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Amazon
Explorer Bruce Parry is embarking on yet another epic down the Amazon - the world's greatest river, its largest forest, the most bio-diverse habitat on the planet and home to some of the last uncontacted tribes left on Earth. It's one hell of a trip, as Parry travels over 6,000 kms by foot, light aircraft and boat to meet and live with tribesmen, coca growers, loggers and illegal miners.Written in diary form, Amazon gives a rare insight into the ways of life that have existed since the dawn of time and are about to disappear forever.Illness, accidents, and all manner of unforeseen mishaps test Parry's strength every step of the way, but fans will know from Tribe that this man's thirst for new experiences, and his amazing resilience, knows no boundaries. Armchair travel and adventure doesn't get any better than this.
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First published October 2, 2008
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About the author
Bruce Parry
16 books7 followersExplorer Bruce Parry is well-known for his seminal BBC2 TV series Tribe and Amazon.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 24, 2018
Picture this…
You fly off from London’s Heathrow and land in Peru with your crew and cameraman, heaps of luggage and technical equipment. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to trek the best part of the Amazon rainforest, via mountains and forest, using the river as your guide.
You will meet and play guest to various indigenous groups and villages of people along the way.
You will discover all sorts of interesting things, like how chewing cocoa leaves helps relieve altitude sickness, and that it releases cocaine when wrapped up in charcoal.
Would you take the challenge?
Well that’s just what explorer and film maker Bruce Parry did, back in October 2007 for the filming of the documentary Tribe.
I’ve always held a fascination about the Amazon rainforest, that vast deep mysterious world of nature and wildlife. Undisturbed indigenous groups of people who have never had any contact whatsoever with the rest humanity, living very different ways of life – ways that would probably seem quite alien to most.
Bruce and his team spent time with various tribes and participated in their ceremonies and rituals in order to gain meaningful experience and insight; some of these practices were physically demanding and spiritually influenced, like the one involving a shaman with the Achuar people who drink a particular forest vine and then vomit routinely before experiencing some sort of supernatural ‘vision’ – amongst other interesting things.
How about a ceremony that requires you to gather stinging ants in order to self-administer stings to your own body – during which, the locals seem to pick some of the most painful parts of the body to target their stings. The ritual is mixed with music and dance – amidst the pain.
In the chapter ‘Gold Fever’ Bruce highlights some of the lesser well known ethical concerns around the mining of gold (most gold is used to produce jewellery for human adornment around the globe).
It was interesting to learn that gold mining in the Amazon equates to the destruction of the Amazon forest – historically, Europeans “first navigated the river in a vain quest for the promised ….Amazonian kingdom of gold”. Iron, diamonds tin, copper and uranium are also abundant throughout the Amazon – Bruce suggests that Brazil alone could rake in 50 billion dollars annually from it’s rainforest minerals. pg. 90.
The dark side of Amazon gold mining:
Deforestation for the sake of mining
Reduction of the world’s oxygen supply (it currently supplies around 20%)
Interference with wildlife, food chain/bioscientific eco systems
South America relies on the forest for it’s rain water supply – fewer trees means less rain water and potential drought
Is mining worth it, just for rings and necklaces?
Some argue that the deforestation of the forests from farming causes far more devastation that that from gold mining and would also say that gold mining from indigenous people is relatively harmless to the environment compared to ‘big corporation gold mines’ that basically take wealth from the Amazon back to Europe and North America – “who they (the Amazon indigenous) view as colonial exploiters”.
Understandably, there are mixed feelings amongst those who live in the Amazon – they understand the importance of preserving their environment, but many also feel that the forest’s minerals should be exploited in order to lift and benefit their nations and people; ‘Destruction in the name of development’.
It’s easy for us to sit on our high horse and preach about the environment, but perhaps “environmentalism is luxury perspective that many don’t have.” pg. 99
“We should listen to the advice of indigenous people rather than systematically destroying their land. If we don’t wake up to what”s going on everywhere, our children and our children’s children will one day ask why we allowed all our natural resources to be destroyed” Pg. 130
Bruce highlights that there are practices of slavery in the Amazon, forced labour to pay debts, gang problems and battles over land ownership. Visitors from outside the Amazon have brought with them diseases which (in the Western world) are easily treated, but prove to be deadly epidemics amongst people in the Amazon.
At the time of writing this book, Brazil was the world’s largest supplier of beef to the rest of the world – including the United Kingdom. Interesting fact!
In his epilogue, Bruce shares a sentiment that I have found myself saying many many times “some of the poorest people in the world are among the most generous” and it’s a very humbling thing to experience – leaving you questioning yourself and the ways and habits of people around you – the enormity and ‘normalisation’ of greed and selfishness in our everyday lives becomes embarrassingly vivid.
You fly off from London’s Heathrow and land in Peru with your crew and cameraman, heaps of luggage and technical equipment. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to trek the best part of the Amazon rainforest, via mountains and forest, using the river as your guide.
You will meet and play guest to various indigenous groups and villages of people along the way.
You will discover all sorts of interesting things, like how chewing cocoa leaves helps relieve altitude sickness, and that it releases cocaine when wrapped up in charcoal.
Would you take the challenge?
Well that’s just what explorer and film maker Bruce Parry did, back in October 2007 for the filming of the documentary Tribe.
I’ve always held a fascination about the Amazon rainforest, that vast deep mysterious world of nature and wildlife. Undisturbed indigenous groups of people who have never had any contact whatsoever with the rest humanity, living very different ways of life – ways that would probably seem quite alien to most.
Bruce and his team spent time with various tribes and participated in their ceremonies and rituals in order to gain meaningful experience and insight; some of these practices were physically demanding and spiritually influenced, like the one involving a shaman with the Achuar people who drink a particular forest vine and then vomit routinely before experiencing some sort of supernatural ‘vision’ – amongst other interesting things.
How about a ceremony that requires you to gather stinging ants in order to self-administer stings to your own body – during which, the locals seem to pick some of the most painful parts of the body to target their stings. The ritual is mixed with music and dance – amidst the pain.
In the chapter ‘Gold Fever’ Bruce highlights some of the lesser well known ethical concerns around the mining of gold (most gold is used to produce jewellery for human adornment around the globe).
It was interesting to learn that gold mining in the Amazon equates to the destruction of the Amazon forest – historically, Europeans “first navigated the river in a vain quest for the promised ….Amazonian kingdom of gold”. Iron, diamonds tin, copper and uranium are also abundant throughout the Amazon – Bruce suggests that Brazil alone could rake in 50 billion dollars annually from it’s rainforest minerals. pg. 90.
The dark side of Amazon gold mining:
Deforestation for the sake of mining
Reduction of the world’s oxygen supply (it currently supplies around 20%)
Interference with wildlife, food chain/bioscientific eco systems
South America relies on the forest for it’s rain water supply – fewer trees means less rain water and potential drought
Is mining worth it, just for rings and necklaces?
Some argue that the deforestation of the forests from farming causes far more devastation that that from gold mining and would also say that gold mining from indigenous people is relatively harmless to the environment compared to ‘big corporation gold mines’ that basically take wealth from the Amazon back to Europe and North America – “who they (the Amazon indigenous) view as colonial exploiters”.
Understandably, there are mixed feelings amongst those who live in the Amazon – they understand the importance of preserving their environment, but many also feel that the forest’s minerals should be exploited in order to lift and benefit their nations and people; ‘Destruction in the name of development’.
It’s easy for us to sit on our high horse and preach about the environment, but perhaps “environmentalism is luxury perspective that many don’t have.” pg. 99
“We should listen to the advice of indigenous people rather than systematically destroying their land. If we don’t wake up to what”s going on everywhere, our children and our children’s children will one day ask why we allowed all our natural resources to be destroyed” Pg. 130
Bruce highlights that there are practices of slavery in the Amazon, forced labour to pay debts, gang problems and battles over land ownership. Visitors from outside the Amazon have brought with them diseases which (in the Western world) are easily treated, but prove to be deadly epidemics amongst people in the Amazon.
At the time of writing this book, Brazil was the world’s largest supplier of beef to the rest of the world – including the United Kingdom. Interesting fact!
In his epilogue, Bruce shares a sentiment that I have found myself saying many many times “some of the poorest people in the world are among the most generous” and it’s a very humbling thing to experience – leaving you questioning yourself and the ways and habits of people around you – the enormity and ‘normalisation’ of greed and selfishness in our everyday lives becomes embarrassingly vivid.
November 18, 2012
Not a great work of literature but an interesting look at the Amazon and its people. Perhaps the last great wilderness in the tropical world. It is very easy as a rich westerner to condemn the locals for destroying the environment and the forest, but the truth is that they are trying to earn a living like the rest of us. The solutions too many of these problems is often not a simple as we would like to believe. Some shining examples of who the work with the local populations to preserver the environment in a working example and not one that excludes all the people from the solution. Bought as a canoeing book which seems to have little in the way of paddled river travel.
March 10, 2015
I really like the Bruce Parry television docs. Tribe, Arctic etc. This is the first of the books I have read (I do have the series on DVD but have not got round to watching it as yet). I am a little disappointed with this book. Here is a photo of Bruce looking happy, here is one of Bruce looking sad, here is one of Bruce looking contemplative. You can just hear the photographer getting Bruce to get the pose just right in front of the oil slick or gold mine or with the indigenous people. "Bruce, there is an oil slick behind you, put that sad old face on, got it, great, and relax'.
Some of the stuff Bruce highlights in the book are shocking. Coca farming, cattle ranching, gold mining, oil polluting, slavery, logging, damming and corruption. All of these is ripping the forest apart. As Bruce points out there must be laws put in-place to stop this. It needs to go further. The people that are performing some of these illegal and sometimes legal due to corruption jobs need to still be able to make a living. I don't have the answer. As Brazil is now about the 6th largest economy I would expect that the government does have some money into he coffers to assist. Can some kind of government aid or public service legal jobs be created?
Some of the stuff Bruce highlights in the book are shocking. Coca farming, cattle ranching, gold mining, oil polluting, slavery, logging, damming and corruption. All of these is ripping the forest apart. As Bruce points out there must be laws put in-place to stop this. It needs to go further. The people that are performing some of these illegal and sometimes legal due to corruption jobs need to still be able to make a living. I don't have the answer. As Brazil is now about the 6th largest economy I would expect that the government does have some money into he coffers to assist. Can some kind of government aid or public service legal jobs be created?
November 1, 2018
A really brilliant book. Parry skillfully balances the big picture with the small things, painting an immersive picture of life along the full length of the Amazon. Each chapter is dedicated to a different threat facing this part of the world, covering matters like gold mining and modern slavery. There are beautiful photos throughout of the people who live there. Unlike some other explorers, Parry appears to be concerned much more with the very real problems faced by issues like deforestation, and considering potential solutions, than the excitement of his exploits.
March 12, 2010
I think the enviable and incredible chance of going down the Amazon River for over six months could have resulted in a gorgeous book, but unfortunately it didn't happen here. Pictures are not that great, most of them portray tha author of the book, and the feeling I get is a constant sense of detachment of the author from the surrounding environment.
June 12, 2014
Vividly capturing the 'benefits' of civilisation seen through the eyes of the Amazon peoples, this is a diary format story of his attempts to film a documentary series on the destruction of the rainforest. He is candid and open in his views and at times the depictions are harrowing, but this is well worth reading whether or not you saw the TV results of his endeavours.
April 16, 2024
Enjoyed it immensely. Easy follow and very informative.
Interesting to find out the fight between the indigenous people , the industrialists and the government in Brazil. Quite eye-opening and also demostrates just what a hard task it will be to save the rainforests.
Interesting to find out the fight between the indigenous people , the industrialists and the government in Brazil. Quite eye-opening and also demostrates just what a hard task it will be to save the rainforests.
April 20, 2013
From the source to the mouth of the Amazon river. (from the BBC serie)
July 11, 2014
Very interesting read, from the perspective of Parry. He tries very hard not to choose sides, which suits his kind nature.
October 26, 2014
Much to reflect upon!
March 27, 2022
Recorded journey by the traveler that changed my life.
A must read for those who love the real world, love traveling, and care about the world.
A must read for those who love the real world, love traveling, and care about the world.
May 5, 2022
3,5/5
August 26, 2016
Super leuk om te lezen (vooral zo voor mijn vakantie naar Colombia).
Dit zal onze reis toch beinvloeden!!
Dit zal onze reis toch beinvloeden!!
August 22, 2015
One good photo-report of Amazon.
Read
September 17, 2019Boek vooral voor de foto's ontleend in bib. Reisverslag niet gelezen
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews