I travel: walk Amazon

Veterans Ed of Stafford 28 months time, experienced all kinds of hardships to come on foot from the Amazon headwater of the estuary, to tell us about the journey all the legendary experience.

I started writing a book, from Amazon to go home two months after that when I have time hardships out of the memory outside only selectively to remember this time two years of passionate adventure. But when I started reading the text in the travel, I write down each night in a hammock, I realized that most of the time this trip, I have been afflicted and suffering.
I plan to finish the whole of the Amazon River, from the source to the estuary. Which there is a period in Peru, I go into a complete closure of the Indian region, there is little white man came here from the river, let alone walk. Wizard Qiu and I together, he was a forestry worker in the 28 months of travel, he has 24 months and I together.
In this region, some indigenous tribes that they are autonomous and do not need to comply with the laws of Peru. Travel using high-frequency radio contact with the local tribes, requesting them to allow us through. The local tribes on the radio that a Pennsylvania said they would kill any whites here. This end, we worried, but without this place there is no other way to go. The Qiu boating and I came on a small island in the river, walking two kilometers on the island, hoping to circumvent Pennsylvania. When we went to the island downstream at the top ready to go back on the rubber boats, Qiu said to me, "Ed, look at the back," I look back, he saw five canoes forward we plan to. Men holding a bow and arrow and soil guns, women machetes.
I want to end.
Fortunately, they are not in Pennsylvania, but other tribes. But they without permission into their territory was furious, and so brings us back to their tribe, we have to put the bag out of everything.
In general, the indigenous tribes do not like people to enter their territory, this tribe is no exception. Although they did not issued a threat to us, but did not allow us through. They say, only if we hire a tribal chief and his brother as a wizard, allow us through here. We pretend do not want to accept, so very convenient for us, but secretly very pleased, we do need a local wizard to help us deal with the front of the tribal.
The the Aier Fen Minds and andLess, and our peers for 47 days, became our good friend, we can speak some Spanish to communicate. And Qiu each with a collapsible rubber raft child, this can take a person's inflatable boat. Due to increased personnel, boat load has doubled two only sat in the bow and stern. I feel like two people bathing in a bathtub.
I and Andrew Leith with a small boat, I do not care to our last machete fell into the water, machetes journey. Although this is not a big accident, but enough to increase a lot of trouble. At this time, and the princes andLess have become good friends, we just childish laugh. They will eventually become a truly lovely and loyal friend, but they will defend their territory and killed the intruder. The end of the trip, we paid the money, but worried that they would like other indigenous people, the money used to buy a drink. But the two men to buy an outboard with a return to the village to go.
We encounter all the indigenous travel we are a little surprised because they like hiking, but also to understand why we want to travel, like the forest and to write a book.
Most closed tribal generators, and also watching TV. This is a strange little world, it seems completely isolated, but watching the story takes place in Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian soap opera.
Over the years many tribes of Peru suffered atrocities against generations of men in some tribes wiped out, the women were raped. Trouble in Brazil is less, because the people here are more affluent and more educated. Brazilian tribe is relatively small, sometimes we have encountered on a embarked on two or three weeks. The latter half of the journey is roughly more smoothly than the previous half of the less difficult, in addition to sometimes encounter the problem of food shortages.
For some time, we have 30 days to walk in the no man's land, I estimate that under a settlement marked on the map need to go eight days time. We calculated per person per day, 450 calories will be able to live. We then walked for eight days, the last day we have nothing. We are in the jungle without food, GPS is broken, only a compass and a 1/4000000 of the map to find direction. (1/4000000 means that one millimeter on the map is equal to four kilometers, while the military map of one hundred thousandth.) We really desperate. But the next day Qiu found a tortoise, we have laid down the rules of the hunt, but the turtle meat saved us.
Very little food, the equipment is damaged, we increasingly need to rely on their wisdom to survive this part of the journey to become the most memorable in the entire expedition. Before I set off, everyone thinks I can not accomplish this challenge, but I am sure he can do.

Author and Qiu went to the Amazon River estuary, this is the first time I saw Qiu sea
Although the real reason for my trip is to want to do a daring adventure, but one of the most commendable part is to create a link with schools around the world. I travel to write a blog for the "Prince School rainforest Plan website, kids will ask me questions. I answer their questions, and upload videos. Teachers can put these videos used in the classroom, the Amazon to the children's lives. Sometimes we upload the video of the moment can not find food.
This trip brought a good befriended me and Qiu. Us walking for two years, and became good friends. He and I went back to the UK, I let him see the appearance of the Western world, then let him return to Peru to become a bit weird.
He would like to apply for a visa to stay in the UK, but the Peruvians is difficult to get a visa, he was refused. But my book was at the Royal Geographical Society issue, I travel with Michelle, Palin said, he wrote a letter to Ambassador Qiu finally got a visa. Qiu and my mother now lives in Leicester, he is learning English. He is not sure he will do something, but he was keen to see more of the world. He is one of my loyal friend, and I am grateful to him.
The Aide Si Tarver Germany in the jungle Hiking essential items:
A music button music button boxes, can be used to drink plenty of water in the river bathing, flushing, of course, can also be loaded lunch and even soup.
A fast sewing awl with a solid wax line, can be used to repair backpack or even boots.
A machete and used to sharpening of the rasp, you know where the machetes production of the world's best? In Birmingham, is incredible.
A large marine duffle bags, as the lining of the backpack, the bag will not damp, even if the river wading in chest-do not worry.
A Crewsaver Bute Portage brand 100 liters Dome backpack.
Bring a number of good quality disposable lighters, and packed in a zipper bag.