Today I made 4000 Impossible miles into Possible!

January 5, 2013

Today I made 4000 Impossible miles into Possible! Throughout eight months of harsh environment and brutal terrain across the treacherous Andes Mountains and along the mighty Amazon River, I pushed myself to new limits every day. When my body crushed under the tropical disease, Dengue fever, I didn't stop and now have pushed myself OVER the limit... One more final push to go and I must take a pause.

I must pause to heal my body, gain energy, and bring myself to stand strong back on my feet to enable the accomplishment of my goals. 

At no moment along these tough months did I second guess my decision to go on this path. With every Amazonian mile I crossed and with each obstacle in my way, I became stronger. Each mile that I have passed charged my soul and boosted my energy. But my body, although young of 64 years, could not sustain a little mosquito of the tropics...

Unable to intake food due to the Dengue fever I lost 40 pounds in a short time. Weakness from the disease slows me down and threatens to impair my judgement. The final expedition stretch along the Amazon region in Brazil is infested with drug trafficking and automatic weaponry pointed at us at each curve of the mighty River. This holds a great danger to me and my team; not from nature, nor the elements, ONLY mankind! Such hostile environment requires my full vigilance! My responsibility as the expedition leader is greater than ever. Therefore, I must pause and seek proper medical evaluation and treatment before heading back on the trail. 

"We are not retreating - we are advancing in another direction!"

...and I will continue!!!

Mickey Grosman

Amazon 5000 expedition leader   

TERROR IN THE AMAZON!

“URGENT! WE WERE ATTACKED BY PIRATES ARMED WITH HIGH-CALIBER WEAPONRY!”

We found the above posting in our facebook message box. It came from the Amazon 5000 expedition support team members in Brazil.

Back in Orlando at the Amazon 5000 command center we tensed reading the message. We know that the expedition body has been split into two teams with Mickey inland seeking medical care to his illness while the other team is on a makeshift balsa raft floating on the mighty Amazon River - a No-man land. They are on their way to a dedicated checkpoint that Mickey has assigned for them all to meet later on.

“THE ASSAULT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AMAZON RIVER as we crossed to a small jungle village location" they wrote. "We were afraid for our lives as they have threatened us seriously. The pirates had us drowning in the river. They beat our heads up with the butts of their powerful automatic sub-machine guns and threw us all into the river.  They then searched all our backpacks for “DRUGS".  After 20 minutes of torture and threats when they didn't find any drugs they left us all together in the middle of the AMAZON RIVER. They stole most of our expedition gear and the money we carried. It took us great EFFORTS IN ORDER TO reach the village.  We are nervous and terrified following this terror event ...”

The team continued to say:

“We were threatened! We were not injured but tortured. These were dramatic moments we can hardly erase from our minds”.

While none of the Amazon 5000 team members has been physically injured they have had yet another emotional trauma experiencing yet another TERROR ON THE AMAZON, while on locations the expedition crosses along their cancer awareness journey.

Back at home in Florida, we are in direct contact with the expedition team whom are keeping a low profile in a small village while recuperating from their trauma. Meanwhile Mickey is seriously ill and must be treated by professional medical care so to regain his strength in order to be able to continue to lead the last 1000 miles of the expedition.

Again, The Amazon 5000 expedition is stationary in one location – and that is NOT GOOD. The Brazilian people along the region of the Amazon are neurotic with an easy finger on the gun trigger. It is a POLICE STATE Region where every citizen is an informer for the benefit of cash or other goods. AND THEY ARE HATEFUL TO FOREIGNERS – Especially to GRINGOS!

                                      

Since crossing into Brazil the Amazon 5000 team has experienced raid after raid by the Military Federal Police forces. With each community they pass by along the river someone is reporting our team to the police and yet another armed unit appears from nowhere with automatic machine guns pointed at the Amazon 5000 team members’ heads and seeking for drugs and drugs and drugs. This is madness!

Armed pirates roaming free along the Amazon River on one hand, Armed Federal Military Police on the other, and hostile local Brazilian indigenous communities in the middle… And the unarmed Amazon 5000 team is now in a constant danger and at a constant big risk to their life: Not by the Elements! Not by Nature! Nor the Wildlife! ONLY by Mankind!!!

The AMAZON 5000 expedition, to remind you all, is all about SURVIVAL of the ELEMENTS through rugged terrain, harsh climate and pristine wilderness, all are part of the marvels of the Mighty AMAZON we all grew to love so much in the past 8 months and 4000 miles throughout the virtual window MICKEY GROSMAN has provided us with in a constant LIVE electronic communication.   

But MANKIND proved to be the most dangerous element among all and the biggest obstacle Mickey and his crew are to overcome!

                                                   

                 

We must end here with our big concern to Mickey’s health and to the safety of his team, as without him able to stand back on his feet and lead his expedition safely, the remaining 1000 miles of the Amazon 5000 expedition is in jeopardy.

Mickey himself has now come to big concerns for the nearest future of the expedition. His concerns are mainly with the safety of his people – the Amazon 5000 support team - and the fact he is still going through the turmoil of his illness, a fact that prevents him from being fully focused and alert as needed in such a hostile environment. 

He weighs various options to complete the last 1000 miles of this inspirational journey in a way that will assure no one’s life is at stake and no one will be harmed by mankind. 

While he has confidence in their ability to survive the elements along their 5000 miles path it is now obvious mankind is the biggest threat of all!

*** We wish to shed a strong spotlight here on Mickey’s loyal and courageous crew that despite all the TERROR IN THE AMAZON they are standing firm behind him. These are some of their words:

“Hoy somos mas fuertes que nunca! Y continuaremos inteligentemente por las vias que sean necesarias....”

Translation – “Today we are stronger than ever! And we will continue along the tracks intelligently necessary…”

“Nosotros estamos firmes para apoyar a Mickey! Incluso hemos arriengado nuestras vidas…”

Translation – “We are firm to support Mickey! Even if we risk our lives …”

“que hoy somos mas uertes que nunca… NI UN PASO ATRAS!”

 Translation -“we are today stronger than ever ... Not one step back!”

“Ya estamos mejor y el equipo aqui esta muy solido!”

Translation – “We're better and the team here is very solid!”

The latest quote we received from the Amazon 5000 team:

We regret the difficult situation Mickey is at. I particularly have been with him in recent months "in the deep jungle of the Amazon" And I saw his courage and determination in favor of his cause, fighting cancer. I've seen Mickey a great person and great human being with a strong and explosive character and he is for me like a father with the learning to be a living on ... Never forgets his strength in the most difficult time!

Did I find the "LOST TRIBE" of Israel living peacefully in the AMAZON?

October 16 - Trekking in the dense jungle for hours all tired and hungry I suddenly hear voices…singing voices… and music played. I cannot believe my ears…but my expedition people confirming…yes, yes, music, drums….but not JUST music… I personally know the melody….is it possible? I am in the Amazon! Is it my imagination? So many months of intense trekking in the Amazon jungle accompanied by indigenous Amazonians, hardly speaking English with any human, not to mention speaking my own native language, Hebrew… but now this music? It is music from the past…melody of my childhood. How come?   

We all are tired, hungry and filthy dirty from days over days of trekking the jungle and its swamps, living of the land, surviving the elements, hardly seeing any humans… but suddenly we all felt elated, energized. It’s the music that pulls us in, like a magnet… In a fast pace we walk the direction where the music and the singing are coming from.  Within a short hour of navigation the music sounded closer to us.  I knew I am now walking towards the Amazon River.  This is not the expedition direction, as I navigate my jungle expedition always East, parallel to the river…. but I now have changed direction…I am chasing the music; Squinting my eyes I am humming the melody… bringing it up from layers of years and time.

Stepping out of the dense jungle behind me I spotted several thatched roof huts.  Children were playing at the yard in front of the huts where in a split of a second they saw us embarking the thick trees. Fear on their faces they begun running towards the huts and pointed their hands to our direction. The adults turn their heads in big surprise. What thoughts have crossed their minds that moment…? We were six men and one woman all covered with mud, wearing dirty jungle clothing, carrying military style backpacks…  I ordered my team to wave their hands in peace, and with the biggest smile I could put on face I continued walking towards the people that were standing in the center of the village.  They were on alert not sure what they see…BUT, the biggest surprise was MINE!

For a moment I couldn’t understand what my eyes were seeing… Men wearing long toga gowns, old Roman style, dressed up like in the bible time, long beards covers their faces, wearing long hair…like Jesus…? Some are barefoot some wearing bible style sandals…. I felt as if I am walking through a time machine…walking into the past. Still confused with the sight of people that looked nothing like the traditional indigenes Indians I stopped, letting myself and the men in front of me few moments to observe each other. 

  

A young man of about 30 years old was the first one to take a move and started walking towards me. The rest of the people stood behind keeping a safety distance between us. With the help of the Argentinean girl Lucy – my expedition team member who speaks fluent Spanish I started communicating with the young man. After explaining him that we are crossing the Amazon on a 5000 miles journey I introduced myself and my Ecuadorian and Peruvian team members that were standing few yards behind me. He was still alert and suspicious. But I could not hold my curiosity. The music was still playing at a nearby distance. I asked the young man what this community is.  I Z R A E L he said…!  I stopped talking. I could not believe my ears… Israel? I repeated what he just said…  Israel? That explains the music – Old bible Israeli music – my heritage… but in the jungle? In the Amazon? I am probably hallucinating… too tired, too hungry…Israel people don’t live here…they are far, at the Middle East… I asked one of my team members to come closer to me and pinch me.  Is it a mystical jungle mirage?  Or… that I just found the famous “Lost Tribe” of Israel? Excitement filled my heart. The young man explained me they are a community of “Bnei-Israel” (Israel children) and that Israel is right there, in the Amazon. I didn’t argue with him… I just mentioned that I am an Israeli born – I am from the holy land – from Israel.  Now he stopped talking and his facial demeanor changed drastically.  He rushed back to his people and begun confiding with them. For a second I had a change of heart. Maybe I shouldn’t have told him that I am from Israel… I am now not sure if it was a good idea to reveal my origin?

Three minutes has passed by and three of the village leaders approached me and to my astonishment bent down bowing my direction. One by one they held my hand and bowed… in a speed of a light the word spread out around the village: The Messiah is here…   the Messiah is in the Jungle! People lined up bowed and shook my hand. My expedition team members were stunt. I had a big smile smeared on my face. Not every day that I am considered to be the Messiah. And I felt happy, actually happy to find these people. They touched my heart.  They escorted me and my team with much respect into their village. It has been a holiday that week.  A religious holiday of the bible time. I couldn’t have showed up at a better time…. The community’s religion leader told his followers only several days before I arrived that he had a dream. In his dream a very important person will come over to their community from nowhere.   He anxiously waited for his dream to come true – he was convinced and tried to convince his followers for few days that someone important will come to spend the holiday with them. Seeing me embarking out of the dense woods into their village, a location no one, no stranger is ever coming from (Only meshige Israeli can) him and his people were left speechless. To them I was the Messiah!  

Immediately they asked me to stay there with them. They assigned a person, who took me to the river, undressed my filthy jungle clothing off my tired body, and after a good deep and a good wash in the river he handled me a traditional Toga gown to wear, flip flaps on my feet, and not to forget… “gatkes” (underwear). Wearing underwear again was a privilege as I lost mine along the journey long ago…What can I say? It has been a while since someone has been taking care of me. I received a VIP treatment – A real Messiah treatment! Who am I to refuse it? They took my filthy clothing to the river and washed it for me… My personal bag that has all my precious electronic gear in and of which I carry on me at all time… now they carried it for me. I was not allowed to pick up a thing. A real king…. It’s good to be the king!!!   I cannot wait to share it with my wife… she will be jealous!

From that point they took me to the center of the village. The holiday ceremony was about to begin. A ceremony where they are offering sacrifice to God - to Jehovah. With the entire village taking a part in the ceremony and like in the Jewish tradition there is a full separation between men and women.  A band is playing music and the audience sings their songs – by the bible script. The same exact music that pulled me over into their community only few hours earlier! They invited me to take a part in the ceremony – a jester I appreciated and felt honored of as they never share such with others then their own tribal mates. I guess I was considered a tribal mate today – a brother. I probably am… They also don’t let such ceremony or their life style being filmed or photo. Today was an exception. I was allowed to document the event and interview the people and their about. While I took part in the ceremony my film crew documented the event from behind without interfering with the special time of this community.

The lamb scarify ceremony took about 45 minutes at mid day and under the blazing sun.  I was brought to the front of the crowed all dressed up with a Toga gown bible style and with a person assigned to hold a parasol over my head. Having my skin subject to melanoma cancer less than two years ago and my face grafted in a repairing surgery I could not wish for better care under the Amazon sun that day.  

 

Following the ceremony all came inside a large structure of about 5000 sq. ft. (500 sq. meters) with floor of compact clay, tin roof and tall. It was well insulated and provided chilled air. Like in a tradition Synagogue women were on the left side and men on the right – gender separation. Men, women and children all looked like were taken from the bible stories, head covers, light blue and crimson colors gowns.  The community leader now introduced me to his congregates as the…. Messiah. He reminded them of the dream story he shared with them only a few days earlier and all clapped their hands in cheers. To me that was too much…I wanted out, back to the jungle…  but not before Messiah meal was prepared for me and my hungry team that seems very pleased with the opportunity to eat real food with such honoree treatment.  Lucy, my Argentinean team member was taken aside earlier, dressed up with “bible” gown and kept with the women – in the kitchen… poor Lucy. But she also seemed to enjoy the moment.

At the end of the ceremony day my new followers offered me to stay with them for as long as I wish and committed to care for my needs at all time as an obligation to the important guest who came to them on their holy day just as their leader predicted…( At a second thought this offer seems not too bad at all…as a life style option…. mmm). At least seven days, they asked. Please stay they said.  I explained them the nature of the Amazon 5000 expedition and emphasized the importance in keeping the expedition going and told them about the people from around the world who are following me and of which I cannot disappoint. Sharing with them my Impossible Possible mission of inspiration to those who battle cancer it was brought to my attention that this village helps cancer patients and others of terminal illnesses to recover, practicing holistic treatments with remedies from the jungle and…faith, using natural remedies without conventional medicine.  I have not experienced any treatment there but I believe them.

Leaving a chapter of history behind me I am now heading east to Tabatinga, Brazil along the Amazon River and all the way to its mouth at the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. I will see what a new day will bring upon me.   

The Amazon 5000 improvised shipyard

It has been three days since we found the dugout canoe that was sent to us by the river current. All bitten up by the elements, all cracked open, missing its bow and stern, this once a beauty, looks like no more than a tree bark resembled a carved canoe. But to me this ship wreck looked like a yacht! It has had a long body and could fit us and our gear all, if we could just fix it somehow. Surrounded by deep swamps and rising water up to our necks I could not move the expedition forward. I had to use the river to keep east and for an unknown stretch of leg until I find a dry land again, and I had to keep going. Being in this lagoon for several days and in one spot was dangerous and I knew I will be better off if moving deeper into the jungle. It all motivated me to find a way to fix this beauty. So what did I have in my possession that could fix such? Looking for my survival gear that I carry through I pulled out of my backpacks all that could play a role in fixing this old lady canoe; Duct tape, paracord, hammer, handsaw, multitool, knives and machetes. Suddenly all this gear that me and my team carried all along proved to justify the backache we all suffered from. 

We dragged the wrecked “once a canoe” to the shore rolling it over bamboo rails. With each push or pull she made crushing noises and seemed to totally fall apart. We needed to be focused and handle her with lots of care. Landing her finally on solid ground we started building nails using local wood to carve wood-nails Indian style. Cutting, assembling, duct taping; we worked for two days to put her all together again. What needed now was to seal her somehow. Here came handy again what nature provides - a method used by the Amazonian Indians throughout all generations; Clay! Excavating with our hands the reach mineral clay along the riverbank we stuffed this green thick paste first into the canoe cracks, and then covered the interior canoe, layer after layer, making sure we get a solid body of sealed surface. 

Not only that we used the clay to seal the boat we also used it to seal our face skin from the exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays that beamed on us with no mercy. Looking as if we just spent a time at a cosmetic salon wearing a green mineral mask we made sure to capture this treatment method in our cameras. Do I look like a clown or like my dear wife in one of her beauty treatments…? Feeling protected as our grandmas always ordered and also as our cancer doctor does… we continued our job till we had a proud dugout canoe ready for us to jump in and continue the Amazon 5000 expedition. How many days will this improvised canoe hold? I still don’t know. For now it rocks! We all are in, our gear is in and we are heading southeast down the river deeper and deeper into the Peru’s jungle plains.

***One of the most common uses to the Amazonia clay is made by the parrots that lick it daily in order to clean their digestive system from poisoning elements exist in the fruit they eat. 

MICKEY GROSMAN SENDS HIS BLOGS FROM THE AMAZON IN THE MIDST OF HIS AMAZON 5000 EXPEDITION 

  STREAMING IT LIVE VIA SATELLITE BGAN DEVICE 

MADE POSSIBLE

BY THE KIND SPONSORSHIP OF THE SATELLITE PHONE STORE

SARASOTA FLORIDA

"WHENEVER"

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