The Expedition

This is a personal dream that is growing up since 3 years now, before I reach South Africa on my bicycle. I want to continue traveling like I do, slowly and on my bicycle.

This expedition offers the unique opportunity to spend many hours observing wildlife and flora and allow me to gather a lot of unique images and video’s material, to make a documentary. The aim is to reveal the beauty of Amazonia and show that despite an inhospitable environment, we can find a balance which exists between man and nature. The way of transport is a way to serve as an ideal platform for my effort to raise awareness about our lifestyle and excessive consumption. Our needs and lifestyle are in fact the source of many problems. There is a lot of commun worries between our world and in the Amazona or somewhere else: we share the same planet and it is important that everyone feels involved in participating in its own possible scale and ability to protect our beautiful planet.

My message ? A simple life in a beautiful world!

The duration of the expedition itself is difficult to predict, given the lack of concrete information about the performance of a bici-boat. This also depends on what will happen to me along the rivers. Other factors are the strong current that changes with the many different rainy’s seasons or the flow who will become almost non-existent closer I’ll travel to Manaus.

* Estimation departure for the end of september
* Estimated time of the expedition: between 5-6 months

In other words, this is no attempt to reach as fast as possible Manaus, but the idea is to take my time and be able to meet people and experience the jungle.

The choice of the route was a logical one: the Napo River in Ecuador is one of the best preserved place of the entire Amazonas. This route offers as well the longest drive of the sailing’s waters of the Amazonas. This will be while following the current; in despite of the technical ingenuity of the bici-boat’s construction, it will be impossible to go against the flow over a long distance, especially upstream of the Napo River where they are very strong.

- From Tena, where born the famous and beautiful Rio Napo, the river is narrow and few rapids will require all my skills and concentration. Then comes one of the richest Amazona’s regions, regarding fauna and flora. Many lagoons will be available close to the Napo, which is ideal for the documentary part and the quest of wildlife.

- Closer I get to Iquitos, more the contact with indigenous people will increase, down to Manaus. In Iquitos, I will join the Amazona River and it should be during this second part of the trip that I would probably face always more environmental problems or deforestationte (mainly due to export of exotic wood, cattle and in lesser extent now, because better controlled, the soya bean crop).

- The last stretch I will have to cycle a lot because the Rio Amazona will become wider and wider (easily up to 2 kilometers) and without any stream. Manaus is the capital of the Brazilian’s Amazonia and also the doorway to the Amazon, or my case, the exit door.