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