In 2010, Ed Stafford became the first person in history to walk the entire length of the Amazon River. Prior to that, he led remote expeditions around the world after leaving the British Army in 2002, where he served as a captain. Ed worked with the United Nations in Afghanistan, assisting in the first-ever presidential election, advising on security, planning and logistical issues. Prior to this trip, researcher Ed Stafford worked for the BBC on the Lost Land of the Jaguar series.
Why did he decide to take this trip
According to Ed, he was bored with living within the norm, and he had a burning desire to do something grandiose and potentially dangerous in order to feel the absolute maximum from life. And such an opportunity presented itself to him on a 6,000-mile journey from the source of the Amazon in the Peruvian Andes.to its mouth in eastern Brazil. After doing some research, he discovered that no one had done this before, which meant the prospect of being the first in the world, and Ed could not help but take advantage of this opportunity. Many people did not believe in the success of this event, but it only served as a driving force for the fearless captain and spurred him on every time things went badly. After 28 months of an expedition that began in April 2008 and ended on August 10, 2010, after more than nine million steps and nearly 200,000 mosquito and ant bites, six pairs of boots and a dozen scorpion bites, he proved his critics wrong.
What was the critical point of this call?
It was a period of about three months in Peru when Ed Stafford found himself all alone - his partner went home, and the first guide chose to leave, as he was too scared of the dangers that lay in wait for outsiders in the Red Zone - the illegal traffic zone drugs in Peru. In this region, everyone was involved in the production of cocaine, from the local peasant to the people who run the city. At the time, Eda's Spanish left a lot to be desired, and he found the whole experience so disappointing that it made him feel overwhelmed.
And it had good reason, as he often encountered some very hostile Indians who tried to detain the brave traveler. Once he was even detained on charges of murder, but, fortunately, he was acquitted. Edu countlessonce it was said that he would die with an arrow in the back of his head or be eaten by jaguars, but despite the dangers, he passed through the drug trafficking zone without much trouble.
Relations with local tribes
A few months later, Ed Stafford was joined by a new guide, Gadiel Rivera, a forestry worker who shared with him all the dangers of the road ahead. Some indigenous tribes in this part of the world consider themselves autonomous - they do not follow the laws of Peru. During the trip, Ed used a high-frequency radio network to communicate with the tribes and, when approaching their territory, ask for permission to pass, which the locals gave white people reluctantly, and often refused at all, as a result of which conflicts and clashes arose.
Ed and Rivera were once captured by a tribe that was furious that outsiders were trying to pass without permission, and it is not known how the case would have ended if the travelers were found to have weapons. Permission was granted only after Ed hired two members of the tribe as guides. Subsequently, this brought them many benefits, since local guides were indispensable for traveling in these places, and they became good friends. Ed said that at the end of the journey, when it was time to pay for their services, he was afraid that the money would be spent on alcohol, but the guys bought an outboard motor to bring to their community.
The unfavorable attitude of local tribes towards white people isthere are good enough grounds related to the past treatment of colonial migrants with indigenous peoples - in many communities of Peru, entire generations of men were destroyed, and women became victims of violence. Now it's a strange little world: it seems completely isolated, but there are even generators in the communities and they watch TV while watching Brazilian series.
Dangers on the way
In April 2009, a year after starting the expedition, Ed reached the hardest part of the journey: the Brazilian rainforest. Floods, bad maps, poisonous plants and dangerous animals posed a huge threat, not to mention the violent tribes that killed other British explorers in the past. Thus began the story of "Ed Stafford - Survival". They were malnourished all the time, they didn't have enough food.
When the 35-year-old former British Army captain began his journey, he thought it would help him get in shape. Months passed, and the miles covered reached a thousand, but instead of becoming an Adonis, he found that his muscle mass began to break down, and he became weaker and weaker. The lack of food forced a violation of the policy prohibiting hunting. Ed recalls how once, after two days without food, they found a red-footed tortoise nesting in a bed of leaves and, wasting no time worrying about ethics, sacrificed it to support their strength. They also harvested palm hearts, wild tomatoes, nuts, wild bananas, and fished,once nearly collided with a 2m electric eel capable of delivering a lethal shock with a 500W shock.
Insects were also a concern: Ed once encountered whitefly larvae growing on his head. They overcame everything and came out of this stage much more confident in their abilities.
Faithful companion
Most of the way Ed was accompanied by his faithful guide - Gadiel Rivera. He joined him, planning to spend a few days helping the brave traveler, and ended up staying with him until the end. According to Ed, he deserves a lot of credit for being a very easy-going and affable person who was great to get along with. Most of the time they dreamed and talked about fishing, firewood and choosing a route. They became fast friends and returned to the UK together after the expedition.
Ed helped him get his visa, Gadiel settled with his mom in Leicester and started learning English.
The results of an unprecedented journey
It was an ordeal, yet Ed is proud that he overcame everything, because it was a kind of challenge to himself. He replenished his baggage with unique knowledge that he shared with the whole world. Ed Stafford filmed his Amazon walk for two and a half years and broadcast it almost live on hundreds of blogs and video diaries, which he uploaded to his website throughout the trip, attracting followers.around the world.
His epic adventure made headlines, featured in over 900 articles and on every major news channel in the UK and US. One of the most rewarding aspects of it was the relationship with schools around the world. He wrote a blog for the Rainforest Prince's School website, and the kids sent in their questions. Ed recorded the responses on video and then uploaded the films that the teachers used to bring their lessons to life.
Ed's footage from the trip was made into a Discovery Channel documentary and shown in over 100 countries. He also described his adventures in the book A Walk in the Amazon, which has been translated into many languages of the world.
Father taught Ed from childhood that the work started must be completed. His father's advice was not in vain, and Ed Stafford proved to the world that he can be relied upon by his trip to the Amazon.
