📸 Photo

Since I was drenched anyway, it seemed like a good idea to wade in the river. It was quite shallow. The water came up to my knees or at times to my waist. Every now and then I lost my footing, alarmingly going under water for a moment. Although the pack was buoyant, it still made it difficult to surface. I was tense and listened attentively to the roar of the river, cautiously keeping an eye out for falls and rapids that might sweep me away. Helpless to do anything to prevent it, I could feel the painful rash spreading over my feet.

Was anyone up there looking down on me, aware of the fix I was in? One man, alone in the jungle, no other human beings around, at the mercy of heartless Mother Nature?

Please help me. At least make it stop raining. Let me be able to keep walking on my own two feet.

I couldn't tell exactly when darkness would fall. At times the sun would pass behind a cloud, and I would think that I had to hurry and set up camp. Then it would emerge, and I would go on marching, not wanting to waste the remaining hours of walking time. Finally, after a small bend in the river, I came upon a fabulous beach. Pure white sand, crystal-clear water, and a large bush laden with little red fruit. In the past two days I had eaten only a few cloves of garlic and a pinch of salt, and I pounced hungrily upon the sweet berries.

At first I picked the berries one by one and put them into my mouth, but I was soon gathering