This is an update nosotros received July 10 from Professor Marc Meyers, who is currently inwards Brazil, scouting locations for an expedition upwards the River of Doubt, which he plans to get-go this fall. Meyers plans to retrace the steps of Theodore Roosevelt, who explored the river 100 years ago, inwards 1914.
More on Meyers' planned expedition here.
An before dispatch from Meyers was published online past times UT San Diego here.
This was a practiced day, together with my principal objective inwards Vilhena was accomplished: I was able to locomote far to the headwaters of the Roosevelt River. It was a stroke of luck, since my historian abandoned me later an enthusiastic start. I don’t know his reasons, exactly my mentioning of the Brazilian Army could cause got given him a sour taste. In whatsoever case, I was introduced to a local auto rental way together with called its owner, Naif. I explained my situation, later he inquisitively asked me where I wanted to convey the car, together with informed me that I needed a iv bicycle drive. I suggested that he bring together me, something he had done 4 years ago. He remembered watching the Brazil-Netherlands game inwards the Indian hamlet inwards 2010. We cause got a game coming on Saturday! (Editor’s note: Brazil faces the Netherlands for tertiary house seat at the World Cup). My luck is that he accepted to bring together me on such curt detect together with inquired almost the road. Fortunately, he did non trust his sense of direction together with obtained the assist of Roberto, from the mayor’s office, through the intercession of Rita, a most efficient together with competent person.
We started later luncheon inwards his truck together with before long abandoned the paved road, crossing immense fields of corn together with soy fields. I idea I was inwards a living nightmare: a tropical version of the U.S. corn belt. The ‘cerrado’, a sparse vegetation, had been cleared on this immense plateau to give rising to modern mechanized agriculture. This expanse has locomote ane of the major corn together with soy producers inwards Brazil. The combines were neatly parked inwards the large garages of Fazenda Independencia. As the route got sandier together with narrower, nosotros got deeper into a wood that gradually grew denser. We were right away on the Indian reservation. Then wooden bridges that grew to a greater extent than together with to a greater extent than primitive together with long sandy stretches, which could cause got never been crossed past times a two-wheel-drive vehicle. After a duo hours together with many forks amongst no signage, the route dipped farther together with nosotros approached a gradient that was equally good irregular fifty-fifty for our seasoned driver. We walked downwards a few hundred yards together with saw the river betwixt the trees. Exactly equally described past times Candice Millard inwards her majority “The River of Doubt” almost Roosevelt’s 1914 expedition, it had an ominous look. I crossed it amongst around emotion, since it is from in that place that Roosevelt together with Rondon launched their dramatic expedition ane hundred years ago. The trees hung over the rapid H2O similar ghosts over a child. The flow was clear together with innocent, exactly its motion had a disquieting nature. This is the menses that had taken them down, to suffering, expiry and, eventually, glory.
On the other side, a band of kids played inwards the water. They speedily ran out equally the girls covered themselves. We asked for permission, which was given past times the adult woman accompanying the kids, crossed the wooden bridge, together with entered the infinitesimal village, 2 houses together with a dozen people. She told us that she was a Nambiquara, exactly that this was a Sabanes village. The cry Nambiquara arose a host of feelings, since these were the Indians studied past times Levy Strauss inwards the 1940, which led to his classic majority ‘Tristes Tropiques.’ These Indians were also described past times Roosevelt inwards his concern human relationship of the expedition.
A crew from Vilhena was there, checking the wellness of the Indians together with touchstone their blood pressure level together with blood sugar. Two boys played soccer spell a pair of parrots squawked amongst infernal dissonance. An onetime homo sat on a chair together with chatted amongst us, telling us, inwards a barely understandable voice, that he remembered Rondon together with that his manful individual bring upwards used to say him stories almost him. Showing his arm, which had an onetime scar, he explained that he used to run for the military machine together with would endure sent ahead of the soldiers to flora contact amongst wild tribes. H5N1 poisoned arrow had striking him there. “They rub the tip inwards shit,” he said amongst disdain together with anger. He went on, telling another stories almost Rondon’s honey of nature: “He never allowed his workers to kill snakes.” Then, he told us that the remnants of the onetime telegraph line of piece of occupation yet could endure seen, a curt distance from the village.
H5N1 beautiful trivial daughter passed by, followed past times a infant peccary (Editor’s note: a type of wild pig). I tried to fetch it together with got a practiced bite. She ran into the hut, together with the pet followed her equally if she was the mother. Then, she brought the trivial critter out, belongings it inwards her arms. “I cause got a monkey inside,” she said, together with her woman bring upwards authorized us to touchstone inside. Indeed, a trivial marmoset was hiding nether the roof.
I went downwards together with looked at the river again. This time, it looked similar a hole inwards the forest, pointing to countless dangers. The Indian lady had told me that it was impossible to locomote down. “We tried,” she said, “but the river disappears into marshes, reappears, together with so drops.”
We wanted to a greater extent than information, exactly the onetime homo referred us to Lino, the chief. But he was inwards Vilhena amongst his wife, who was sick.