back here 107 00:07:05,410 --> 00:07:06,880 and pull yourself up on the boat. 108 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:09,468 I'll take you back to the raft or take you to the shore. 109 00:07:09,468 --> 00:07:10,301 - All right. - Either way-- 110 00:07:10,301 --> 00:07:12,570 - [Pasquale] Four years ago, Gordon was diagnosed 111 00:07:12,570 --> 00:07:13,543 with a brain tumor. 112 00:07:14,408 --> 00:07:17,080 It would have killed most of us, 113 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:18,470 but he fought it off with a year 114 00:07:18,470 --> 00:07:20,920 of radiation and chemotherapy. 115 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:22,603 He's really a survivor. 116 00:07:25,092 --> 00:07:28,100 (speaking in foreign language) 117 00:07:28,100 --> 00:07:28,933 - Yeah. 118 00:07:28,933 --> 00:07:31,620 - [Pasquale] Saskia Lange is a journalist from Spain. 119 00:07:31,620 --> 00:07:32,650 She's writing an article 120 00:07:32,650 --> 00:07:34,200 about religion along the river. 121 00:07:36,110 --> 00:07:37,610 - [Saskia] The river travels through areas 122 00:07:37,610 --> 00:07:40,560 with no roads, so I'll be able to study 123 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:43,810 indigenous people, people I could never meet 124 00:07:43,810 --> 00:07:45,327 any other way. 125 00:07:45,327 --> 00:07:46,160 (speaking in foreign language) 126 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:47,884 Thank you very much. 127 00:07:47,884 --> 00:07:51,023 - Myriam Seco is our team's archeologist. 128 00:07:53,024 --> 00:07:56,220 - [Myriam] Here, in the holy city of Lalibela, 129 00:07:56,220 --> 00:08:00,499 the Ethiopians step down 40 feet into bedrock. 130 00:08:00,499 --> 00:08:02,916 (epic music) 131 00:08:04,810 --> 00:08:08,343 This church was chiseled out of one giant block of stone. 132 00:08:10,010 --> 00:08:14,280 It's one of 11 carved churches linked by tunnels. 133 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:17,210 For 16 centuries, the Christians here 134 00:08:17,210 --> 00:08:19,340 remained very closely aligned 135 00:08:19,340 --> 00:08:22,253 to the Church in Egypt, 3,000 miles away. 136 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:26,813 I wonder how the Nile kept that connection alive. 137 00:08:30,969 --> 00:08:34,802 (singing in foreign language) 138 00:08:40,310 --> 00:08:41,740 - [Pasquale] Some people say that hidden 139 00:08:41,740 --> 00:08:45,130 in these stone churches is the Ark of the Covenant, 140 00:08:45,130 --> 00:08:47,363 the box that Indiana Jones was after. 141 00:08:50,100 --> 00:08:52,020 The Ark contains the tablet engraved 142 00:08:52,020 --> 00:08:55,633 with the Ten Commandments, the actual tablet given to Moses. 143 00:08:56,690 --> 00:08:57,653 Is it really here? 144 00:08:58,544 --> 00:09:03,544 (singing in foreign language) (upbeat percussive music) 145 00:09:26,634 --> 00:09:30,170 Lalibela is the Eighth Wonder of the World, 146 00:09:30,170 --> 00:09:32,113 or if it's not, it should be. 147 00:09:33,873 --> 00:09:36,860 Just as the Christians in Lalibela carved 148 00:09:36,860 --> 00:09:39,710 magnificent churches out of solid rock, 149 00:09:39,710 --> 00:09:42,840 the Blue Nile River has been carving this huge canyon 150 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:44,610 through the Highlands of Ethiopia, 151 00:09:44,610 --> 00:09:47,623 which the British named the Great Canyon of Africa. 152 00:09:48,824 --> 00:09:52,657 (singing in foreign language) 153 00:09:54,460 --> 00:09:56,897 The Scout helps, but it's deceptive. 154 00:09:56,897 --> 00:09:59,444 From the air, it's really easy to forget 155 00:09:59,444 --> 00:10:01,694 that it's the most dangerous river in Africa. 156 00:10:03,011 --> 00:10:06,844 (singing in foreign language) 157 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:29,330 The aerial scout confirmed that the high water 158 00:10:29,330 --> 00:10:30,550 had finally peaked. 159 00:10:30,550 --> 00:10:32,963 It was time to start the expedition. 160 00:10:32,963 --> 00:10:35,150 Gordon and I plan on being on the river 161 00:10:35,150 --> 00:10:37,700 for probably more than four months. 162 00:10:37,700 --> 00:10:40,453 This is Bahir Dar, and again, this is Lake Tana. 163 00:10:40,453 --> 00:10:42,270 This is where we'll be putting in. 164 00:10:42,270 --> 00:10:44,510 Here I was, leading the greenest bunch 165 00:10:44,510 --> 00:10:47,431 of river rookies that ever climbed into a raft. 166 00:10:47,431 --> 00:10:49,730 Keeping everyone on this expedition alive 167 00:10:49,730 --> 00:10:52,170 is my greatest responsibility. 168 00:10:52,170 --> 00:10:54,020 And then finally, to Tissisat Falls. 169 00:10:54,020 --> 00:10:55,310 We will then go through this canyon, 170 00:10:55,310 --> 00:10:57,760 which has a lot of Class 5 and such, white water. 171 00:10:59,050 --> 00:11:01,843 Before we departed, Mohamed had a promise to keep. 172 00:11:04,040 --> 00:11:06,920 - [Mohamed] My grandfather is a farmer in Egypt. 173 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:09,503 He gets 100% of his water from the Nile. 174 00:11:10,709 --> 00:11:13,488 I promised him when I go to the river source, 175 00:11:13,488 --> 00:11:15,793 I would bring him a vile of holy water. 176 00:11:17,638 --> 00:11:20,420 The Ethiopians treasure the Nile, 177 00:11:20,420 --> 00:11:21,793 just as we do in Egypt. 178 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:28,050 - [Pasquale] As we head down the river, 179 00:11:28,050 --> 00:11:29,463 the whole team is pumped. 180 00:11:30,540 --> 00:11:33,090 Most of the wild rivers on every continent 181 00:11:33,090 --> 00:11:34,910 have already been run. 182 00:11:34,910 --> 00:11:36,280 Not the Blue Nile. 183 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:38,530 This is one of the last great river expeditions 184 00:11:38,530 --> 00:11:40,065 left in the world. 185 00:11:40,065 --> 00:11:43,898 (singing in foreign language) 186 00:11:54,170 --> 00:11:55,980 No one has ever succeeded in running 187 00:11:55,980 --> 00:11:58,630 this entire river from source to sea. 188 00:11:58,630 --> 00:12:02,143 All those who've tried it have either died or given up. 189 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:08,280 (water rushing) (light music) 190 00:12:15,730 --> 00:12:17,463 As a geologist, these lava flows 191 00:12:17,463 --> 00:12:20,097 have a certain fascination for me. 192 00:12:20,097 --> 00:12:23,930 (singing in foreign language) 193 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:30,173 Lava flows like this one pinch the water together, 194 00:12:30,173 --> 00:12:32,920 forcing all the water through a narrow channel, 195 00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:34,653 creating huge rapids. 196 00:12:35,510 --> 00:12:38,410 But the volcanic rocks are sharp as knives, 197 00:12:38,410 --> 00:12:40,383 and our rafts are made of fabric. 198 00:12:41,512 --> 00:12:45,345 (singing in foreign language) 199 00:13:07,648 --> 00:13:12,648 (water rushing) (upbeat music) 200 00:13:13,592 --> 00:13:16,342 (faint shouting) 201 00:13:19,639 --> 00:13:24,639 (water rushing) (upbeat music) 202 00:13:30,225 --> 00:13:32,980 This was Mohamed's very first swim in the Nile. 203 00:13:32,980 --> 00:13:34,637 I kept a close eye on him. 204 00:13:36,451 --> 00:13:39,767 There's a fine line between an exciting rapid 205 00:13:39,767 --> 00:13:41,033 and a deadly one. 206 00:13:43,700 --> 00:13:45,670 The rafts are really heavy, 207 00:13:45,670 --> 00:13:47,430 so when the river gets to deadly to run, 208 00:13:47,430 --> 00:13:49,550 we send one raft through empty, 209 00:13:49,550 --> 00:13:52,933 and then we portage the rest of the gear. 210 00:14:00,131 --> 00:14:03,964 (singing in foreign language) 211 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:09,640 One sure way to get a laugh in Ethiopia 212 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:11,803 is to carry a rubber raft on your head. 213 00:14:13,847 --> 00:14:16,097 (laughing) 214 00:14:20,784 --> 00:14:25,451 (people chattering in foreign language) 215 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:34,080 The Ethiopian Highlands were once carpeted in thick forest, 216 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:36,420 but just in the past 30 years, the Amhara tribe 217 00:14:36,420 --> 00:14:39,160 have cut down 90% of the trees to make charcoal 218 00:14:39,160 --> 00:14:40,810 for cooking fuel. 219 00:14:40,810 --> 00:14:43,133 This has changed the entire watershed. 220 00:14:44,760 --> 00:14:46,480 - [Mohamed] The Blue Nile carries lots 221 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:48,650 of volcanic minerals that used to nourish 222 00:14:48,650 --> 00:14:50,903 my grandfather's fields in Egypt. 223 00:14:53,822 --> 00:14:57,810 I test for the salinity because the rising salt content 224 00:14:57,810 --> 00:15:00,163 of the Nile is destroying our farmland. 225 00:15:01,108 --> 00:15:03,608 (light music) 226 00:15:06,691 --> 00:15:09,090 - [Pasquale] The river's accelerating, 227 00:15:09,090 --> 00:15:10,770 but the team won't really grasp 228 00:15:10,770 --> 00:15:13,010 the magnitude of this river's power 229 00:15:13,010 --> 00:15:14,120 until they set their eyes 230 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:15,880 on one of the most magnificent sights 231 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:18,653 in all of Africa, Tissisat Falls. 232 00:15:19,902 --> 00:15:22,319 (epic music) 233 00:15:40,310 --> 00:15:44,143 (singing in foreign language) 234 00:15:47,941 --> 00:15:50,358 (epic music) 235 00:15:58,310 --> 00:16:00,400 Gordon's a bit of a cowboy. 236 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:02,713 He's got his own style of doing things. 237 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:05,420 - [Gordon] I told Pasquale I was gonna run 238 00:16:05,420 --> 00:16:07,310 every inch of this river. 239 00:16:07,310 --> 00:16:08,623 Now he knows I'm serious. 240 00:16:10,016 --> 00:16:12,599 (upbeat music) 241 00:16:28,165 --> 00:16:29,140 - [Pasquale] Now it's time to see 242 00:16:29,140 --> 00:16:31,860 how Mohamed holds up under pressure. 243 00:16:31,860 --> 00:16:34,110 He's never been on a rope before. 244 00:16:34,110 --> 00:16:36,306 Don't worry, okay? - Okay. 245 00:16:36,306 --> 00:16:38,645 - [Mohamed] Okay. 246 00:16:38,645 --> 00:16:41,395 (water crashing) 247 00:16:44,321 --> 00:16:45,323 - Good. 248 00:16:45,323 --> 00:16:46,635 You're doing really well, Mohamed. 249 00:16:46,635 --> 00:16:47,468 Keep moving. 250 00:16:47,468 --> 00:16:50,020 I need to push Mohamed to get it over with fast. 251 00:16:50,020 --> 00:16:52,703 The less time he has to think about this, the better. 252 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:56,330 A little further, a little further. 253 00:16:56,330 --> 00:16:57,820 A little further, Mohamed. 254 00:16:57,820 --> 00:16:58,653 A little further. 255 00:16:58,653 --> 00:16:59,486 Come on. 256 00:16:59,486 --> 00:17:00,319 A little further. 257 00:17:00,319 --> 00:17:02,473 Okay. - I'll do it this way. 258 00:17:04,810 --> 00:17:06,300 - [Pasquale] Saskia got tired of waiting 259 00:17:06,300 --> 00:17:08,640 for Mohamed to inch his way down, 260 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:09,883 so I let her go ahead. 261 00:17:11,574 --> 00:17:14,074 (light music) 262 00:17:18,580 --> 00:17:20,900 - [Mohamed] This isn't really fair. 263 00:17:20,900 --> 00:17:22,530 When I signed up for this trip, 264 00:17:22,530 --> 00:17:24,210 Pasquale asked me if I could swim. 265 00:17:24,210 --> 00:17:26,833 He never asked me if I could fly. 266 00:17:27,669 --> 00:17:31,010 (singing in foreign language) 267 00:17:31,010 --> 00:17:32,980 - [Pasquale] Mohamed didn't score a lot of style points, 268 00:17:32,980 --> 00:17:35,110 but he showed me some courage. 269 00:17:35,110 --> 00:17:37,232 I think our city boy is starting to toughen up. 270 00:17:37,232 --> 00:17:39,395 (singing in foreign language) 271 00:17:39,395 --> 00:17:41,978 (upbeat music) 272 00:17:50,123 --> 00:17:51,300 - [Mohamed] I didn't come all this way 273 00:17:51,300 --> 00:17:53,093 just to collect water samples. 274 00:17:54,821 --> 00:17:57,490 I'm mainly here to experience the river, 275 00:17:57,490 --> 00:18:00,090 to gain some insights about it, 276 00:18:00,090 --> 00:18:02,969 but I'm also here to learn about myself, 277 00:18:02,969 --> 00:18:05,623 and I'm so surprised at what I can do. 278 00:18:07,550 --> 00:18:11,383 (singing in foreign language) 279 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:15,560 - [Saskia] These people, the Amhara, 280 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:17,280 hike a long way down to the river 281 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:19,210 to attend to their crops. 282 00:18:19,210 --> 00:18:22,303 But otherwise, they shun the river as a dangerous place. 283 00:18:23,290 --> 00:18:25,663 They are kept away by bandits and malaria. 284 00:18:26,545 --> 00:18:30,378 (singing in foreign language) 285 00:18:43,460 --> 00:18:45,180 - [Pasquale] The most gung-ho team member 286 00:18:45,180 --> 00:18:47,470 is Michel L'Huillier from Chile. 287 00:18:47,470 --> 00:18:49,262 He's the team photographer. 288 00:18:49,262 --> 00:18:52,762 (camera shutter clicking) 289 00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:56,880 - [Michel] I love rafting up here. 290 00:18:56,880 --> 00:18:59,840 I admire the gentle dignity of the people. 291 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:01,203 They enjoy what they have. 292 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:04,950 I just hope my photos can capture their spirit. 293 00:19:05,963 --> 00:19:09,880 (speaking in foreign language) 294 00:19:17,267 --> 00:19:19,767 (light music) 295 00:19:22,409 --> 00:19:25,360 - [Saskia] No wonder Christianity survived here. 296 00:19:25,360 --> 00:19:28,470 The mountains kept invaders out. 297 00:19:28,470 --> 00:19:30,603 This is not exactly a gentle land. 298 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:35,350 - I admire fish and predators, 299 00:19:35,350 --> 00:19:38,823 except when they're contemplating having me for lunch. 300 00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:41,940 The most dangerous croc in the world 301 00:19:41,940 --> 00:19:43,840 is the Nile crocodile. 302 00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:47,073 They swim 12 miles an hour and eat more people in Africa 303 00:19:47,073 --> 00:19:50,060 than all other animals combined. 304 00:19:50,060 --> 00:19:51,470 So we were floating down the river, 305 00:19:51,470 --> 00:19:53,630 and up on the beach was this huge crocodile, 306 00:19:53,630 --> 00:19:56,080 maybe 14 feet, and he slid off the beach 307 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:58,090 and was really aggressive, 308 00:19:58,090 --> 00:20:00,710 and made a bee line straight for Gordon. 309 00:20:00,710 --> 00:20:02,520 - He started to arch out of the water 310 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:06,790 and he just kept coming at me, so I raised my paddle 311 00:20:06,790 --> 00:20:08,860 and I smacked him on the head. 312 00:20:08,860 --> 00:20:10,130 He dove under my boat. 313 00:20:10,130 --> 00:20:11,930 He hit my boat as he went down. 314 00:20:11,930 --> 00:20:14,020 For a second, I thought it was gonna tip over. 315 00:20:14,020 --> 00:20:16,490 - And as the crocodile opened that big mouth, 316 00:20:16,490 --> 00:20:18,660 I just was afraid that the crocodile was gonna grab hold 317 00:20:18,660 --> 00:20:21,170 of his arm and take Gordon and twist him under. 318 00:20:21,170 --> 00:20:22,310 Now if that would have happened to Gordon, 319 00:20:22,310 --> 00:20:23,150 he'd have been dead. 320 00:20:23,150 --> 00:20:24,870 And there was no way that Gordon was gonna go ahead 321 00:20:24,870 --> 00:20:26,540 and right himself again 322 00:20:26,540 --> 00:20:28,490 before the other crocodiles got to him. 323 00:20:31,120 --> 00:20:33,610 - [Mohamed] At night, when we camp by the river, 324 00:20:33,610 --> 00:20:36,593 we keep an eye on the crocodiles before we go to sleep. 325 00:20:37,810 --> 00:20:39,803 I never had to do this in Cairo. 326 00:20:41,676 --> 00:20:46,676 ♪ Take all the water you can pour in your hands ♪ 327 00:20:48,467 --> 00:20:51,118 ♪ And let it go ♪ 328 00:20:51,118 --> 00:20:52,860 ♪ Just let it go ♪ 329 00:20:52,860 --> 00:20:53,940 - [Pasquale] Those aren't rocks, Saskia. 330 00:20:53,940 --> 00:20:55,203 Those are hippos! 331 00:20:56,437 --> 00:20:58,185 ♪ Take all the answers ♪ 332 00:20:58,185 --> 00:21:03,185 ♪ That you think you understand and let it go ♪ 333 00:21:04,628 --> 00:21:07,768 ♪ Just let it go ♪ 334 00:21:07,768 --> 00:21:09,220 - Pasquale wonders that one rogue hippo 335 00:21:09,220 --> 00:21:11,680 can easily capsize a raft, 336 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:14,313 but that didn't keep us from getting a closer look. 337 00:21:16,461 --> 00:21:18,990 It was the most beautiful thing to see 338 00:21:18,990 --> 00:21:20,970 for the first time, hippos. 339 00:21:20,970 --> 00:21:22,720 There were eight around the boat 340 00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:24,830 with their ears like that. 341 00:21:27,305 --> 00:21:32,305 ♪ Though never worry what you're heading for ♪ 342 00:21:33,283 --> 00:21:38,283 ♪ The river always know the way ♪ 343 00:21:40,623 --> 00:21:45,623 ♪ We'll be forever drifting in between ♪ 344 00:21:46,957 --> 00:21:50,374 ♪ Tomorrow and yesterday ♪ 345 00:21:57,270 --> 00:21:58,640 - [Saskia] All along the journey 346 00:21:58,640 --> 00:22:00,580 whenever we stop to buy vegetables, 347 00:22:00,580 --> 00:22:02,880 eggs, and meat from the local people, 348 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:04,280 we get to see how they live. 349 00:22:05,770 --> 00:22:09,680 Ethiopia has over 100 distinct ethnic groups, 350 00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:11,920 many of them isolated from each other 351 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:12,857 by the rugged terrain. 352 00:22:12,857 --> 00:22:14,967 If they're not careful, I'll take him home. 353 00:22:14,967 --> 00:22:19,717 (cheering) (light music) 354 00:22:28,103 --> 00:22:30,323 ♪ And let it go ♪ 355 00:22:30,323 --> 00:22:33,250 ♪ Just let it go ♪ 356 00:22:33,250 --> 00:22:36,360 - [Pasquale] Over 200 million people depend on the Nile, 357 00:22:36,360 --> 00:22:38,840 and that population is projected to double 358 00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:40,253 in the next 25 years. 359 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:43,220 Can the Nile support all these people? 360 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:47,990 For over 1,000 years, 361 00:22:47,990 --> 00:22:50,840 whenever Ethiopia threatened to dam the Nile, 362 00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:53,790 the Egyptians took that threat seriously. 363 00:22:53,790 --> 00:22:56,653 If the river were diverted, Egypt would die. 364 00:22:58,070 --> 00:22:59,993 Who owns the water in the Nile? 365 00:23:03,510 --> 00:23:04,810 - I went off to explore 366 00:23:04,810 --> 00:23:05,980 a little side channel, 367 00:23:05,980 --> 00:23:09,352 and next thing I know, I was getting shot at. 368 00:23:09,352 --> 00:23:10,730 (gun banging) 369 00:23:10,730 --> 00:23:12,680 I ducked behind some rocks, 370 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:14,670 trying to get any cover I could. 371 00:23:14,670 --> 00:23:17,383 Probably five shots came across the river. 372 00:23:18,310 --> 00:23:20,785 I thought this could be it. 373 00:23:20,785 --> 00:23:23,950 My only real hope is to get down the river. 374 00:23:23,950 --> 00:23:25,310 - [Pasquale] I heard gunshots. 375 00:23:25,310 --> 00:23:27,050 (gun bangs) 376 00:23:27,050 --> 00:23:30,310 In these remote canyons, local bandits called Shifta 377 00:23:30,310 --> 00:23:32,830 have robbed and killed at least four people 378 00:23:32,830 --> 00:23:34,263 on previous expeditions. 379 00:23:35,450 --> 00:23:37,368 Gordon had been gone over an hour 380 00:23:37,368 --> 00:23:39,564 and I couldn't see any sign of him. 381 00:23:39,564 --> 00:23:41,330 (gun bangs) 382 00:23:41,330 --> 00:23:42,380 - [Gordon] I knew I couldn't stay there 383 00:23:42,380 --> 00:23:43,900 for very long. 384 00:23:43,900 --> 00:23:46,193 I had to paddle out and go downstream. 385 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:53,567 I knew if I stopped, I'd be an easy target. 386 00:23:56,394 --> 00:24:00,460 - [Pasquale] That night, I had a long argument with Gordon. 387 00:24:00,460 --> 00:24:02,490 I can't let him go of on his own like that 388 00:24:02,490 --> 00:24:04,260 because we're approaching the longest stretch 389 00:24:04,260 --> 00:24:06,563 of white water I've ever attempted in my life. 390 00:24:07,590 --> 00:24:11,330 Flipping a raft in huge white water can be fatal. 391 00:24:11,330 --> 00:24:13,480 People can drown in a hurry if they hit their head 392 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:16,113 on a rock or get snagged under water. 393 00:24:17,060 --> 00:24:19,360 On earlier expeditions, at least six people 394 00:24:19,360 --> 00:24:21,293 have died in this one section alone. 395 00:24:22,328 --> 00:24:27,328 (upbeat music) (water rushing) 396 00:25:14,770 --> 00:25:17,410 That morning, Michel steered his raft 397 00:25:17,410 --> 00:25:19,023 right into my worst nightmare. 398 00:25:21,807 --> 00:25:24,557 (water crashing) 399 00:25:32,563 --> 00:25:34,380 - I did a perfect flip. 400 00:25:34,380 --> 00:25:36,843 Everybody, the three of us went into the water. 401 00:25:38,025 --> 00:25:40,442 (epic music) 402 00:25:52,176 --> 00:25:54,111 (water bubbling) 403 00:25:54,111 --> 00:25:56,528 (epic music) 404 00:26:01,258 --> 00:26:04,137 (shouting in foreign language) 405 00:26:04,137 --> 00:26:05,154 - I heard someone scream 406 00:26:05,154 --> 00:26:07,900 (speaking in foreign language) which is crocodile. 407 00:26:07,900 --> 00:26:09,670 And I'm thinking oh my God, 408 00:26:09,670 --> 00:26:11,969 there's a crocodile in the river. 409 00:26:11,969 --> 00:26:13,870 And this was the first time 410 00:26:13,870 --> 00:26:17,260 on the entire expedition where I could actually feel 411 00:26:17,260 --> 00:26:19,160 the hair go up on the back of my neck. 412 00:26:20,574 --> 00:26:23,690 (dramatic music) 413 00:26:23,690 --> 00:26:26,150 - We knew there could be crocodiles around there. 414 00:26:26,150 --> 00:26:28,190 Usually they wait in the rapids 415 00:26:28,190 --> 00:26:31,010 so they can catch the fish which go through the rapids, 416 00:26:31,010 --> 00:26:32,610 and we were big fish (laughing). 417 00:26:33,550 --> 00:26:37,060 - [Pasquale] Everyone on Michel's boat 418 00:26:37,060 --> 00:26:38,303 is lucky to be alive. 419 00:26:39,613 --> 00:26:42,710 (dramatic music) 420 00:26:42,710 --> 00:26:43,946 If we ever come down and go through here, 421 00:26:43,946 --> 00:26:44,987 but I think it's safe. 422 00:26:44,987 --> 00:26:46,987 - Yeah, the run down isn't too bad, so-- 423 00:26:46,987 --> 00:26:48,547 - No, no. 424 00:26:48,547 --> 00:26:53,547 (singing in foreign language) (water rushing) 425 00:27:10,399 --> 00:27:13,149 (water bubbling) 426 00:27:14,657 --> 00:27:17,157 (light music) 427 00:27:18,580 --> 00:27:20,666 - Are you all right, over? - Yeah. 428 00:27:20,666 --> 00:27:21,873 I'm okay. 429 00:27:21,873 --> 00:27:23,160 (faint speaking) 430 00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:23,993 - Roger. 431 00:27:23,993 --> 00:27:24,826 You think we can run right down the middle? 432 00:27:24,826 --> 00:27:25,659 Over. 433 00:27:27,812 --> 00:27:31,645 (singing in foreign language) 434 00:27:34,492 --> 00:27:37,663 (water rushing) 435 00:27:37,663 --> 00:27:41,496 (singing in foreign language) 436 00:28:13,660 --> 00:28:16,563 That night we camped right at the border of Sudan. 437 00:28:18,270 --> 00:28:19,663 It's a dangerous place. 438 00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:23,230 Saskia, Myriam, and Mohamed are terrified 439 00:28:23,230 --> 00:28:25,570 about crossing into a country where civil war 440 00:28:25,570 --> 00:28:28,623 has been raging on and off for almost 20 years. 441 00:28:29,770 --> 00:28:32,543 They'll leave us here and rejoin us later in Khartoum. 442 00:28:36,136 --> 00:28:37,930 As soon as we crossed the border, 443 00:28:37,930 --> 00:28:40,110 Gordon and I took off exploring Sudan, 444 00:28:40,110 --> 00:28:42,110 the most mysterious country on the Nile. 445 00:28:45,634 --> 00:28:50,554 The Sudan is cloaked in secrecy behind the veil of Islam. 446 00:28:50,554 --> 00:28:52,010 (speaking in foreign language) 447 00:28:52,010 --> 00:28:53,730 When we came across a camel market, 448 00:28:53,730 --> 00:28:55,853 we were a little bit apprehensive at first, 449 00:28:55,853 --> 00:28:58,320 but we decided to go for it. 450 00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:00,670 How often do you get to bid at a camel auction? 451 00:29:01,737 --> 00:29:06,737 (light music) (camels grunting) 452 00:29:13,770 --> 00:29:15,850 It turned out to be a great day, 453 00:29:15,850 --> 00:29:18,040 and I was sure glad when Gordon 454 00:29:18,040 --> 00:29:19,290 was outbid on that camel. 455 00:29:22,769 --> 00:29:25,720 Even mad dogs and Englishmen 456 00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:28,090 don't come out in this type of heat. 457 00:29:28,090 --> 00:29:30,393 115 degrees in the shade was normal. 458 00:29:37,500 --> 00:29:41,840 Here in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, 459 00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:43,363 the two rivers converge. 460 00:29:44,577 --> 00:29:48,500 The White Nile comes in on the right under the bridge 461 00:29:48,500 --> 00:29:50,483 to join our much larger Blue Nile. 462 00:29:54,151 --> 00:29:55,663 Woo! 463 00:29:55,663 --> 00:29:56,808 (Pasquale laughing) 464 00:29:56,808 --> 00:29:57,641 It was great to have 465 00:29:57,641 --> 00:29:59,123 the team back together again. 466 00:30:00,162 --> 00:30:02,820 - Hey, how are you? - War and violence 467 00:30:02,820 --> 00:30:05,140 are widespread in the Sudan, 468 00:30:05,140 --> 00:30:07,070 and yet we never once ran across 469 00:30:07,070 --> 00:30:08,983 a single militant extremist. 470 00:30:09,970 --> 00:30:11,711 Here we were, surrounded on all sides 471 00:30:11,711 --> 00:30:14,190 by happy, good hearted Muslim people 472 00:30:14,190 --> 00:30:16,465 giving us the warmest of welcomes. 473 00:30:16,465 --> 00:30:20,010 And they were amazed at how far we'd traveled 474 00:30:20,010 --> 00:30:20,843 down the Nile. 475 00:30:22,644 --> 00:30:24,160 (singing in foreign language) 476 00:30:24,160 --> 00:30:25,597 - Pasquale, how did you say hello? 477 00:30:25,597 --> 00:30:27,450 (speaking in foreign language) 478 00:30:27,450 --> 00:30:30,360 We're heading for the ancient city of Meroe, 479 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:33,053 one of the Nile's best kept secrets. 480 00:30:37,951 --> 00:30:41,284 (soft percussive music) 481 00:30:49,583 --> 00:30:53,500 (speaking in foreign language) 482 00:31:11,627 --> 00:31:13,320 - [Pasquale] In the remote desert of Sudan, 483 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:16,240 the Nile flows right past an ancient ghost town 484 00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:18,503 few outsiders have ever visited. 485 00:31:19,430 --> 00:31:21,563 We're among the lucky few. 486 00:31:21,563 --> 00:31:24,146 (gentle music) 487 00:31:26,120 --> 00:31:28,380 the Nubians ruled this region of the Nile 488 00:31:28,380 --> 00:31:30,103 for over 1,000 years. 489 00:31:31,179 --> 00:31:33,762 (gentle music) 490 00:31:43,670 --> 00:31:46,900 Over 2,000 years ago, these Pyramids of Meroe 491 00:31:46,900 --> 00:31:49,230 were surrounded by forests. 492 00:31:49,230 --> 00:31:51,390 When the Nubians cut all the trees down, 493 00:31:51,390 --> 00:31:53,340 they allowed the sands to blow in 494 00:31:53,340 --> 00:31:55,033 and hastened their own downfall. 495 00:31:56,813 --> 00:31:59,396 (gentle music) 496 00:32:06,580 --> 00:32:09,940 - [Mohamed] I feel the loss of a great civilization 497 00:32:09,940 --> 00:32:11,553 and the loss of the forest. 498 00:32:12,500 --> 00:32:15,243 The systems that support life are so fragile. 499 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:18,230 If we don't nurture them, 500 00:32:18,230 --> 00:32:20,303 they turn to sand and dust. 501 00:32:22,756 --> 00:32:26,589 (singing in foreign language) 502 00:33:07,050 --> 00:33:09,070 - [Saskia] Here on the banks of the Nile, 503 00:33:09,070 --> 00:33:12,280 we heard haunting echoes of an ancient dynasty, 504 00:33:12,280 --> 00:33:14,553 half buried in sand and obscurity. 505 00:33:16,121 --> 00:33:19,807 Why, when the Egyptian pharaohs are so revered 506 00:33:19,807 --> 00:33:23,233 do the Nubians still languish in the shadows of history? 507 00:33:25,650 --> 00:33:29,023 It's the greatest mystery we've encountered along the Nile. 508 00:33:33,340 --> 00:33:36,330 - [Pasquale] Sudan proved to be full of surprises. 509 00:33:36,330 --> 00:33:38,157 The friendliness of the people 510 00:33:38,157 --> 00:33:40,730 and the haunting beauty of this lost kingdom, 511 00:33:40,730 --> 00:33:41,933 the Kingdom of Kush. 512 00:33:43,207 --> 00:33:45,790 (gentle music) 513 00:33:49,130 --> 00:33:50,930 Near the border of Sudan and Egypt, 514 00:33:50,930 --> 00:33:52,933 the Nile River flows into Lake Nasser. 515 00:33:54,236 --> 00:33:56,520 A fishing boat captain warned us 516 00:33:56,520 --> 00:33:58,680 that we'd never get across Lake Nasser safely 517 00:33:58,680 --> 00:33:59,893 in our tiny rafts. 518 00:34:06,740 --> 00:34:10,150 To make up for lost time, I decided that Gordon and I 519 00:34:10,150 --> 00:34:13,980 should keep crossing Lake Nasser by night on our own. 520 00:34:13,980 --> 00:34:14,923 Big mistake. 521 00:34:16,010 --> 00:34:18,283 A huge windstorm came up out of nowhere. 522 00:34:19,536 --> 00:34:22,286 (wind whistling) 523 00:34:23,919 --> 00:34:26,669 (dramatic music) 524 00:34:28,219 --> 00:34:30,969 (water crashing) 525 00:34:39,749 --> 00:34:41,920 - [Gordon] The wind was gusting up to 60 miles an hour, 526 00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:44,323 and the cold spray was freezing us to the bone. 527 00:34:45,670 --> 00:34:47,070 We were 10 miles from shore. 528 00:34:52,081 --> 00:34:54,390 If a big wave knocked us overboard, 529 00:34:54,390 --> 00:34:56,460 there'd be no way for anyone to find us, 530 00:34:56,460 --> 00:34:57,813 and we'd die of exposure. 531 00:34:59,180 --> 00:35:01,930 (water crashing) 532 00:35:02,767 --> 00:35:05,517 (dramatic music) 533 00:35:12,826 --> 00:35:14,600 Pasquale was in bad shape. 534 00:35:14,600 --> 00:35:16,223 I was afraid he wouldn't make it. 535 00:35:17,270 --> 00:35:18,603 - We're all very tired. 536 00:35:19,830 --> 00:35:24,320 We're very tired from the wind and the sun on our faces 537 00:35:24,320 --> 00:35:25,193 and the water. 538 00:35:25,193 --> 00:35:27,720 So tonight will be, hopefully be a good night. 539 00:35:27,720 --> 00:35:29,720 It's been a long, long haul at this point. 540 00:35:29,720 --> 00:35:31,130 - This has come down to the grind. 541 00:35:31,130 --> 00:35:33,527 It really has come down to the grind. 542 00:35:34,771 --> 00:35:37,630 - [Pasquale] I was battling a relapse in malaria. 543 00:35:37,630 --> 00:35:41,370 I had chills, fever, and I was just totally exhausted. 544 00:35:41,370 --> 00:35:43,393 I was sore, I was sick. 545 00:35:44,798 --> 00:35:46,340 We hated to give up our dream of running the Nile, 546 00:35:46,340 --> 00:35:49,733 but it just wasn't worth dying for. 547 00:35:50,744 --> 00:35:53,327 (gentle music) 548 00:35:54,680 --> 00:35:57,505 But the next day I was revived by a pharaoh's dream 549 00:35:57,505 --> 00:36:00,483 and a remarkable survival story. 550 00:36:00,483 --> 00:36:02,660 (gentle music) 551 00:36:02,660 --> 00:36:04,930 - [Saskia] When the Nile Valley was flooded, 552 00:36:04,930 --> 00:36:08,690 ancient monuments disappeared beneath Lake Nasser, 553 00:36:08,690 --> 00:36:10,593 but this one survived. 554 00:36:11,810 --> 00:36:16,191 In 1260 B.C., the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses the Great 555 00:36:16,191 --> 00:36:19,610 had this temple built along the banks of the Nile. 556 00:36:20,753 --> 00:36:23,071 Well, Mohamed, did you think the person-- 557 00:36:23,071 --> 00:36:24,620 - [Pasquale] As an Egyptologist, 558 00:36:24,620 --> 00:36:26,713 Myriam lives and breathes this stuff. 559 00:36:27,698 --> 00:36:30,281 (gentle music) 560 00:36:37,250 --> 00:36:40,120 - [Myriam] 40 years ago, the new manmade lake 561 00:36:40,120 --> 00:36:42,670 was about to flood this temple. 562 00:36:42,670 --> 00:36:45,390 To save it, workers carefully cut 563 00:36:45,390 --> 00:36:49,440 the huge temple apart and moved it block by block 564 00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:51,061 to higher ground. 565 00:36:51,061 --> 00:36:53,644 (gentle music) 566 00:37:01,510 --> 00:37:04,520 - [Pasquale] Moving this temple was a heroic effort. 567 00:37:04,520 --> 00:37:06,460 If they can pull that off, 568 00:37:06,460 --> 00:37:08,860 Gordon and I could finish what we set out to do. 569 00:37:13,140 --> 00:37:15,720 - [Myriam] The ancient Egyptians studied the stars 570 00:37:15,720 --> 00:37:17,930 and used that knowledge to create 571 00:37:17,930 --> 00:37:22,173 the first accurate calendar with 365 days a year. 572 00:37:26,960 --> 00:37:30,230 The temple was perfectly lined up with the sun. 573 00:37:30,230 --> 00:37:31,970 On a prescribed day, 574 00:37:31,970 --> 00:37:34,510 the sunrise reaches deep into the temple 575 00:37:34,510 --> 00:37:36,253 to light up the royal statues. 576 00:37:37,160 --> 00:37:39,550 Exactly how they were able to achieve this 577 00:37:39,550 --> 00:37:41,263 was a mystery to me. 578 00:37:42,796 --> 00:37:45,213 (epic music) 579 00:37:51,618 --> 00:37:54,201 (gentle music) 580 00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:57,970 - [Mohamed] My Egyptian ancestors 581 00:37:57,970 --> 00:38:00,253 once had two things to fear from the Nile, 582 00:38:01,100 --> 00:38:05,103 too much water and too little, but no longer. 583 00:38:06,878 --> 00:38:10,530 - [Pasquale] The Aswan High Dam has put an end 584 00:38:10,530 --> 00:38:12,040 to the catastrophic floods 585 00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:13,943 that once killed thousands of people. 586 00:38:15,186 --> 00:38:18,390 But the dam's a mixed blessing because the summer floods 587 00:38:18,390 --> 00:38:21,010 no longer enrich the farmland. 588 00:38:21,010 --> 00:38:23,980 They no longer leech salts out of the soil. 589 00:38:23,980 --> 00:38:26,359 Look how high the river should be. 590 00:38:26,359 --> 00:38:28,698 It goes all the way up to those marks. 591 00:38:28,698 --> 00:38:31,086 - [Mohamed] Without the summer floods, 592 00:38:31,086 --> 00:38:33,804 there is no more needs for these nilometers, 593 00:38:33,804 --> 00:38:37,010 the markers the pharaohs used to track 594 00:38:37,010 --> 00:38:38,780 the yearly rise of the Nile. 595 00:38:40,960 --> 00:38:43,793 (camels grunting) 596 00:38:51,161 --> 00:38:53,744 (upbeat music) 597 00:39:00,770 --> 00:39:01,670 - [Saskia] We took a ride 598 00:39:01,670 --> 00:39:03,860 to an abandoned Christian monastery 599 00:39:03,860 --> 00:39:06,130 just a few miles from the river 600 00:39:06,130 --> 00:39:08,348 where Myriam found an unexpected link 601 00:39:08,348 --> 00:39:10,233 between religion and the Nile. 602 00:39:11,218 --> 00:39:13,801 (upbeat music) 603 00:39:33,250 --> 00:39:35,176 - [Myriam] The priests at monasteries like this 604 00:39:35,176 --> 00:39:38,070 always had strong links to the church 605 00:39:38,070 --> 00:39:40,013 at Lalibela in Ethiopia. 606 00:39:41,290 --> 00:39:43,350 When the Christians here were in danger 607 00:39:43,350 --> 00:39:46,150 of being wiped out by the Muslim majority, 608 00:39:46,150 --> 00:39:50,054 the Ethiopians up river threatened to block off the Nile, 609 00:39:50,054 --> 00:39:51,633 and the threat worked. 610 00:39:53,300 --> 00:39:56,443 This is how Christianity survived here for so long. 611 00:40:00,885 --> 00:40:04,420 - Myriam told us how the pharaohs felt blessed 612 00:40:04,420 --> 00:40:05,823 by nature and God. 613 00:40:07,080 --> 00:40:09,548 The Nile was the perfect trade route. 614 00:40:09,548 --> 00:40:12,409 The trade winds carried the sale boats up river, 615 00:40:12,409 --> 00:40:13,970 and then the river's flow 616 00:40:13,970 --> 00:40:16,013 brought them back down again. 617 00:40:17,994 --> 00:40:21,155 This turned the Nile into a river of gold. 618 00:40:21,155 --> 00:40:23,738 (gentle music) 619 00:40:29,440 --> 00:40:32,030 After more than three months on the river, 620 00:40:32,030 --> 00:40:33,853 we had our routine down cold. 621 00:40:36,280 --> 00:40:39,150 Stop, unpack the boats, make dinner. 622 00:40:39,150 --> 00:40:42,560 Put the tents up, eat, take a shower, go to sleep. 623 00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:44,610 Wake up, pack the boats. 624 00:40:44,610 --> 00:40:49,193 It's every day, day after day, day after day, day after day. 625 00:40:51,410 --> 00:40:53,840 - [Mohamed] I first saw Luxor as a boy, 626 00:40:53,840 --> 00:40:56,160 yet after visiting the source of the Nile, 627 00:40:56,160 --> 00:40:58,513 all of this look different to me. 628 00:40:59,860 --> 00:41:02,700 For 3,000 years, Egypt was ruled 629 00:41:02,700 --> 00:41:04,900 by pharaohs like Ramses the Great 630 00:41:04,900 --> 00:41:06,683 and the female pharaoh Hatshepsut. 631 00:41:07,730 --> 00:41:11,510 The Nile turned them into living gods. 632 00:41:11,510 --> 00:41:13,260 No wonder they worshiped the river. 633 00:41:15,069 --> 00:41:18,080 It was 115 degrees when Myriam 634 00:41:18,080 --> 00:41:20,546 took us to the Valley of the Queens. 635 00:41:20,546 --> 00:41:22,710 Well, we visited the tomb of Queen Nefertari, 636 00:41:22,710 --> 00:41:25,023 the favorite wife of Ramses the Great. 637 00:41:26,504 --> 00:41:29,087 (gentle music) 638 00:41:34,128 --> 00:41:36,430 - [Myriam] At the tomb of the Pharaoh Thutmose III, 639 00:41:36,430 --> 00:41:39,230 I told my friends how the Nile was revered 640 00:41:39,230 --> 00:41:42,453 as a passageway into both life and death. 641 00:41:48,120 --> 00:41:52,050 And for me too, this has been more than a river trip. 642 00:41:52,050 --> 00:41:55,650 It was like an inner voyage. 643 00:41:55,650 --> 00:41:56,793 It did change me. 644 00:41:58,850 --> 00:42:01,430 - [Pasquale] Reaching Cairo was a milestone. 645 00:42:01,430 --> 00:42:04,630 After months of sand dunes and mud huts, 646 00:42:04,630 --> 00:42:08,193 the city dazzles me like some fabulous mirage. 647 00:42:09,097 --> 00:42:14,097 (gentle music) (wings flapping) 648 00:42:18,798 --> 00:42:21,630 - [Mohamed] With the Nile as their power base, 649 00:42:21,630 --> 00:42:24,163 the pharaohs ruled for 3,000 years. 650 00:42:25,162 --> 00:42:28,000 Their dynasties are long gone, 651 00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:31,658 but the river's spiritual power remains. 652 00:42:31,658 --> 00:42:35,009 (gentle music) 653 00:42:35,009 --> 00:42:38,842 (singing in foreign language) 654 00:42:40,500 --> 00:42:42,660 - [Gordon] I think that I've gained 655 00:42:42,660 --> 00:42:44,853 something spiritually from this trip. 656 00:42:45,860 --> 00:42:48,910 Sharing this expedition with Pasquale has, 657 00:42:48,910 --> 00:42:51,180 it's shown me that anything is possible 658 00:42:51,180 --> 00:42:52,280 if your heart's in it. 659 00:42:55,087 --> 00:42:57,670 (gentle music) 660 00:42:59,200 --> 00:43:01,320 - [Pasquale] After four long, grueling months 661 00:43:01,320 --> 00:43:05,333 and 3,000 miles, we finally made it to the Mediterranean. 662 00:43:06,240 --> 00:43:07,120 I can't believe it. 663 00:43:07,120 --> 00:43:08,420 We're the first people in all of history 664 00:43:08,420 --> 00:43:10,763 to go from source to sea on the Blue Nile. 665 00:43:12,192 --> 00:43:14,025 ♪ Hey ♪ 666 00:43:15,289 --> 00:43:17,706 (epic music) 667 00:43:21,480 --> 00:43:23,170 - [Pasquale] As we finally hit the surf 668 00:43:23,170 --> 00:43:26,590 and the salt water, I was flooded with exhaustion, 669 00:43:26,590 --> 00:43:30,383 and pride, and just overwhelming joy. 670 00:43:30,383 --> 00:43:34,216 (singing in foreign language) 671 00:43:37,239 --> 00:43:41,156 (speaking in foreign language) 672 00:43:42,350 --> 00:43:44,920 - [Saskia] It really connects people. 673 00:43:44,920 --> 00:43:48,140 The lucky necklace from the Christian girl in Ethiopia 674 00:43:48,140 --> 00:43:50,713 brought me new friends all along the Nile. 675 00:43:52,207 --> 00:43:54,200 (singing in foreign language) 676 00:43:54,200 --> 00:43:56,110 - [Pasquale] The times that meant the most to me 677 00:43:56,110 --> 00:43:57,770 are the simple everyday encounters 678 00:43:57,770 --> 00:43:59,293 with people along the river. 679 00:44:00,310 --> 00:44:04,143 (singing in foreign language) 680 00:44:05,453 --> 00:44:08,501 (speaking in foreign language) 681 00:44:08,501 --> 00:44:13,123 (singing in foreign language) 682 00:44:13,123 --> 00:44:17,350 Gordon and I hit some real rough spots along the way, 683 00:44:17,350 --> 00:44:19,330 but he came through when the chips were down 684 00:44:19,330 --> 00:44:21,575 and I needed him, and he saved my life more than once. 685 00:44:21,575 --> 00:44:22,742 - Yeah! - Yeah! 686 00:44:24,082 --> 00:44:26,740 - [Pasquale] We've all got infinite respect now 687 00:44:26,740 --> 00:44:28,030 for this river. 688 00:44:28,030 --> 00:44:29,850 We realized that when we finally stepped 689 00:44:29,850 --> 00:44:33,163 on the beaches of Alexandria, our final destination. 690 00:44:34,166 --> 00:44:36,416 (cheering) 691 00:44:39,120 --> 00:44:41,101 - [Mohamed] I was so proud of taking part 692 00:44:41,101 --> 00:44:42,867 on this expedition. 693 00:44:42,867 --> 00:44:46,257 (speaking in foreign language) 694 00:44:46,257 --> 00:44:49,382 I went right away to visit my grandfather. 695 00:44:49,382 --> 00:44:52,810 As a farmer, he treasured the vile of holy water 696 00:44:52,810 --> 00:44:54,703 I brought him from the source. 697 00:44:56,483 --> 00:44:59,640 - A Muslim girl in Alexandria admired my necklace. 698 00:44:59,640 --> 00:45:00,473 I have this for you. 699 00:45:00,473 --> 00:45:01,306 What luck. 700 00:45:01,306 --> 00:45:03,030 You like it? - Yeah. 701 00:45:03,030 --> 00:45:05,470 - [Saskia] People of many cultures share the river, 702 00:45:05,470 --> 00:45:10,203 a lot of them in conflict, but most of them in harmony. 703 00:45:11,929 --> 00:45:15,740 Our friends in Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt 704 00:45:15,740 --> 00:45:17,760 follow different religious, 705 00:45:17,760 --> 00:45:20,460 yet they all draw spiritual sustenance from the river. 706 00:45:21,723 --> 00:45:24,140 (epic music) 707 00:45:26,330 --> 00:45:28,500 - [Pasquale] The Nile has brought such wealth and power 708 00:45:28,500 --> 00:45:30,173 that many have tried to own it, 709 00:45:31,188 --> 00:45:34,680 but the river has defied even the mightiest pharaohs 710 00:45:34,680 --> 00:45:36,480 because it's greater than all of us. 711 00:45:38,500 --> 00:45:40,900 The waters of the Nile bring life 712 00:45:40,900 --> 00:45:42,203 and nourish the soul. 713 00:45:43,812 --> 00:45:47,645 (singing in foreign language) 714 00:45:54,176 --> 00:45:56,926 (water crashing) 715 00:46:00,687 --> 00:46:04,520 (singing in foreign language) 716 00:46:17,244 --> 00:46:19,827 (gentle music) 717 00:46:22,983 --> 00:46:26,816 (singing in foreign language)