| Dawn on the Amazon III motored up the
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| | leg of the race at Santa Clara a
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| Nanay River for three days and two nights
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| | respectable eleventh place, but out of
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| to observe, and photograph the sixth
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| | contention.
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| annual Great Amazon River Raft Race. We
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| | No one told me team # 10, Los Increiblies
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| spent the first night at the village of
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| | de Padre Cocha was unbeatable. They were
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| Nina Rumi.
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| | soon out of sight, and the race was for
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| Before the roosters crowed, the sounds of
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| | second and third place. The Amazon Golf
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| machetes echoed through the fog as the
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| | Club got to Santa Clara second, 7 minutes
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| teams shaped the balsa logs for their
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| | and 36 seconds behind Los Increiblies.
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| rafts. These rafts were not so much
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| | My original favorites Los Bikingos
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| built, as engineered.
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| | finished a disappointing 29 minutes off
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| One raft in particular caught my
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| | the pace in fifth place. They paddled
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| attention. It was built in secrecy by a
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| | across the river to the solitude of a
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| small group who had camped and fished
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| | sandbar and began working on their raft.
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| overnight on the sandbar across the
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| | When I got up at 5:30 the next morning
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| river. I heard them laughing into the
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| | they were already refining the design.
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| night and knew they were having fun.
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| | Under cover of darkness, the other three
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| We took my Jon boat across to spy on
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| | members of Jocko's team left him and
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| them. They were delighted with the
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| | returned to Iquitos. He vowed to finish
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| interest we showed, and were happy to
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| | the race by himself. Fortunately for
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| share their secrets with us.
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| | Jocko, when the rest of the crews found
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| They had conceived an experimental design
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| | out his team had abandoned ship, they
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| using seven balsa logs shaped very slim.
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| | stripped his raft and used the pieces to
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| They charred them over the fire to make
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| | modify and improve their rafts. Jocko was
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| them dry and buoyant, sanded them, and
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| | disqualified because he had no team and
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| then painted them so they would not
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| | no raft.
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| absorb water during the long race.
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| | In the end, Los Increiblies de Padre
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| The original plan called for eight balsa
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| | Cocha were incredible. They used the
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| logs, but they decided seven were
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| | current and the wind as their friends.
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| advantageous and left the eighth on the
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| | Everyone else tried to cut corners short,
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| beach. They tied their raft together with
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| | stalled in the slack water of the sand
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| fishing line, then tested and retied
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| | points with the wind in their faces and
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| several times. They showed us the big
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| | fell behind.
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| tub of fish they cleaned and salted to
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| | Los Increiblies paddled farther, stayed
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| save for the second day of the race. I
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| | in the current of the channel, tucked in
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| chose them, # 21, Los Bikingos, to win.
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| | close to the steep river bank out of the
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| We took the Jon boat back to Nina Rumi
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| | wind, and went faster, earning the S/1000
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| and studied the other rafts and teams,
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| | first prize money, finishing the fifty
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| comparing them to Los Bikingos. I started
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| | kilometers over eighteen minutes ahead of
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| loosing confidence in my choice when I
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| | Los Hermanos, another team I overlooked,
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| saw the Amazon Golf Club representatives
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| | who received the S/600 second place
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| were all big, strong athletes and learned
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| | prize.
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| that one of their members had won every
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| | Los Amigos finished third for S/400. The
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| canoe competition he had participated in.
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| | Amazon Golf Club finished fourth and Los
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| Then I found out the team that won last
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| | Bikingos finished fifth, both out of the
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| year was back to defend their title. They
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| | money, but with a lot of pride.
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| were all dressed in red with matching red
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| | We had a great time, learned a lot, and
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| paddles, the flag of Peru, and a big # 1.
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| | are making plans for next year's race.
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| They looked like a NASCAR team. I
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| | Dawn on the Amazon, will sponsor an
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| switched my allegiance to them, Los 4
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| | international team. Please send me your
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| Amigos.
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| | resumes. We will be taking Dawn on the
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| My sentimental favorite was # 91, Los
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| | Amazon III again.
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| Moshacos, because my buddy Jocko was part
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| | Anyone who would like to enjoy the Great
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| of that team. The race started at 11:00
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| | Amazon River Raft Race in comfort, with
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| a.m. Jocko's team got off to a good
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| | gourmet food, cold beer, cool wine, and
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| start, but within thirty seconds it was
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| | good company should contact me for
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| obvious my sentimental favorite was a bad
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| | details.
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| choice. Los Moshacos finished the first
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|
