Rivers of Lore

Today is San Antonio de Padua’s feast day and the 5th birthday of my only grandson Noah Inigo. As it does not happen often that one’s column hits a significant date, like a birthday, let me greet my affectionate and whimsical little boy a fun-filled birthday with loved ones today.

Noah is so fascinated with animals of land, air and sea, and calls the Sudlon Creek, which he passes everyday on the way home, a river full of his favorite imagined crocodiles.  Rivers are fascinating and always historically significant, as ancient communities grew around them; fortifications built near them; while trade and commerce flourish on their banks. Those bodies of water run through varying cultures, topographies and climates.

Let’s start with our own:  the slowly rehabilitated Pasig River in Luzon that has elicited numerous “kundiman” and “balagtasan” in the past.  It even figured out well in Jose Rizal’s novels. If and when the River Pasig shall have been rehabilitated enough, then perhaps enjoyable river cruises can be in place.

On the other hand, the Lobok River cruise in Bohol has gained worldwide renown because of its bucolic atmosphere, the engaging serenade of local musicians, the exotic lure of local dishes served onboard and the verdant lushness of the riverbanks.  Kudos to the Bohol LGU for preserving the river and the surrounding forest areas.

The River Danube that crosses through several fairytale scenes in Central Europe, is the second longest in the European continent.  It is older than the other famous river Rhine, as it starts from the Black Forest in Germany and flows through Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine and Romania.  It flows along four capital cities: Vienna (Austria), Bratislava (Slovakia), Budapest (Hungary) and Belgrade (Serbia) before it joins the Black Sea.

The Danube, like most famous rivers, inspired artists and the composer Johann Strauss with his “On the Beautiful Blue Danube” waltz immortalized the river.  Even contemporary lore includes the Danube, as in the Star Trek saga where the Danube-class runabout is a starship of the Federation Starfleet.  Unfortunately, because of much commercial use, the Danube ceased to be blue at the onset of the 20th century.  It is now a murky grey! Still, a cruise on the Danube is a memorable experience.  Cruises are available in Budapest where they have named it a UNESCO Heritage Site.

The River Rhine, on the other hand, is the longest river in Germany, meandering through breathtaking castles and Medieval fortifications that set your imagination off to the days of knights and princesses, of dragons and elves. I was on a Rhine cruise once where we sipped well-chilled Riesling as we viewed the passing scenery in awed wonder.

Over in Russia, the River Volga is Europe’s longest river. I know it by name as a child because my first piano book had “Song of the Volga Boatmen” with an interesting drawing of sailors and their wooden boat.  The river is Volga-Matushka (Mother Volga) in Russian folklore and literature.  It runs through Moscow to St. Petersburg before it joins the once bountiful Caspian Sea. Over fishing (especially of sturgeons for their roe that becomes caviar among gourmets) has depleted the marine life in these waters.

One can go on a luxurious Volga cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg, reliving the lifestyle of the boyars in the days of the Czars.  Ask Russia’s Honorary Consul in Cebu, Armi Garcia, for details.

Sadly, the Danube has caused thousands to flee from their homes in the eastern part of Germany.  As the worst flooding through Central Europe in a decade, the overflowing Danube is casting a toll of 18 deaths and billions of euros in devastation. At the same time, the swollen rivers over in Russia are also signaling alarm among the communities nearby.

Let me share some thoughts on this tragic development…

MOTHER  RIVER

You grow sinews from my clear waters:

Sparkling down the highest mountain caverns,

Quenching thirst, cooling dusty travelers’ brows

More than the sweetest mead in town taverns.

But remember to honor me with much care,

Keeping my waters clear as the morning dew;

Nurture the banks of my winding ways,

Turning each bend fresh, lush and true.

My name may vary: Pasig, Congo, Kwai, Danube

The offerings I hold are bountiful, yet the same.

I may be the great Ganges, or the Chesapeake,

People, landscape, memories I always tame.

Beware, beware the currents underneath;

The placid surface that is only what I share.

Lest you tend to forget and care no less

Then I give you anguish you can hardly bear.

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