Thursday, May 10, 2012

Satellite Phone Store - Bringing The Wild To Your Desktop




Over the past few months the Amazon 5000 team has been spending a lot of time with our support team at the Satellite Phone Store. Their amazing support of the expedition goes beyond their sponsorship of the technology that will allow Mickey to do live video broadcasts from the jungle. Their crew is dedicated to the success and more so, the mission of our organization.

 
The passion of the people at the Satellite Phone Store is unsurpassed. They have put in countless hours to organize the logistics and train our team with their technology. Not only do they believe in their product but they believe in the cause. Every visit we have made to their base in Sarasota, we have been greeted by a office full of associates sporting Amazon 5000 t-shirts.

 The Satellite Phone Store plays an integral role in the making of the Impossible, Possible Journey. We are excited to have their communication gear aboard this epic 5,000 mile journey through some of the most desolate terrain. Their satellite communication system will make it possible for Mickey to allow YOU to be a part of the adventure.

Even so, we need your help. The Amazon 5000 Expedition has been sponsored with enough Air Time to last them for half of the expedition. We need generous sponsors to help provide us with more air time to reach out to Mickey’s followers back home. To sponsor airtime visit our page HERE or contact Eric Talman to coordinate details at etalman@satellitephonestore.com.

We would like to extend a very special Thank YOU to Gregory and Eric from the Satellite Phone Store of Sarasota, FL who made AMAZON 5000 LIVE streaming from the AMAZON possible!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Mickey's Fox News Interview

Amazon 5000: MyFoxORLANDO.com

Fox News featured Mickey Grosman, Amazon 5000 Expedition Team Leader AGAIN prior to his departure to South American to begin final preparations on the ground.Watch the clip above.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Pre-Expedition Blog: May 7, 2012


May 7, 2012: I heard word today FedEx has the expedition boxes in. We got a message to come over to their office in Quito. "That went fast!" I could not help but think out loud. The shipment has arrived on time. "So timely" I think, "just like in the United States". 


I quickly gathered my camera team and their gear and we all pack onto a crowded bus – Nixon, Sumac and Matt too. Natalia is taking the lead. The bus is crowded and there is barely any room for us to get on. The bus doors close on us quickly, Matt is almost left behind as he chose the wrong time to be chivalrous, allowing a lady to get on the bus first. His camera’s Pelican case is surly tucked inside the bus, his body still not. He maneuvered his way in, all the while the doors close on him. Hopping on a jam packed bus, even for a short distance, is taking a big risk I find out quickly. Pocket pickers are all over. My eyes are on my crew and on the gear they carry. I must get us off the bus and quick.


We finally get off the bus and search for about an hour for the FedEx office building. Hiding in a corner, we find the office. Armed with cameras, ready to document the moments to follow, we all step in. "No camera recording por favor" states the gentleman behind the desk. My team is well trained for this situation. "No problemo Sir" I say and wink at Matt. One glance of Matt to the other camera guys and at once all cameras change position, arms are down, but the cameras keep rolling from waist level up. The FedEx employee is pleased. I know, you must obey orders here. 


"We came to pick up our expedition boxes" says Natalia in Spanish. We want to make sure we are getting nothing lost in translation. "Aha...boxes? Sorry, the boxes are not in Quito" said the FedEx clerk. "All boxes are held at Guayaquil, (8 hours driving distance South West of Quito). Your shipping document is not good" says the the guy. 


Why? What is going on? We can not figure it out! The man asks us for an inventory list with all items in each box. This is no problem, I handle it right away. I have with me the detailed list I made when packing the boxes back at home. FedEx says this is still not good! For every document they request, I provide them with and for every question they asked, I answered, yet still they demanded more. 


More of what? I can't tell you, no straight answer is being given to us as to why our boxes are being held in Guayaquil. Their story changes every five minutes. Maybe they want cash under the table? This is not my style...I can see now that I am not getting my boxes today. Maybe tomorrow? How much red tape is in this country? It seems we need professional help. Natalia will check for us tomorrow.


After an exhausting battle with FedEx we are out of luck and out of energy, my crew is hungry. A KFC / Pizza Hut center in middle of Quito seems very comforting suddenly. It did not take but a minute and everyone was hungrily scarfing down their chicken portions like there is no tomorrow. All sitting around the table, hovered over their food, they haven’t even had the courtesy to save me a seat. Well, let them pig on the food. They have a big eye opener coming to them when we start the expedition!


After dinner we head back to the apartment and we hook up our BGAN satellite unit to check the incoming SPS mail. Yes, messages from Amazon 5000 home base in Florida are in. 


We are now wrapping up the day here, storing away all the electronics. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.


Until then...


 - Mickey


Just a minute... Sumac is asking to leave the apartment saying she must go do some school work with a friend of hers who happened to be in Quito. It is about 21:00. I am not sure if she really has studies or if she is going off with friends, but she has agreed not to return late at night through Quito’s dangerous streets and stay overnight with her friend which is much safer. She will return back at 7:00 am tomorrow morning. 


Here it is. My first mistake! I agreed to let her go, at a crunch time, only days before our departure to the expedition. At this time I did not realize the consequences that would follow my decision. But that night she left, she went walking out the door with her typical cheery demeanor like any typical day, except this night was certainly not typical...  

Mickey Gives a Passport to Adventure

Things have been a blur here are the Amazon 5000 home base. The floor is filled with expedition gear provided by over 35 very generous and reputable sponsors. Gear has gone through inspection and testing and new technology is being learned every day. Mickey has just recently departed to Ecuador to finalize logistics on the ground and the team is working around the clock to prepare for the launch of this epic expedition.

Despite all the chaos of the days leading to his departure, Mickey set aside time to do what he is really passionate about-- making a difference in the world of a child with cancer.

Thanks to a very generous donation from Lin and Ro Grosman at Mickey’s farewell event, Into the Wild!, Amazon 5000- for the cure was able to purchase an iPad for a sick child in the hospital. Mickey personally delivered this gift to 9 year old Elijah, a young boy currently in the battle for his life.


With this iPad, Elijah will be able to get an escape from his hospital procedures and track Mickey along his journey and tune into his live broadcasts. This little piece of technology will allow Elijah to be virtually transported to the mystical Amazon jungle with Mickey and give him the mental break he needs from his daily routine.

Elijah can not run and play outside like normal kids but he will get to be part of an amazing adventure many can only dream about. We would like to make the Impossible, Possible for every sick child in the hospital but we need YOUR help. 





If you are interested in sponsoring an iPad for a sick child in the hospital please visit HERE. A donation of only $399.99 will give these children a Passport to Adventure!


Reignite Inspire Endorse



Don’t miss YOUR opportunity to be part of the adventure, stay tuned to our website! mark your calendars, the official ceremony launching the Amazon 5000 Expedition will be aired LIVE here: http://new.livestream.com/accounts/386727/amazon5000/statuses/633797 
on Saturday, May 19 at 10:00am US-EST.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Pre- Expedition Blog: May 6, 2012


May 6, 2012: The time I spend in Quito goes by too slowly, especially over the weekend. Some administrative tasks are on my agenda before I leave for the wild. I came two weeks early so to assure all final preparations, coordination and logistics on the ground are in place. 


Arriving to Quito, I carried with me a few backpacks and duffle bags that contained some essential gear for the expedition for immediate use. The main gear for the expedition was sent from the States via FedEx and is scheduled to arrive to Quito tomorrow, on May 7th. I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the gear so I can sort it and pack all the individual backpacks. Once this is done I can continue on to Pedernales, a laidback fisherman town on the Pacific shore that sits on the Equator line and is the initiation point of the Amazon 5000 Expedition.


Delfin left a few days ago to go back to his hometown Shell, to make final arrangements in hiring the expedition support team comprised of three Amazonian indigenous, one of which is my friend Bartolo who hosts Eco-planet Adventures in his Kichua community along the Curaray river. With Bartolo, will come Vidal - his brother and Pedro, a guy whom I have met before and that joined my recon mission last September. All three are physically strong and could be a great support to me in carrying my electronic communication gear. Valuable gear such as my industrially rugged laptop, the Bgan Satellite internet device, backup batteries (which are many), solar panels and other like items. 


Last year on my last visit to the Pavacachi community in the Amazon basin, I introduced my hosts to my Amazon 5000 program and asked them if any one of them will take the challenge in leaving behind their jungle community, wives and children to join me on a 5000 mile expedition that begins in Ecuador, their country and ends at the mouth of the Amazon River in Brazil. 


The excitement was high when I presented them with my maps. They have never left their community more then to Puyo – a gateway town to the Amazon jungle, 300 miles away, which they have visited not too often. To visit the Pacific shores of Ecuador and to travel to their neighboring countries in Peru, Colombia and Brazil all the way to the Atlantic Ocean was something far of reach, even in their imagination! To follow the mighty Amazon River was only a legendary tale told by father to son – not a reality. Here I come and get them out of their comfort zone, out of their quite and slow phase of life in the jungle, and offer take them on an extreme challenge adventure. It was something they had to consider. 


The head chief of the Pavacachi community, Luis, had to make the decision. I could tell he had a great itch to join me but he had a greater responsibility leading his community and assuring they are fed and taken care of. He passed on this adventurous opportunity dreams are made of, to Bartolo and Vidal, assuring them he will take charge of their families in their absence. He will fish and hunt food for their wives and children and will care for their needs. With that promise, these two are now making their final preparations and are heading out of the jungle to join Delfin. Together they will travel on an 8 hour bus ride to the big city Quito, where I am awaiting them.


This morning and afternoon I went over some logistics with the limited gear I have. I configured the Delorme inReach system, and went up the roof of my apartment building to test the Bgan Satellite communication device in the open sky. My videographer team was testing their camera gear practicing the new technology and assigning shooting roles for the days to come. Natalia came in, bringing fresh crusty bread from a nearby panaderia, eggs and coffee, and prepared a late delicious breakfast to us all. 


Very soon after, Matt "took care of his business". It was not long until we heard him yell out for help, as he just clogged the SECOND toilet in the apartment. WTF?! Is he the reason for all this madness, the big tall American using small people toilet bowls? Is his American bowels producing larger movements then an average Ecuadorian? Or is it that he runs much more often than the average Joe? No matter what, I know it is Matt to blame. We now have no toilet left. We called the plumber and asked him to rush his arrival and fix the damage from our overdo exit activities.


Testing my gear I watch from the corner of the room over my photographers; Matt - the white, blonde, handsome, American young man and Sumac - a super energetic, red skin, beautiful, indigenous girl of the Amazon region. They are giggling and hushing conversation. It seems language is not a barrier here. Love is in the air! I knew this stud I am taking with me will only cause problems... they seem to be enjoying the company of each other, perhaps too much. 






Shall I be worried this expedition will yield a baby at the end of it? Will Matt's parents Bonnie and Kevin, be delighted to have an Indian Amazonian, blonde, grandchild joining their family at the shores of the Atlantic Ocean? I am in trouble, I know that.                    

-Mickey

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Pre- Expedition Blog: May 5, 2012


May 5, 2012:  Today I let everyone sleep in until 07:00. Natalia showed up an hour later, and together we fixed a quick breakfast of eggs, bread and coffee in our little kitchen. Shortly after, Matt began training Sumac and Nixon with the use of the cameras, the meanwhile practicing his high school Spanish pretty well. Having instructions for the camera printed in Spanish also helped to speed along the training session. Sumac and Nixon seem to be catching on quickly.


Mickey marks his route on the map.
While the crew trained, Natalia and I went out and about to search for a map of South America that I will present in my upcoming TV interview. Finding an adequate map, we then returned to the apartment to mark the expedition route on the map. It is the same drill as I did in the states, appearing in various TV morning shows prior to my departure. 


Sumac and Nixon have gotten their hands over the cameras and seem confident and excited of the opportunity to take such a role in the expedition. We took a quick break, strolling the nearby streets, tasting some fresh juice squeezed out of exotic local fruit and are now back to our preparations.


It is 19:30 now and while I am working on some logistics and technological details, Nixon, Sumac and Matt continue to practice video. Natalia has called off for the night and went to her home located in Calderon, Quito.

With Matt, Sumac and Nixon preparing to call the night off as well, I went to my bed. Just as I finally began to relax for the day I noticed the toilet was running. To my dismay I found the toilet had overflowed to the floor, covered with all the goodies a toilet can bring. That, was nasty! I yelled for Matt to come film right away while Nixon and I began to mop the floor. We used a little toilet brush and the table cloth... (mind you, we had limited resources). This is terrible, my room stinks! I called the landlord and he is supposed to have it fixed tomorrow. 


Fingers crossed he comes through tomorrow...


-Mickey


Friday, May 4, 2012

Pre-Expedition Blog: May 4, 2012


May 4, 2012:  I have a busy day ahead of me, trying to maximize my stay in the city for needed preparation prior to the expedition launch day. From cataloging my gear, testing my Delorme satellite communication devices and satellite phones, to a visit at a local dentist clinic for a final teeth check up before I leave civilization for the wild. The morning flew by. Natalia still busy arranging for media coverage, she scheduled a TV interview on the government channel for this coming Monday.

Back to the Hostal we returned and packed up our stuff. We are moving today to the apartment I rented. There we will be waiting for two of my camera team members to arrive from there homes, 5 hours East of Quito. The apartment located in a busy center of Quito, discos, bars, karaoke rat holes, fine restaurants, Ecuadorian food, art and of course lots of music. The crowd is made out of the locals who pack up the bars, drinking cervesas and singing their hearts off until 2:00am every night. It is an international crowd of backpackers, business men and women, tourists and students abroad that fills up the restaurants and cafes. Not exactly my life style but it feels great to sit down at a local restaurant and watch the crowd, after all there is only a short time before I head up to the wild and a sight like this will not be found in the jungle.

My local Videographers team, Nixon and Sumac arrived at the afternoon from Puyo, a gateway town to the jungle. Both are indigenous of the Amazon region and are projected to join me throughout the duration of the expedition to document the journey. Matt, who has mastered the use of the cameras by now and trained on all the new high tech devices we carry along, did a quick overview with Nixon and Sumac over the new state of the art camera gear I brought here. 


Videographers: Matt, Sumac and Nixon


Hiring a camera crew on such an extreme challenge adventure and for the length of time (an estimated one continuous year) is not something you can “buy at the supermarket”. Taking in consideration the harsh environment we will deal with, the treacherous terrain we will trek through: cloud forests, mountains, volcanoes, jungles, rushing rivers and constant rain.


You need to think out of the box when hiring camera crew. Not only that they need to be courageous, they also need to be physically fit, determined and mentally prepared to work harder than any of the expedition members, all while surviving the elements with us. There is no tent behind the scenes with cooked food for the crew, no dry roof above their heads at night and no lab to work and sort their daily takes of filmed footage. Above all, they will need to survive me! My choice of videographers for this mission is quite a gamble, I know.

We ended the night over cervesas for the guys, Matt and Nixon, and wine for the young women Natalia and Sumac. The sound of loud South American music at a local restaurant filled the air. No dancing in any of the clubs tonight… the young women danced to the music along the sidewalk all the way back to the apartment.

Tonight Sumac and Nixon slept in the living room on air mattresses they had to blow up manually because they forgot to bring the pump from my storage at their town in Puyo. Blow after blow, much laughter, jokes and deep sleep catches all. 


The attitude of this team is amazing, the jungle makes them resilient in all situations. They will truly be put to the test on the Amazon 5000 Expedition, will their resilience carry through?   


- Mickey      

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Pre-Expedition Blog: May 3, 2012


May 3, 2012:  Today Delfin, Matt, and I woke up at 04:30 to go meet with an interview team from "Terreno Extremo". This is an Ecuadorian Magazine for extreme athletes and adventurers alike. They learned from Natalia about Amazon 5000 expedition and wanted to share my adventure with their country and fellow adventurers. We met with the magazine team at the "Metropolitan Park," located on a mountain slope at about 10,000 ft elevation with scenery that ranged from mountain ridges to vast city backdrops. As I did many times before, back at home, I presented the magazine team with my survival gear and demonstrated several survival techniques that I am specialized at. The reporter was astounded by the state of the art technology and gear that will be accompanying me across South America. Their cameras were shooting videos and photos and my camera team did the same, capturing with our lenses the interview. 


Terreno Extremo Journalist with Mickey, Delfin and Matt

We then headed back to our Hostal just to learn upon arrival that Matt left behind, on a sidewalk before getting into the taxi, his Pelican case with one of our sophisticated expensive jungle video cameras! Not even 24 hours to our arrival for the expedition and the first “flop” by my apprentice Matt has occurred! I didn’t have to say a word. Matt’s face told it all! Natalia in a quick response, grabbed Matt by his neck and started running back to the location Matt thought he had left the case at. It was morning rush hour in downtown Quito, no taxi would stop to pick them up. They ran fast like the wind for 30 minutes, up and down the hilly streets of Quito to the sidewalk location where Matt left the case. But when they finally arrived, on the sidewalk there was nothing, nada! The case was not there! 


In such a crowded city what are the chances that such treasure will stay on a sidewalk without having been picked up by a lucky pedestrian? Matt pulled his hair, telling Natalia good bye. “Mickey will send me home on the next flight” he said. “this is the end of my dream. A year of preparation has just gone down the drain”. Natalia stayed calm. She looked around and saw they are on a sidewalk in front of one of thousands of local hostels in town. With a clear head she went inside and asked the front desk person if by any chance he saw a black case on the sidewalk at their doorstep. "Yes", he said. "I did!" and….? "Here it is! The doorman thought it belonged to one of their guests and brought it in!" Lucky Matt. A sigh of relief and they were back to me.

It was the time now for Matt's next lesson. Using examples from my military background with the IDF – Israeli Defense Forces, I told Matt his camera should be considered as a gun he is assigned to. While on our military training, we the Israelis, had to sleep with our rifle next to our body, as if it was a woman, so to assure no one steals it from us while we are asleep. That’s exactly what I am expecting from Matt now. Like siamese twins, he and the camera should go together. Never away from his body shall this camera go. Matt took this lesson very seriously.

When all emotions calmed down we went to look for an apartment in the big city of Quito. With the expedition team members and the support team all heading up to Quito in the coming days, and with the expedition gear I expected to arrive by FedEx within a day or two, it was only logical to rent an apartment where we will stow all of our gear and have place to stay before heading west to Pedernales, the expedition’s initiation point. Noga my wife and my life partner will protest, I know! I rented an apartment on the fourth floor of a busy street, no elevator, at 9,500 feet elevation! She is scheduled to arrive here in two weeks with Rachel Perez, our Campaign Manager, to manage the final inland support logistics from the ground. Being not exactly fit, in a high altitude land, having both of them climbing up four stories staircase, lacking oxygen, for four weeks is not something to take lightly….I am in trouble. I know!        

It is time now to check for Anti-Venom. We are catching a local bus that will take us to the only pharmacy in Quito that carries the Anti-Venom remedy. I always carry such with me on my Jungle adventures in South America and it is time now to get fresh supply to carry us through the expedition. This is special anti-venom remedy that is unique to this part of South America. No other would be sufficient. I have discussed with the pharmacist the dosages and proper procedures for administering the anti-venom. I purchased some for injections and some inter-venous for more serious bites. The dosages all depend on the size and type of the snake we will encounter with. After a couple of hours, refreshing all procedures with the help of the pharmacist, I got all of our anti-venom kits and headed back to the hostal.

Traveling by bus in Ecuador is an experience for itself. Crowded by the locals who carry their own personal load of bags, babies and fruits to and from the markets and packages for trading, a foreign traveler must find a niche to fit himself and his backpack in among the crowd. This is not a simple mission. 


To add some more flavor to the pile, it is a tradition to allow people to go on the bus, free of charge, to sell their mercantile to the passengers. They will squeeze themselves in the crowd and will walk along the aisle announcing their merchandise. They will let you hold it for a few minutes and come back to collect the money or retrieve their item. They sell all kinds of things, from chewing gum to pastries, soda to face cream, candies to chocolate, chips to full rice and chicken meals... my head is spinning! I do love it, however, when a local folklore band hops on the bus to play South American music. That’s a different experience in itself. As one boarded the bus, I dialed Noga’s number to reach her in Florida and let her listen to the hustle and bustle on the bus, specifically this music she loves so much.    

We then walked down the street when I noticed a fallen live power line in the middle of the road. Cars were just driving over it and people were walking around it missing it by inches. It is amazing to see the cultural differences between Ecuador and America.

It has been a long day indeed. It is now time to do some more gear organization and communicate with my support team back home to make sure they will bring all the necessary supplies when they arrive here on May 15th.


Signing off...


- Mickey

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Pre-Expedition Blog: May 2, 2012

We know you have been anxiously awaiting news from Expedition Leader, Mickey Grosman. We have been receiving blogs from Mickey via Satellite transmission and will share it with you all along the expedition duration . Stay tuned as we try to catch you up and share with you Mickey's story.

Pre-Expedition Blog
May 2, 2012:  It was while standing in the lobby of Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida,  October of 2010, waiting to hear the details of a Melanoma cancer I was diagnosed with, when I made a commitment. A year and a half later, Expedition AMAZON 5000 is on its way!

Time has flown by and I am now in South America planning final logistics on the ground, just weeks away from the launch of my epic expedition. I landed in Quito, Ecuador in the evening of May 2nd, 2012. As the plane started its descension towards the city, (a crowded metropolis nestled at 9,500 feet altitude in a valley between the Western and Eastern Andes), I found myself once again captivated by the dramatic views of the mountains and its snow-capped volcanoes. It is at this time of the day that the mountains shine, spotlighted by the sun just minutes before it sets. 

It seems as torn and scratched by strong nature forces forms the slopes and gorges that are running down in all directions surrounding Quito. Some are of dark black basalts – a million years of work by running lava. Some are of the Paramour Eco-System at 16,000 feet height, the glaciers at 17,000 to 21,000 feet elevation and at the far distance are the Andes cloud forest, covered by thick green pristine jungle. This is going to be my land and my extreme challenge for the next 12 months!

Mickey, Natalia and Delfin
I was happily greeted by Natalia Pesantes, a native Ecuadorian and the leader of my inland support team. A very proud Ecuadorian and a specialist in the history of her country, Natalia, a guide at the Museo de Sitio IntiƱan has joined our team. A most popular museum for people from around the world, the name means “Museum of the Path of the Sun” in Kichwa, a museum located at the Equator, at the beginning of the Middle of the Earth. She will provide the needed support to me at the expedition’s checkpoints throughout the duration of my Impossible, Possible Journey and along Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and Brazil. 

With her, along to greet me, was my friend Delfin Gualinga, an Amazonia "Jungle Boy" and native to the jungle whom I have known for many years while running the Eco-Adventure program I developed in his land and with his support. Delfin is a Jungle Naturalist and will accompany me throughout my 5000 mile expedition. 

With me on the plane from Miami to Quito, came along Matt Saxman, a native Floridian, a young and blonde "Beach Boy", American Gringo. Leaving behind his beach and party lifestyle, he requested a year ago to join me on my expedition. He lacks in experience but with strong determination he has shadowed me for the past year while in Florida, getting into my military style discipline training and gaining knowledge of the challenges ahead of us all.    

We took a quick cab ride from Quito International airport to "The Hostal Casa Grande". It is a nice room with two bunk beds and a queen sized bed in the middle – a typical backpacker’s room. Dropping off our heavy bags that contained the expedition’s basic gear we then went out to a nice dinner at the "Resturante de Americana." 

Natalia who prepared for our arrival, took lead and presented us with a busy Public Relations campaign schedule. She has the upcoming two weeks prior to the set "go day" for the expedition packed with interviews. The first media interview has been scheduled for tomorrow at 6:00am. 


Feeling light headed and tired, with slight high altitude sickness, I called off the day at about midnight, Quito time.


Until, tomorrow...


- Mickey