Living in Peru : your everyday companion

By Dave Aabo

One donation is shaping the history of surfing in Peru. Global Surf Industries (GSI) sent a shipping container full of surfboards to Peru last year. It’s true as GSI founder says “Life is better when you surf”. The driving force behind the boards’ arrival was a new not-for-profit association in Peru, Switzerland and the USA: WAVES for Development. With the help of IPD (Instituto Peruano de Deporte) and FENTA (Federacion Deportiva Nacional de Tabla) the donated boards have made it into select schools along the coast of Peru. Earlier this month WAVES for Development completed a two-week pilot project in the community of Lobitos, 65 km south of Mancora, putting some of those boards to good use.

By Diana P. Olano
Pictures provided by: dawnontheamazon.com/blog/

Categorized as an extreme sport, river rafting sees a group of people aboard an inflatable raft, trying to navigate through usually rough waters. The activity is popular worldwide, with fans heading to the Arkansas River for whitewater fun or to the harsh waters of the Tara River in Montenegro. Obstacles in these types of rafting adventures usually include drops in elevation, large waves and big rocks. The annual Great Amazon River Raft Race in the rainforest waters of Peru is considered just as extreme, but reasons entirely different since jungle is like no place on earth and this competition can't be compared to many.

By Jim Plunkett

Tiger Woods would undoubtedly prefer playing the British Open in St. Andrews over our local golf courses, but then again, Peru holds a rather unique experience for those that  relish chasing a little white ball around an enclosed park at the foot of the Andes.

The Amazon Rafting Club, based in Iquitos, Peru, invites rafters, canoeists, rowers, and paddlers from all over the world to compete in this year’s event.

The 3 day race will start in the town of Nauta on Friday, 21st September 2007, and finish in the City of Iquitos on Sunday, 23rd September 2007. Each 4 person crew will paddle their ready built, lightweight, balsawood raft down the mighty Amazon River for 132 miles. The winning crews will show excellence in teamwork, stamina and knowledge of currents and rivers.

The History of The Great River Amazon Raft Race

In June 1998 Mike Collis moved to Iquitos from Birmingham, England, for what he thought would be a quiet life. In 1999 Gerald Mayeaux was appointed as the Director of Tourism for Iquitos. Gerald asked Mike if he had any ideas on how to promote tourism in Iquitos. Mike told him that for more than 25 years he had organized raft races in England. Gerald asked Mike to organize the first raft race on the Amazon.

The first Amazon Raft Race took place on the 29th July 1999, on the Nanay River. 43 crews competed in the 12 mile, one day race from Santa Clara to Bella Vista Nanay. The winning team completed the course in just over 2 hours and 30 minutes.

The second race, one year later, was on the same course with over 60 teams competing from 14 different countries.

In 2003 the course was extended to 26 miles over 2 days, from the village of Nina Rumi to Bella Vista Nanay. The winning team completed the course in 4 hours and 20 minutes.

This race format continued into 2004 and 2005 but then it was decided to go for the “Big One” in 2006, “The Worlds Longest Raft Race”.

(Provided by the Americo Tordoya Mountaineering Club)

The Americo Tordoya Mountaineering Club (CMAT), based in Lima, Peru, is organizing the first Peruvian expedition to Mt. McKinley, Alaska (6,194 M) in June of 2007.

Alaska is considered the last frontier in extreme climbing. It is a remote and inaccessible area, where many of the most beautiful and impressive mountains on our planet are located. McKinley, known as Denali by the Native Americans, is the highest mountain in North America and attracts hundreds of climbers every year who try to climb this impressive and difficult mountain.

BACKGROUND

In May of 2000, the leader of the present expedition, Fausto Vinces attempted to climb Denali with American and Australian climbers but was unsuccessful because of bad weather and the lack of proper equipment. The highest point reached by Vinces and his team was Camp 3 (14, 000 feet).
 
The lessons learned from that expedition were assimilated and the idea to organize the first Peruvian expedition to Denali was born on his flight back to New York.

After multiple conversations and meetings in 2004 and 2005, the plan was formalized in August 2006. The expedition was officially supported by CMAT in November thus making the first Peruvian expedition to Denali a reality.  Currently, the expedition is conduction activities to obtain sponsorship and support for this brave endeavor.

(by Martin Strel, professional marathon swimmer -link-)

My name is Martin Strel. I’m from a very small but beautiful country called Slovenia. It’s a small country, a tiny country, but over the last 6 years, I, for one, have set myself and achieved, some incredibly large goals:

- To be the first and only person to swim the Danube river - 1877 miles (3021 km).
- The first and only person to swim the Mississippi river - 2360 miles (3798 km).
- The first and only person to swim the Yangtze river in China - 2500 miles (4023 km).

And I have come at last to what looks like the impossible challenge of being the first and only person to swim the Amazon river.

From close to its source in Atalaya, Peru, to where it spills out of the Amazon Basin into the Atlantic, at Belem, Brazil. Some 3375 miles (5430 km).

No one has ever done this... I know that I’m going against almost insurmountable odds, but I have my reasons.

Some of which I’m going to tell you about.

(LIP-wb) -- His initial speech given during his introduction in the middle of the European summer was exemplary: for high hopes and that, as of now, always the opposite occurred of what both sides had promised each other ever since their liaison began.

During the World Cup in Germany last year, Paolo Guerrero, wearing a a fashionable velvet jacket, introduced himself to the fans and public of his new home in Hamburg and - according to the spirit induced by his former club Bayern Munich where he was pampered by success  - by speaking of winning the "Double", the German championship and cup.

“But at some point I also want to win the Champions League", he said. Big words, little effect. The 2.8 million Euro investment scored only two goals in Germany's first half season, but at least he scored the decisive goal in Hamburg's only win so far (2:1 at Leverkusen) even though he was substituted late in the game, which tells a lot. Sitting on the bench as a substitute (a.k.a. joker) was a role Guerrero didn't want to play anymore. He had enough of that in Munich.

(by Jason Woods)
 

Universitario won gainst Alianza by a score of 3:2 (Photo: Daniel Valdivia y José Callañaupa, peru.com)

Last Sunday, I went with my host brother and two other guys to the biggest fútbol game in Peru--Alianza Lima vs. Universitario. I was going for Alianza, but, unfortunately, La U won 3-2. (Note: "La U" translates exactly into "The U," as in The University of Miami... reason enough to dismiss La U as a bunch of thugs...).

It was nice being in an intensely competitive atmosphere once again. In fact, it felt pretty familiar during most of the game, except for a few things. First, Peruvians seem to be obsessed with whistling. So, instead of the "roar" of the crowd, I heard... kind of an intense chirping... or maybe like the screaming of jets or something. The Peruvian fans also bring actual whistles and blow them, too. And, then there are the more agressive noisemakers that sound like cannonfire.

But, otherwise, this was very reminscent of sporting events I have attended in the United States.

...that is, until the game ended. This is when the running began.

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