Nikawa is slowly crossing the country by waterway, and encountering many interesting people and places along the way. There have been challenges, mostly because the year they chose to make this journey was a year of exceptionally high water and flooding. Both the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers were quite full and flooding in some places. They've encountered people building sandbag levees to keep the water out, and they've dealt with the effects of fast moving, deep water. One of the most nerve-wracking effects is the number of uprooted trees and the amount of other debris that ends up in the water, lurking just below or above the surface, nearly invisible until they're close to it.
They've almost run out of gas on more than one occasion, having to hike into town with gas cans to get enough to take them to the next town. But they've had lots of unexpected help, too. In many towns and even a few cities, people have been willing to give them rides to get gas or supplies and offer them tips on where to stay or get a good meal. A few people have even tagged along for a stretch, helping them negotiate a particular portion of the river, guiding them around its hidden dangers. And in cafes and taverns along the way, people have provided conversation and cameraderie and interest in their project.
I'm past the middle now, as are Mr. Heat-Moon and his companions. They're on the upper Missouri, where the river is still largely untamed. (That has its advantages and disadvantages, apparently.) Soon they'll have to switch to mountain streams and face all the challenges those waterways will bring.
Despite the slow pace of the narrative (which matches the slow pace of the journey), I find myself eager to see what waits for the intrepid travelers around the next bend of the river. That to me is the mark of a good book!
See you in the Rockies!
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