Amazon Swim (Martin Strel)
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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.
Sat, February 10 2007

Master of the bush

What is Martin’s biggest fear? The Piranha? The Candiru? It is a snake, but not the Anaconda. The creature that Martin must be most cautious of is the Bushmaster snake.

“One touch from the Bushmaster and you’ll be dead in twenty minutes,” Martin warned the team as we docked for the evening along a grassy bank at the sporty little village of Puerto Grau. He has forbidden us from walking in the jungle at night. “If you leave the boat after dark you may never come back.” This nocturnal predator is known for its long fangs and can reach lengths up to 14 feet long. The Latin translation for the Bushmaster is, “Brings Silent Death.” Entering the river in the early morning and exiting at dusk will be the most dangerous time for Martin. Snakes also occasionally hitch rides on floating debris. Although the Bushmaster is not prevalent near here, it will be a constant concern as we move farther downstream into its natural habitat.

Martin propelled himself another 113 km today. The entire village was absorbed in various pastimes. We watched a group of adolescent boys play soccer while their female classmates participated in a game of volleyball in which the ball never touched the ground. A group of ten year old boys demonstrated their back flipping skills off a nearby fallen tree.

>>Matthew Mohlke