Forbidden Waters" \ Ronen Rozenblum"

Debbi 0fokim, 184 pg., 2009

They started out as eleven adventurous young people accepting the challenge of the river, the “Queen of Africa.” Only nine reached the finish line. The desire to be among the few who had dared explore the murky waters of the Omo River that winds its way along the muddy, densely forested ground of southwestern Ethiopia, ignited a hidden spark in the writer’s mind. Seized with uncontrollable madness and frightened to the depths of his soul, he swore to himself that he would conquer the mysterious black continent.

“…I could clearly hear Michal’s strained, heavy breathing. Sporadically, she tried to raise her head in a futile search for air.

‘Help me, help me,’ I heard her voice choking in a death rattle. I tried to help her, but I couldn’t. There was nothing I could do. My whole body was paralyzed, and I stood there unable to move as the girl I loved hovered between life and death.”

"Forbidden Waters" is a novel, the personal story of someone who took part in a journey of survival, and in the process, experienced a journey into himself. The ongoing encounter with the turbulent, unpredictable forces of nature, the terrifying hippopotami and members of tribes who had never seen a white man, brought the writer Ronen Rozenblum face to face with the limits of his physical and emotional strength. He is forced to prove his professional skills when he has to stand up to the most important test of his life and save the girl he loves, another member of the expedition.

The writer gives us a glimpse not only into the wonders of the dark, virginal continent, but also into the heart and mind of a young Israeli undergoing the experience of a lifetime, filled with overwhelming passion and desire.