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