The worst place to take a walk.0:18
On August 9th, 2010, Englishman Ed Stafford became the first man in history to walk the entire length of the Amazon River.0:33
To be exact, he walked 4,000 miles in 28 months.0:44
But this brave explorer faced some terrifying hazards along the way.0:49
The source of the Amazon River is high in the Andes Mountains.0:55
At first, it's a gentle trickle, but then it gathers speed and widens, eventually rushing into the Atlantic Ocean at 58 million gallons a second.0:59
The Amazon runs through the world's largest jungle, which is home to a tenth of the world's animal and plant species.1:11
It is also one of the planet's most dangerous and hostile habitats.1:19
European explorers sailed it in the 16th century, but no one was brave enough to walk it.1:24
The dangers there are enough to put anybody off: floods, giant anacondas, jaguars, electric eels, drug smugglers, malaria, hostile tribes, and sharp-toothed caiman crocodiles.1:31
So why did Ed want to walk there?1:47
Firstly, Ed wanted to prove that this walk was possible, simply because everyone said it couldn't be done.1:52
But his true inspiration was something even more important—the rainforest itself.1:59
Ed, who was a former army captain, used to lead jungle expeditions for a living, and saw how deforestation was destroying huge sections of rainforest.2:06
He desperately wanted to raise public awareness about the issue and knew that if he went on an adventure like this, it would grab people's attention.2:18
So on April 2nd, 2008, Ed set off from the jungles of Peru.2:28
From the start, he kept a video blog so viewers could follow his progress online.2:35
Ed recorded his many hair-raising moments—the bites and stings he suffered, encounters with angry locals, and his unforgettable meeting with a deadly pit viper.2:43
The snake, ready to strike, backed off at the last moment.2:55
Ed faced endless challenges.3:02
After his GPS failed, he had to use a compass, and a 60-year-old map to find his way.3:05
When he approached a village for supplies, he realized the village was no longer there, so for a while he had to survive on piranha and turtles.3:12
He constantly struggled to stay healthy.3:22
One time, a swarm of wasps attacked him and stung him over 30 times.3:26
Another time, he had to inject himself with antibiotics for 3 weeks, to stop a face-eating bug he caught.3:32
Relationships weren't always easy either.3:41
Only 3 months into his journey, Ed and his walking partner argued over an iPod, and his partner returned to the UK.3:44
But then a Peruvian forest worker, Gadiel Cho Sanchez, offered to join Ed for a few days.3:53
He ended up staying with him for 2 years.4:02
One day, 5 canoes filled with an Amerindian tribe approached the pair.4:06
Some had their bows drawn, others even had shotguns.4:11
They were furious to find foreigners in their territory.4:16
Eventually, the chief let them go, but only if he could go with them.4:20
He became their guide for the next 47 days.4:26
The list of difficulties goes on and on.4:31
Crossing under or over fallen trees, wading through mud, and walking through razor-sharp grass made progress painfully slow, but Ed never considered giving up.4:34
He was determined to finish what he started.4:46
Finally, after 860 days and 50,000 mosquito bites, Ed reached his final destination, the Atlantic coast of Brazil.4:49
But the last part of his journey was also the hardest.5:01
In the last week, he collapsed with exhaustion, got an agonizing rash all over his body, and then a fierce 6-mile-wide river nearly swept him out to sea.5:05
But somehow, Ed finally made it.5:18
He is so happy that his achievement succeeded in raising lots of money and drawing attention to the many threats to the Amazon rainforest, the spectacular lungs of the planet, and a natural wonder we must conserve at all costs.5:22
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