cgoodwin
08-04-2005, 01:02 AM
In 2001 I worked on a documentary project with a friend named Bruce Parry, I have not heard from him since relocating stateside except by email. This evening watching the Discovery Channel I saw an advertisment for an upcomming series which he leads "Bruce Parry: going tribal"
UK Press from the expedition we worked on together:
"Adventurers Return to Addis
Having left Addis Ababa on 4th April 2001, three of the original four-man expedition team Peile Thompson, Bruce Parry, Anton Turner and Chris Goodwin have returned from the desert heat and flies to the splendour of the Sheraton Hotel, Addis Ababa.
The expedition successfully followed the original route pioneered by the famous British Explorer, Sir Wilfred Thesiger. A 750 km journey along the Awash River from Awash Station to Lake Abbe and then eastwards across Djibouti to finish on the Red Sea coast, at the ancient Arab Trading port of Tadjoura.
In keeping with the original journey the expedition completed the epic journey on foot with pack camels, using traditional equipment and supplies. As well as the routine privations experienced on any desert journey, limited supplies, heat, and uncertainty the expedition overcame many other dramas and challenges e nroute.
The expediton cameraman, Christopher Goodwin, was evacuated due to severe heat stroke. Other medical problems were experienced by the remaining team members including Amoebic dysentery. Diahorrea & vomiting and severe foot problems.
In addition the team was forced to avoid many areas due to the on going afar/issa conflict, which on one occasion them led to being taken hostage and held captive for 48 hrs at gun point.
With the situation resolved by the Ethiopian Tourism Commistion and Village Ethiopia Travel Agency, the team proved their resilence and reached Lake Abbe before pushing eastwards to the cosat via Lake Assal in the Danakil Depression. Regrettably, on this final leg of the expedition a local guide disappeared whilst trying to take a shortcut from the main group. Despite efforts to locate him, his whereabouts still remain unknown and it is feared he may have perished.
This journey undoubted by ranks amongst one of the great desert crossings of recent times."
This expedition ended my work with all those involved although I have remained in contact with Bruce (ex Royal Marines) sproadicly, it was a particularly unpleasant trip resulting in an unfortunate death and my being in and out of hospital for almost a year with parasites. The last contact I had with the expedition leader, an ex british SAS soldier was regarding return of some of my filming equipment and negociating film rights. Last I heard was this press release:
"The Afar region of Eastern Ethiopia has changed little since Sir Wilfred Thesiger became the first westerner to enter its fabled Aussa Sultanate in 1933.
After buying six pack camels to carry the necessary water and food needed for two or three months in the desert, the team set of into an area where the best information of what to expect came only from Sir Wilfred's own journey of nearly seventy years before.
The expedition was caught up in the middle of the warring factions of the local Afar and Issa peoples. Trying to avoid any conflict the team took a detour to avoid potential areas of fighting, only to end up in hostile villages where one individual decided to take the group hostage at gunpoint.
The following weeks were no less adventurous. The numerous crossing of crocodile and hippo infested waters and the tragic loss of one of the expedition's local camel helpers made for an eventful journey by anyone's standards, and the expedition hadn't even reached the border of Djibouti where they were to journey into the hottest place on the surface of the earth..."
I understand the doco was to be shown on the National Geographic Channel but have never heard another word about it.....Nor been paid.
If you get a chance to watch "Going Tribal" I am sure you will not be disappointed, Bruce is a good man and quite entertaining.
Chris
UK Press from the expedition we worked on together:
"Adventurers Return to Addis
Having left Addis Ababa on 4th April 2001, three of the original four-man expedition team Peile Thompson, Bruce Parry, Anton Turner and Chris Goodwin have returned from the desert heat and flies to the splendour of the Sheraton Hotel, Addis Ababa.
The expedition successfully followed the original route pioneered by the famous British Explorer, Sir Wilfred Thesiger. A 750 km journey along the Awash River from Awash Station to Lake Abbe and then eastwards across Djibouti to finish on the Red Sea coast, at the ancient Arab Trading port of Tadjoura.
In keeping with the original journey the expedition completed the epic journey on foot with pack camels, using traditional equipment and supplies. As well as the routine privations experienced on any desert journey, limited supplies, heat, and uncertainty the expedition overcame many other dramas and challenges e nroute.
The expediton cameraman, Christopher Goodwin, was evacuated due to severe heat stroke. Other medical problems were experienced by the remaining team members including Amoebic dysentery. Diahorrea & vomiting and severe foot problems.
In addition the team was forced to avoid many areas due to the on going afar/issa conflict, which on one occasion them led to being taken hostage and held captive for 48 hrs at gun point.
With the situation resolved by the Ethiopian Tourism Commistion and Village Ethiopia Travel Agency, the team proved their resilence and reached Lake Abbe before pushing eastwards to the cosat via Lake Assal in the Danakil Depression. Regrettably, on this final leg of the expedition a local guide disappeared whilst trying to take a shortcut from the main group. Despite efforts to locate him, his whereabouts still remain unknown and it is feared he may have perished.
This journey undoubted by ranks amongst one of the great desert crossings of recent times."
This expedition ended my work with all those involved although I have remained in contact with Bruce (ex Royal Marines) sproadicly, it was a particularly unpleasant trip resulting in an unfortunate death and my being in and out of hospital for almost a year with parasites. The last contact I had with the expedition leader, an ex british SAS soldier was regarding return of some of my filming equipment and negociating film rights. Last I heard was this press release:
"The Afar region of Eastern Ethiopia has changed little since Sir Wilfred Thesiger became the first westerner to enter its fabled Aussa Sultanate in 1933.
After buying six pack camels to carry the necessary water and food needed for two or three months in the desert, the team set of into an area where the best information of what to expect came only from Sir Wilfred's own journey of nearly seventy years before.
The expedition was caught up in the middle of the warring factions of the local Afar and Issa peoples. Trying to avoid any conflict the team took a detour to avoid potential areas of fighting, only to end up in hostile villages where one individual decided to take the group hostage at gunpoint.
The following weeks were no less adventurous. The numerous crossing of crocodile and hippo infested waters and the tragic loss of one of the expedition's local camel helpers made for an eventful journey by anyone's standards, and the expedition hadn't even reached the border of Djibouti where they were to journey into the hottest place on the surface of the earth..."
I understand the doco was to be shown on the National Geographic Channel but have never heard another word about it.....Nor been paid.
If you get a chance to watch "Going Tribal" I am sure you will not be disappointed, Bruce is a good man and quite entertaining.
Chris