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