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The Amazon Expedition begins!

Blog written by Lani and George

Finally we have arrived in the bustling metropolis of Manaus! After several long haul flights, it was surreal to finally be reunited with our fellow young explorers. The day began with the first challenge of the expedition: to find the containers for our water filter project. We hit the streets and instantly began to sweat as we entered the sauna of the central city. After scanning several shops that stocked everything from fishing line to native blowguns, we bargained and practiced Portuguese with the friendly Brazilian people. We found suitable plastic containers, which we will modify to house the Katadyn water filters in the next few days and distribute them to local people in need of clean water.

Later, we went for lunch next to the famous Opera House in the centre of Manaus. It was amazing to see the historic buildings and the strong Portuguese influence which remains in the ex-capital. We gathered up all our bags and walked through the streets to the port of the city. As we approached the Rio Negro, we rounded the corner and suddenly PANGAEA came into view. What a spectacular sight! Finally the expedition of a lifetime has begun, it almost doesn’t seem real that we are finally living the dream.

We were welcomed by the Mike Horn team and after a discussion of our plans at the round table, we were challenged instantly. We climbed the stays of the main mast and climbed along the boom, which was difficult with sweaty hands due to the humid climate. Our start-of-expedition fitness training continued with pull ups at the back of the boat, followed by jumping into the dark sweet water of the Amazon and completing 3 laps of the boat. The first day of the expedition has been a challenge that was attacked with a huge positive attitude and enthusiasm by all the young explorers. Already we are learning a huge amount from Mike Horn, and we are sure that it is only the beginning!
 





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