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The BR 319 is a dead straight open wound across the face of the Amazon. Cho and I have been on it for six days now and, despite being well accustomed to walking, the BR 319 has taken its toll on us both.
We thought we´d be clever and walk at night - spare ourselves from the scorching direct sunlight. We set off at 5pm and after two hours - just after dark - it started raining.
Rain in the jungle is refreshing and cools us down. Rain in the pitch dark on an open road with a fierce wind ripping at our sodden t-shirts is another matter. With no warm or waterproof clothes to put on, by 10pm we were gibbering messes with a real risk of hypothermia.
We became forced to look for shelter but we could not find two trees close enough to each other to erect our tarps. The adjacent forest had all been cleared, there was no moon, and, to top it all, there were floods on both sides of the road. The telegraph poles that carry an absurdly modern fibre optic cable through the wilderness teased us as they were the only vertical columns to be seen - but clearly spaced far too far apart for us to make use of.
We tried knocking on houses to ask for shelter as the rain bit into our faces. You don´t need to have swallowed an English-Portuguese Collins Gem to understand when someone is telling you to piss off. Loud and clear it came from inside their warm safe houses.
At 11:45pm Cho was a walking zombie - he´s prone to reacting badly to the cold as we knew from the Peru floods - but this was colder than he´d ever been.
With no plan B, we shivered on. A light a few hundred metres ahead of us attracted our attention and so we made for it. A man could be seen from a distance and I somehow knew immediately he would be different. I marched ahead of Cho (who had by this point lost his will to live) and forced a grin as I asked if we could use his surrounding trees to put up our tarpaulins.
“Of course”, smiled the man with unquestioning warmth, “And please, have some fried fish and rice.”
Our slightly biblical tale ended when, with a mouthful of succulent fish I asked the man his name.
“Messiah” - he responded.
—
Since last April, when my sponsor had to suspend their monthly payments because of the recession, the expedition has been given over £21,000. This is because of the amazing generosity of the people who read the blog and believe in the expedition and its aims. It means that, although I still can’t pay Cho anything (and he hasn’t had any wages since August 2008) and I haven’t yet paid anything to Will Mather (who made the website) and I still need more to finish the expedition, at least I am not, as of today, in debt to the bank and don’t have to find bank overdraft interest for a time.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Ed
* - Apologies for the Googled images - our new video and stills camera arrives this week… woohoo.
Hi Ed - not sure if you’ll remember me from Sky2Sea: I’ve been working with Rob for the past year or so….I am still determined to do some kind of sponsored event to help you guys out, even if it’s just a little bit - keep going Ed, you legend! Izzy x
Ed you are a legend. Escape the City are still hoping to hold some sort of event for you early this year! Keep going make - a true inspiration.
Dom
Ed,
I find you before you arrive in Manaus.
please contact. my email is gamboa_eric@hotmail.com
thanks.
You might not be a legend but that sounds like one badass/ amazing trip you’re taking.
Get hard son.
well…. i think i will have to tell the vicar !!
Did he have 5 loaves as well…amazing Ed just means you will definitely stay the course, as everyone is on your side.. lots of love
Ed & Cho,
As always, take care. Although not religious myself, I think that a lot of biblical stories are about life, as you experienced when you met your messiah. It’s a pity that I’m not in Manaus when you arrive. I hope to meet you one day.
Best wishes,
Cornell
Dear Ed,
My name is Eric Schafer. I’m a writer from New York. I live in Viet Nam now, and formerly lived in Chile. I get some things a bit late here, hence I just read the piece about you in Men’s Journal from June 2009.
I just wanted to tell you that I think what you are doing is great! Best of luck to you and Cho!
Ned, What you have achieved so far is amazing, just keep going until the mouth of the river and keep Cho with you, the money will be sorted out later. All the best, Uncle Roger. ps. I was delighted to see that Lancaster University has contributed.
Ed and Cho,
We working on sending you guys money. It isn’t a lot, but we hope it helps a little. We hope that Cho’s hand is better from the machete. It is great that you found shelter from the rain. We hope you make it to the end!
http://www.sd25.org/~mnoltner/dryden/index.html
Dear Ed,
I really enjoy following your journey.
You and Cho live more in one day than most people do in years.
Godspeed!
Just recently found your site and am very impressed with your journey!!! I have been to Costa Rica and just love the rain forest. Keep up the trek!
Scott
Great news about the money ed! Gives you a little more breathing space. Really pleased cho is feeling more himself too.
Hope Manaus gives you both some fun and respite!!
Big love to you both xxx
Pls get the money issues out of your head. When you finish, you guys are going to do very well financially - enough to pay Cho handsomely.
hi ed and cho!
hey cho i hope your fingers are ok! we have money coming to you! it is not alot but every little bit helps!
dan
Ed and cho.
What can I say? The blog about your dad made me cry. This has made me cry. The blog about letting Cho go made me cry.
The lack of sponsorship made me cry.BUT I BELIEVE IN BOTH OF YOU.
I have tried my best to get sponsorship for you both. Will continue trying.
Go ed and Cho GO
You CAN do this. I BELIEVE in you. My donations will come, small tho they are. Keep going. My prayers are with you both. God speedxx
Hi,ED
Just recently found your site and am very impressed with your journey!!! I have been to Costa Rica and just love the rain forest. Keep up the trek!
Scott.
I can’t believe you two are still alive. I donated. I’ll probably donate again. Almost there.
Melissa, Scott, Sue, Dan, Bill, Clare, Scott 2, Class room 4-2, Uncle Rog, Eric, Cornell, Gillie, Joe, Eric Dom and Izzy - glad that our not dying yet is appreciated! Thanks for the amazing support. Ed x
Ed,
I attended Explore 08 at the RGS. Your live feed from the middle of the Amazon into the lecture hall was one of the most inspirational things I’ve seen.
Just over a year later I am 5 months away from leading a large team into the unexplored Borneo interior on a 12 week expedition.
Multimedia broadcst from the field makes up a huge element of our plans - we are linking up with schools, cadets, scouts, you name it, in the same way that you are sharing your adventures to inspire others.
We have just learned that we have been awarded the RGS Neville Shulman Challenege Award which is in no small part due to multimedia aspect of our project.
Keep it up, you are a real hero to many people.
Martin
FX-PEDITION 2010
http://www.expeditionborneo.org
martin@fxpedition2010.com
Hi
I have been reading some of your news. Fantastic but dangerous.Keep it up and good luck from Belgium, Europe.
Hugo