If you like real-life adventure stories -- and especially if you’ve ever paddled a canoe or a kayak -- you’re going to like Paddle to the Amazon. (I found it spell-binding; and, since I’ve read just about every expedition paddling narrative out there, I’m a pretty hard sell.)
Don Starkell, looking to reconnect with his two teenage sons after a long period of separation, decided on a canoe trip. He did a lot of planning, learned a little Spanish, and loaded Dana, Jeff, and all their gear into a 21’ open canoe for an epic 2-year journey. (Don and Dana stuck it out; Jeff bailed in Mexico and returned to college.)
It was 12,192 miles by lake, river, and ocean, from Winnipeg, Canada, to the mouth of the Amazon at Belem, Brazil. Relying on the kindness of strangers, their own slim resources and fierce determination (plus a good measure of luck,) they prevailed. It was no paddle in the park, this trip. Dana and Don endured hunger, thirst, exhaustion, food poisoning, salt sores, near-drownings, asthma attacks, and hurricanes. They were lost, shot at, arrested, robbed, mistaken for smugglers, nearly murdered, and menaced by crocodiles, wild boar, sharks, piranhas, and pirates.
Did I mention all the yummy meals of coconuts and roasted ants?
Paddle to the Amazon is certainly not a run of the mill father/son bonding story. And in the interests of full disclosure, I have to confess that it is also not among the most popular books here in the Library. But, since I get a chance to push my own favorites once in a while, here it is!
Still undecided? Check out these trailers for a little more persuasion. And if you enjoyed reading Paddle to the Amazon, dive right into Starkell’s second book, Paddle to the Arctic. It won’t disappoint.
As always, tell us what you think. If you’ve read Paddle, tell us whether or not you liked it. If you’re a fellow “true adventure” jinkie, tell us what other books we should try.
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4 comments:
My husband is reading this book and is enjoying it immensely. He doesn't usually read books but I found this book in the apt. library and thought he might enjoy it. He reads every day and makes comments all the time he is reading. We were in some of the places that they travelled through so it makes the book even more interesting. It is nice to see him so excited about reading this book.
Chris Forde:
I read this book. It moved me so much that I decided to make a documentary on Don, Dana and Jeff's adventures to the amazon.
I've been working on this film almost as long as the Starkells prepared for the trip but I see a light at the end of the tunnel.
This Journey has taken my brother and I down the Mississippi river with the boys on an anniversary trip and my wife and I to Mexico last summer to interview Gabby the mexican lad that helped them out when the journey had stalled in Varacruz.
This is a wild ride of a book and a true adventure in the way Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn might have but just a little further.
You can see some of the trailers on youtube.com/paddletotheamazon
I'll have a website up soon so you can get further info but if you want to email me with any questions you can contact me at
forde@splitrockproductions.com
Cheers
Chris Forde
Splitrock Production inc.
Hi everyone,
As you might know, I have been working on a documentary called "Paddle to the Amazon".
Due to the amount of email I receive about the project, I have created a blog to address some of the questions and stories you might have. For some of my friends, I thought you might want to check out what I've been working on for so long. To visit, just click on the links below or paste the URLs into your browser.
PS if you like it, please tell a friend about it.
Thanks
Christopher Forde
Splitrock Productions Inc.
forde@splitrockproductions.com
Paddle to the Amazon http://web.me.com/cforde
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