Into the Wild

The Tri border is an incredibly unique place; take three very differing countries, two languages, a manic water way, loads of soldiers and police, squash them together and put it in the middle of absolutely nowhere and that is this place. At this odd little clash of cultures at the gateway to the Brasilian Amazon you can expect to meet some interesting people; an exceptional encounter with a crazy Swiss takes the biscuit.

Six years ago I was a spotty teenager studying for my GCSE’s, the war in Iraq was in its infancy and Athens was miraculously ready to host the Olympics. Feel like a while ago? Well a young man named Hervé Neukomm got on a bike in Switzerland and started cycling.  Six years, 46,000 km later and on the other side of the world this now bearded crazy Swiss is still going. The bike (the very same!) now sits in a custom-made ‘bici-boat’ in which the bike powers water paddles. Despite a continent of flooded jungle without a road in sight he just keeps on going.

To say this man is ‘well travelled’ and world savvy is a gross understatement. His warm company and friendship through this difficult stage for us has been a God send. Ever ready with wise counsel, he’s been a constant companion for nearly three weeks and combined our boats made the oddest spectacle on the entire Amazon!

We were fortunate really that we met Hervé, for an unbalanced team we would have been as our long time guide and good friend Christian has left us and departed for a home which now stands over a thousand miles away. This remarkable man was a pleasure to travel with and learn from. For one so young his knowledge of the jungle and river was a wonder to behold. His company will be sorely missed and his friendship not quickly forgotten.

Leticia, Colombia is a fine little town, our chosen abode among the three countries here, but we are impatient to be active, faced with the insurmountable difficulties presented by the Brazilian authorities we proceeded to do what comes naturally; scrap the diplomacy and head into the wild. The Colombian jungle is as untouched as it is fabled to be unruled. Passing hugely powerful and heavily armed Naval patrol boats speaks of the countries bloody and ongoing fight to rid itself of its drug ridden world image. Happily we stumbled upon no jungle cocaine labs as we motored up and into the dense interior of this corner of the Amazon.

Told repeatedly that our aim of reaching a network of seven lakes was unfeasible due to low water and dense jungle we carried on regardless. We long ago began to take local advice with a pinch of salt as it is always negative. They love to be the bearers of bad news and get positively excited when there’s danger to report! This river though did indeed get very small and we only just managed to scrape under a local bridge, towing ‘Pura Vida’ or ‘Pure Life’ the bici-boat behind us. It was close to here that I saw Hervé dive off the back of his boat. Monkey was at this point resident on Pura Vida for the journey and had actually fallen off the back! Having scooped him up our terrified baby primate was now perched on Hervé’s head as he swam after the boats. Rapid response was quickly established and like Thunderbird 4 Andrew was dispatched on our tractor tire life boat (Now called H.M.S Shit has hit the Fan) to the rescue of the man and monkey overboard. Crisis averted and a biscuit for our foolish sodden monkey we arrived at the gateway to the first lake where the tributary reached its most narrow point. The team strained as machetes flew through the air chopping up the thick mesh of vegetation that tried so hard to deny us access, one final big push and the boat cleared the entrance with Pura Vida gracefully following.

Off the main river the water systems of the mighty Amazon are an amazingly different world. Teeming with fish and wildlife they are a paradise of nature that defy belief. We’d come to this remote place for a purpose other than sightseeing though. It was high time Nyo Nyo left us for the wild, the mighty Brazilian Amazonas being no place for a baby monkey. Though a much cherished pet we couldn’t pass up this chance to rehabilitate monkey to such a fitting environment, not when only a month remains to us on this continent. It was also a place where we could really appreciate our boat and come to terms with the fact that we would have to part with it soon.

When ‘straying off the beaten track’ you are bound to make contact with a more secluded peoples. Often scared, always wary and sometimes aggressive, understanding the psyche of such people takes a natural. Hervé is such a person. Speaking seven languages and Spanish like a native he seamlessly smoothed our arrival into these remote areas where we were quickly accosted by native representatives. He seems truly to understand people, be them Namibian, Syrian or Colombian and could write the definitive book on how to be accepted the world over. Watching him engage and control situations, swap jokes and ultimately command the respect of the locals is a far from common sight among tourists in far-flung lands, but then this man is definitively not a tourist, his home, after all is these far-flung corners of the world.

So free to venture forth having imparted some gifts to the local chief we set off to explore the system of lakes. No longer full of muddy silt, the water is a clear dark color – the fabled black water of the Amazon. So full of fish were the lakes that it didn’t take long for the team to sustain a number of Piranha bites as we swam in this idyllic place! We wreak our own revenge come dinner time though as fishing becomes childs play. Andrew is nowhere to be seen as he has disappeared into the forest, machete in hand, in pursuit of the perfect wood to carve. We are the proud owners of an exquisitely carved backgammon board minus the pieces so far.

Not forgetting our main purpose we constantly bank up against the jungle to encourage Nyo nyo to explore. Initially very scared the first ventures were en-masse to boost his confidence and also involved us actually climbing the trees with the little wimp. Having had a play, eaten everything he can get his little hands on, he’d come scurrying back for dinner time or if we all suddenly left him for the boat. This is clearly going to take some time! His diet now consists of purely fruit and water. No more tea and spaghetti! Hunting bugs on the boat with Nyo nyo is also a pleasant past time, he needs the help and we want them gone!

So monkeys’ confidence grows, as do our climbing skills, but his rehabilitation into his natural environment goes on. One wonders, as I watch four tanned, semi-naked, barefoot men jumping about the jungle canopy with a baby monkey, how long our own re-hab will last?

James

Andy practising his rapid response techniques

Patch catching dinner or wreaking revenge for bites?

Wash time for a beard that is swiftly getting out of hand

The crazy Swiss gets some shots of the crazy Brits and the African

Steak! A rare treat

The most ridiculous sight on the Amazon

Party time on the boat

One of Persevere Without Fears’ last journeys

Herve – Our much respected crazy Swiss friend

The bici boats propulsion system silhoueted by an amazonian sky

James christening the lifeboat

A moody Amazonian Sky

the boat, so organised as we prepare to leave

Nyo-nyo practises his climbing

Andy precariously poses

Andy

Nyo-nyo cleaning his teeth

Sunset on the Colombian lakes

Patch makes a friend

Herve on his beloved bicycle

The last photo with Christian before he headed back up river

Various tasks on the boat

Nyo-nyo confused by his new housemates

James running introductions

Herve perfecting his technique

Our last Peruvian home before crossing the border

Fun on the lakes

Bici boat tackles a tributary

Team in the trees

Herve enjoying the rarity of a tow

The team huddles for dinner

Jase calling to the monkeys

Christan feeding an Amazonian Parrot

A tense game of backgammon

Team in the trees