Source: Daily Mail
After 859 days, thousands of miles and '50,000' mosquito bites, Briton Ed Stafford has become the first man to walk the entire length of the Amazon river.
The former British army captain, who says he is both elated and tired, ended the epic 6,000 mile trek when he reached the Atlantic Ocean in Northern Brazil today.
Stafford walked through 3 countries; Peru, Colombia and Brazil repeatedly risking his life in his quest to raise awareness of the destruction of the Amazon rainforest.
During his gruelling expedition he has dodged pit vipers, electric eels, anaconda and scorpions. He has been imprisoned, chased by natives wielding bows and arrows and wrongly accused of murder - on two separate occasions.Upon reaching the end of his incredible journey Stafford said: 'I’m more tired and more elated than I’ve ever been in my life!
'We’ve made it to the mouth of the Amazon after 859 days. We’ve lived through some very serious situations and there have been times when we genuinely feared for our lives, but we never ever thought of giving up.
'The fact that everyone told us it was impossible spurred us on. At first it was terrifying but it’s changed in our eyes during the expedition and a place that was once mysterious and dangerous to us is now a place where we feel safe.
'We’ve never had more relaxed evenings than when we sit in the middle of the jungle alone around the campfire.
'It’s not a scary place for us now; it’s beautiful; we’ve fallen in love with it and it feels like home.’
Sir Ranulph Fiennes OBE, the world’s leading explorer said of Stafford’s achievement: ‘One of the most impressive aspects of his performance throughout this expedition is Ed's absolute determination to succeed.
'On an almost daily basis, he must have faced obstacles which would put most people off. His is a truly magnificent demonstration of the stubborn grit which you need to succeed in such difficult and dangerous terraine.
'Such stories draw much needed attention to the very real problems which exist in the Amazon basin and beyond.'
Since Stafford started his jungle journey at the summit of Mount Mismi in Peru on April 2, 2008, he has suffered hundreds of wasp stings and endured an estimated 50,000 mosquito bites.
While he says he is 'no eco-warrior', he hoped his feat would raise awareness.
'The crux of it is, if this wasn't a selfish, boy's-own adventure, I don't think it would have worked,' the 34-year-old said.
'I am simply doing it because no-one has done it before.'
Stafford and a British friend began the walk on April 2, 2008, on the southern coast of Peru. Within three months, his companion abandoned the mission.
Stafford carried on, walking bits of the route with hundreds of locals he met along the way.
Eventually, Peruvian forestry worker Gadiel 'Cho' Sanchez Rivera, 31, decided to make the journey with him to the Atlantic.
Stafford said his journey - which has cost some £62,700 and has been funded by sponsor companies and donations - has deepened his understanding of the Amazon, its role in protecting the globe against climate change and the complex forces that are leading to its destruction.
He said he has seen vast swathes of demolished jungle. 'It's the people in power who are benefiting from the extraction of the natural resources here,' he said.
'That's why there are corrupt politicians and laws that aren't enforced and loads of unconstrained deforestation still going on.'
Despite the devastation, Stafford said he hoped things will change for the better.
'I think the average Brazilian is a lot more environmentally conscious than the people in power. I'm optimistic, I'm not pessimistic,' he said.
He has lived off piranha fish he caught, rice and beans, and store-bought munitions found in local communities along the river.
To relax at night, he downloaded podcasts via internet satellite phone by British comedian Ricky Gervais and episodes of the TV show The Office.
Stafford and Rivera have encountered every conceivable danger, from 18ft long caimans, enormous anaconda snakes, illness, food shortages and the threat of drowning.
After they were welcomed in one Indian community in September 2008, the leaders offered to radio ahead to the next village for permission for the pair to walk through their territory.
'The response came back crystal clear. If a gringo walks into their community they will kill him,' Stafford wrote on his blog at that time.
Solimoes sunset from Marirana: Ed's expedition rapidly became a survival mission, but views like these kept him going
The former army chief catches his breath with some localsHe decided to plan a route around the village, but he was still captured by Indians from another village and taken to their leaders.
After being dressed down and having their possessions thoroughly picked over - only a machete was confiscated - Stafford and Rivera's repeated explanations of the point of their expedition won over the Indians.
They were allowed to walk on the land, but only if they hired guides from the tribe.
Stafford said he was planning another expedition in September 2011 - something nobody has ever done - but will not give details for fear someone might beat him to it.
Until then, a good, long rest awaits.
'This expedition has been our lives. For two and a half years we've done nothing but walk and walk and walk. To wake up the morning after and know that we've done it will be a big change,' said Stafford.
'I think we'll get used to it though.'