After 859 days, thousands of miles and 50,000 mosquito bites, Ed Stafford has become the first man known to have walked the entire length of the Amazon river
After 859 days, thousands of miles and 50,000 mosquito bites, Ed Stafford has become the first man known to have walked the entire length of the Amazon river.
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"It's unbelievable to be here!" Stafford said the moment he entered the Atlantic Ocean in northern Brazil, yesterday. "It proves you can do anything -- even if people say you cannot. I've proved that if you want something enough, you can do anything!"
A few hours earlier, Stafford had collapsed at the side of the road, just short of his destination. But upon arrival at the Crispim Beach -- and his journey's end -- Stafford looked like he had all the energy in the world, as if walking for two-and-a-half years were nothing as he jumped into the ocean and hugged anyone in sight. While he says he is "no eco-warrior," Stafford said near the end of his journey he hoped his feat would raise awareness of destruction to the Amazon rain forest -- but that at its heart, it was simply a grand expedition of endurance.
"The crux of it is, if this wasn't a selfish, boy's-own adventure, I don't think it would have worked," the 34-year-old former British army captain said as he sat under the Brazilian sun near the jungle city of Belem.
There are at least six known expeditions along the course of the Amazon river, from its source high in the Peruvian Andes across Colombia and into Brazil before its waters are dumped into the ocean 6760km away. But those used boats to advance their travel.
Stafford and a British friend began the walk on April 2, 2008, on the southern coast of Peru. Within three months, his pal left. Stafford carried on, walking bits of the route with hundreds of locals he met along the way.
Pricey tour
Stafford said his journey, which costu00a0 $108,755 (Rs 50 lakh) and was paid for by sponsoring companies and donations has deepened his understanding of the Amazon, its role in protecting the globe against climate change and the complex forces that are leading to its destruction.
He said he has seen vast swaths of demolished jungle.
"It's the people in power who are benefiting from the extraction of the natural resources here," Stafford said. Despite the devastation, Stafford said he hopes things will change for the better.
"I think the average Brazilian is a lot more environmentally conscious than the people in power. I'm optimistic, I'm not pessimistic," he said.
He has lived off piranha fish he caught, rice and beans, and store-bought provisions found in local communities along the river.
To relax at night, Stafford said he has downloaded podcasts via internet satellite phone by British comedian Ricky Gervais and episodes of the TV show, The Office.
Stafford has encountered every conceivable danger, from 5.5-metre-long caimans, enormous anaconda snakes, illness, food shortages and the threat of drowning.
After he was welcomed in one native Indian community in September 2008, the leaders offered to radio ahead to the next village for permission for Stafford and Rivera to walk through their territory.
They were allowed to walk on the land, but only if they hired guides from the tribe.
Stafford said he plans another expedition in September next year -- something nobody has ever done. However, he has not divulged details of his next tour as he is afraid.
Until then, a good, long rest awaits.
"This expedition has been our lives. For two-and-a-half years, we've done nothing but walk and walk and walk. To wake up the morning after and know that we've done it will be a big change," said Stafford. --Agencies
Rs 50 lakh, the amount it took for Ed Stafford to complete his epic walk of the Amazon
| Amazing |
| Sir Ranulph Fiennes OBE, the world's leading explorer said of Stafford's achievement, "One of the most impressive aspects of his performance throughout this expedition is his absolute determination to succeed. |
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