British adventurer walks entire Amazon River in 2 years
It's unbelievable to be here!" said Stafford the moment he entered the sea. "It proves you can do anything - even if people say you cannot. I've proved that if you want something enough, you can do anything!" A few hours earlier, Stafford had collapsed at the side of the road, just short of his destination. But upon arrival at the Maruda beach - and his journey's end - Stafford looked like he had all the energy in the world, as if walking for 2 years were nothing as he jumped into the ocean and hugged anyone in sight.
While he says he is "no eco-warrior," Stafford said near the end of his journey that he hoped his feat would raise awareness of destruction to the Amazon rain forest - but that at its heart, it was simply a grand expedition of endurance.
"I am simply doing it because no one has done it before." There are at least six known expeditions along the course of the Amazon River, from its source high in the Peruvian Andes across Colombia and into Brazil before its waters are dumped into the ocean 6,760 kilometers away.
But those used boats to advance their travel.
Stafford and a British friend began the walk on April 2, 2008, on the southern coast of Peru. Within three months, his pal left. Stafford carried on, walking bits of the route with hundreds of locals he met along the way.
Eventually, Peruvian forestry worker Gadiel "Cho" Sanchez Rivera, 31, decided to make the journey with Stafford to the Atlantic.
Stafford said his journey - which has cost $100,000 and is paid for by sponsoring companies and donations - has deepened his understanding of the Amazon.
He has lived off piranha fish he caught, rice and beans, and store-bought munitions found in local communities along the river.
Stafford said he plans another expedition in September 2011 - something nobody has ever done - but will not provide details for fear someone might beat him to it.
Until then, a good, long rest awaits, Kazinform cites Arab News. See www.arabnews.com for full version.