This This is an update nosotros received July 10 from Professor Marc Meyers, who is currently inward Brazil, scouting locations for an expedition upwards the River of Doubt, which he plans to kickoff this fall. Meyers plans to retrace the steps of Theodore Roosevelt, who explored the river 100 years ago, inward 1914.
More on Meyers' planned expedition here.
An before dispatch from Meyers was published online past times UT San Diego here.
I decided to view the primal areas where the master Rooosevelt-Rondon expedition passed this summer. I flew to Cuiaba, unopen to the town where Rondon is born. From there, I took the motorbus to Caceres, on the Paraguay River. It was supposed to live on an uneventful trip of 3 hours, merely a tragic accident inward which half dozen persons died as well as almost 20were injured delayed the motorbus for several hours. My initial determination to rent a automobile as well as crusade to Caceres myself would attain got position me inward the middle of the turmoil. I returned the automobile afterward trying to piece of occupation out of Cuiaba for twoscore minutes, getting lost several times.
Caceres is a urban center of around 60,000 on the river. I inquired almost regular boat shipping from Corumba as well as was informed that a boat has to live on hired for that purpose. The trip takes around 3 days as well as stops at points inward the Pantanal tin dismiss live on arranged. There is a large tourist angling fleet inward Caceres as well as these boats tin dismiss live on leased for a little group.
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| Bus station inward Caceres. |
Aware of the dangers of driving inward Brazilian highways, where semis, buses, as well as cars treat the correct to piece of occupation past times each other on two-lane highways alongside nix shoulders, I decided to accept the bus, a real comfortable as well as economical option. The ticket was $35 for a 500 km trip. I was able to assess the terrain that the horseback component of the expedition volition cover.
Caceres is surrounded past times marshy land; I could non position the post of Tapiropoan on the river. The names must attain got changed inward these 100 years. The highway, BR 362, follows supposedly the telegraph line of piece of occupation set past times Rondon prior to the 1914 expedition as well as followed past times Roosevelt. However, the Utitiarity Falls are non along the highway, merely direct North of Caceres. The route gently rises to a plateau, called Chapada dos Parecis. The cerrado as well as depression forests attain got been for the most role replaced past times pastures. On our West side, nosotros followed a mount range. The horseback component should non run into whatever major problems.
I was pleasantly surprised past times Vilhena, the terminal component of the RR expedition, where the River of Doubt starts. It is, interestingly, all the same called Rio da Duvida on maps as well as MapQuest. It is solely further North that the cite changes to Roosevelt River. The urban center has a population of almost 70,000 as well as is the effect of a major immigration moving ridge inward the 1970s. It is instantly an of import middle of the entire percentage as well as the symmetric organisation of streets, order, as well as a sure enough harmony are clearly the effect of the immigrants from the South of the country. It is at an height of 600 meters which provides a pleasant climate all twelvemonth long, something that definitively has helped its development. In Vilhena, I attain got 3 chief goals:
1. Visit the headwaters of the River of Doubt.
2. Inquire almost the availability of horses for the move from Tapirapoan to Vilhena.
3. Visit Rondon's house.
4. Establish local contacts as well as obtain back upwards from the mayor for the expedition.
All the dispatches inward the serial tin dismiss live on establish here:
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