Synopsis
An epic 12,000-mile canoe trip is the subject of this breathtaking father-and-son adventure. From Winnipeg the Starkells paddled south down the Mississippi, along the coast of Central America, inland through the waterways of Colombia and Venezuela, and eventually down the Amazon -- the longest canoe trip ever recorded.Throughout their journey, nature and man provided an endless mosaic of sights and terrifying dangers. They encountered piranhas, wild pigs, and hungry alligators; they were arrested, taken for spies, and set upon by pirates; and they lived through violent hurricanes, food poisoning, and near-starvation. But the greatest test was the love and conflict between father and son as they struggled to complete their odyssey together. This is a voyage that they -- and the reader -- will never forget.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
In 1980, the author and his two teenage sons embarked on a canoe trip from Winnipeg to Belem, Brazil, where the Amazon meets the Atlantic. One son, discouraged, returned to Canada from Mexico, but Starkell and his other son went on, completing the trip in two years. Traveling 12,000 miles on rivers and open seas in their 21-foot canoe, they encountered every conceivable obstacle--wild animals, hostile natives, near-starvation, terrifying ocean weather, arrest, robbery, illness and despair. They also met many sympathetic people who encouraged them and helped them survive. Starkell's story, in diary form, focuses on contrasts between wilderness and civilization, poverty and luxury, suspicion and trust, depression and elation. It is a curious account of the world observed by two people with minimal supplies depending on their wits and the good will of strangers as they brave the forces of nature and the vagaries of people in unfamiliar countries. Author tour.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Starkell, 47, and his two teenage sons set out by canoe from their home in Winnipeg, Canada in June 1980. Two years and 12,192 miles later two of them (one son dropped out) arrived in Belem at the mouth of the Amazon, having paddled some 20 million strokes. They camped and shared with natives; survived ocean capsizes, salt sores, robberies, and arrest. To do the whole trip by human power only developed a "stirring sense of connection with the great river travellers of history." Most of all, it meant fulfilling a dream and realizing abilities they didn't know they had--together. A humble but stirring account, recommended for all types of libraries, this complements Joe Kane's expedition journey, Running the Amazon (LJ 5/15/89).
- Roland Person, Southern Illinois Univ. Lib., Carbondale
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
