DURING FEB 1 - APR 08, 2007 MARTIN STREL SWAM 5,268 KMS (3274 MILES) OF THE AMAZON RIVER! HE DEDICATED THE SWIM TO THE PROTECTION OF THE RAINFOREST.

Tue, February 6 2007

Hungry and Alone in the Jungle

A robust and well rested Martin Strel awoke early to stroke his way out of the bustling city of Pucallpa and back into the outer fringes of civilization. Unfortunately, last second repairs on the support boat became an all day affair, and by noon Martin’s small escort boat had again lost radio contact.

By afternoon, we were out of food and water and looking for a safe place to wait for the rest of the team and discover something to eat. Suddenly, a jubilant Martin came out of a heap of floating sticks with a beautiful papaya he’d found floating in the Amazonian debris. We had a little papaya cutting ceremony on the hull of the boat, and although we offered to give Martin a portion of our share, he insisted that we needed to eat something as well.

A Peruvian Coast Guard boat from Pucallpa came to inform us of some problems with pirates between here and Contamana, and to request we don’t continue without the safety of the large support boat. The team was fortunate to find refuge in the tranquil little village of Tacshitea, a smiling little Venetian community consisting of a roughly 60 people and 30 canoes. This is the third consecutive day that Martin has been frustrated by boat problems. How can Martin Strel make it down the Amazon while our boats can’t even seem to survive?

>>Matthew Mohlke