The Blue Nile
The Blue Nile River, known locally as "Abbay" originates in Ethiopia's Lake Tana. It plunges more than 2,000 meters in its 800 kilometer course from Ethiopia to the plains of the Sudan, where it joins with the White Nile to become the Nile proper. Just 30 kilometers downstream from Lake Tana, the Abbay begins its journey with a thundering cascade known as the Blue Nile Falls, or "Tis Isat" - which means "Water that Smokes." The most dramatic site on either the Blue or White Nile, the Blue Nile Falls is over four hundred meters (1,312 feet) wide in the wet season, and drops over a sheer chasm more than forty-five meters (150 feet) deep. The constant spray thrown up by the falls produces beautiful rainbows as well as a wealth of lush green vegetation. Farther downstream (just over 350 kilometers or 217 miles) the river enters the Blue Nile Gorge, a geographical wonder said to rival America's Grand Canyon. Travelers descend along a winding dirt road -- more than 1,000 meters (3,000 feet) to reach the reddish-brown waters of the river and cross the bridge that joins the Shewa and Gojjam regions of Ethiopia.
Photo: The Blue Nile Falls, by Jialiang Gao
