Amazon Expedition – Day 8

Blog written by Tim White

5:30 a.m. – Time to wake up before sunrise because we can sleep once we are done exploring the Amazon! Like yesterday, we awoke in darkness to begin our daily adventure. We began by scrubbing the decks for two hours until breakfast. Next, we gave our skin some much-needed attention by giving each other natural spa experiences! We completely covered ourselves in clay we collected from the banks of the Rio Negro. Mike taught us that clay can naturally help wounds recover and improve the overall health of our skin.

Being covered in dried clay gave us a great reason to jump in the river! However, this was no leisurely float down a river. All ten of us jumped off the bow of Pangaea (while it was still moving of course!) then grabbed hold of a rope that was towed behind the boat. Our objective: to hold onto the rope for as long as possible while the boat increased its speed! This was so much fun, and proved to me that we are getting better at working as a team and remaining calm in hectic situations. We all showed poise with our heads being occasionally dragged underwater, and we quickly regrouped in the river once we all were tossed from the rope. Just seven days into the expedition, we truly feel like one family.

The rest of the day was spent preparing for our first real hunt, which I am still anxiously looking forward to as I type this log! We spent the rest of daylight learning how to prepare fishing gear using simple wooden reels and piranha-proof fishing wire (metal so the piranha can’t bite through the line). At nightfall, Mike took us through the flooded jungle in an inflatable dingy to search for the right wood to make spears and harpoons. We found the right materials but it was not an easy search! We had a great time speeding through thickly wooded areas, dodging massive spider webs, and avoiding razor-sharp bladegrass.

Right now, we are all about to set out on this hunt! We will be moving through the jungle on standup paddleboards in search of caiman, fish, and other small targets for our harpoons. Let the search begin!