The nature of the river has changed. The calm stretches between rapids are shorter and there are many more small rapids and riffles. Like Roosevelt we have noticed that the trees are getting larger as we descend the river. This was a very important fact for Roosevelt because very soon his men would have to …
Last night we camped by the bridge near the Teneie Marques, a Cinta Larga community. Brazil was playing in the World Cup. We could hear cheers coming from the community. We think the whole village was watching the game together. Brazil won and just before dark two teachers and several children walked across the bridge …
Three days ago we loaded our canoe where Theodore Roosevelt first caught a glimpse of the Rio Roosevelt. One hundred years ago Roosevelt and his team followed the telegraph line to where it crossed this then unknown river and began their descent. The river seems unchanged from Roosevelt’s time. The forest is alive with a …
6_17_14 Student Response (Lower) 6_17_14 Student Response (Upper) One hundred years ago President Roosevelt and his exhausted team rounded a bend in the Rio Roosevelt. It was like hundreds of other bends they had rounded, but this time they were greeted by the American and Brazilian flags fluttering in the wind and the sound of …
The end of the river, but the adventure continues Read More »
We made it to the mouth of the Rio Roosevelt. This is the end of the river, where it pours into the Aripuana River. I think we feel as good as Roosevelt did we he saw the rest of his original party camped here 100 years ago. It has been a pleasure following in Roosevelt’s …
Everyone is doing well. We have just begun a long, 15 km stretch of rapids. This involves a lot of portaging and some paddling. I’ll have a bigger update for you when we reach the end of the rapids– and the mouth of the Rio Roosevelt.
Students requested to see morpho butterfly photos after their mention in our latest Notes from the Trail. Here they are:
Yesterday we saw our first sloth! Sloths are one of my favorite animals. We have been looking in the trees for them for a long time. In Brazil they call a sloth preguica, which means lazy. It’s true that sloths don’t move much, but that is not because they’re lazy — it is so they …
A dense fog hung over the river this morning as we loaded our canoes and paddled through the whirlpools and small waves in rapid below our camp. However, it was not long before the sun was blazing overhead and our GoalZero solar panels were charging our batteries. After an hour and a half of paddling, …
6_9_14 Student Response Worksheet (Lower) 6_9_14 Student Response Worksheet (Upper) The hot sun brought an early end to our travels yesterday, but this was the start of several unexpected events. We stopped at an old farmstead, were greeted warmly by its sole inhabitant, Jose, and settled in for the day. When Jose commented that this …