STORIES FROM THE ROAD

Our quest, centered along the Maranon river, is drawing to an end.  Our private boats take us down past ever-increasing signs of civilization to the town of Saramarisa which is nothing more than a rough trading port.  We also pass larger and more numerous gold...

We depart in the morning, our San Marjin hosts who are now our friends, all helping with our expedition bags and gear.  We are told over and over that we are welcome to return any time and they will help us some more. Our route takes us through the mighty Pongos de...

We get a much earlier start today and find the path to the search site is surprisingly close to the Santiago river.  Yesterday’s meanderings disoriented us, but the fact that this place is so easily accessible to the river is very encouraging.  It also allows us to...

We get a late start and are ferried across the river to the search site, which is ten times larger than I expected.  It is densely vegetated throughout and involves steep climbing through vines and up and down narrow ravines.  Huge Ciba trees loom overhead.  Our local...

It takes us 1 hour and 20 minutes to complete three hours of travel to our host community of San Marjin..  Must be jungle time. This community has never had outside visitors and since they will be cooking for us, our Aguarunas liaison will explain to them how to make...

We leave very early for a 3 hour drive to Santa Maria de Nieva on a road that is supposed to be paved most of the way.  After two hours on nothing but pitted, washed out gravel and dirt, we ask, “How much farther to Nieva?” “Only about three hours now” is the cryptic...

For the flight to Chiclayo, we are given first class seats.  Not the way to toughen up our team for the jungle, but no one complains.  The drive over the Andes to Bagua is long and winding.  The temperature and humidity steadily rise eventually resembling the inside...

Day 1 September 22, 2013 Lima: The Rivers Ran East team assembles; easygoing, experienced travelers. This project has been 7 years in the making, including Tammy and my first reconnaissance trip down here five years ago.  It’s hard to believe its finally happening...

Sept 21.  A long, marginally successful day of running errands in Peru.  Dodging taxis instead of snakes.  Everything takes forever. From our team, Tammy and I are here now, Alex Basaraba arrives late tonight, the others tomorrow eve. After a meeting with Kike, our...

…And the locals share a tantalizing secret! Kike, our Peruvian-Aguarunas connection, has spoken with some of his Aguarunas friends about our upcoming trip and goals.  Apparently, one of them said, “These guys want to see old ruins?  There are really old...