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all their needs and even make them prosper, if only it were treated with respect and that the sustainable use of renewable resources would be far more lucrative than the destructive exploitation of the non-renewable resources.

In July 1998, the Chalalan project finally became reality. It was officially inaugurated as one of the most celebrated ecotourism locations in the entire Amazon. I passionately invested all my faculties and facilities in Chalalan and completely immersed myself in the project.

It was the involvement of the Inter-American Development Bank and Conservation International, both out of Washington D.C., which made it possible. The bank granted us an amazing one and a quarter million U.S. dollars, and Conservation International agreed to take on the execution and provide their technical expertise and much-needed ongoing supervision.

Through my humble role in this project, I had the opportunity to experience moments of grace in the mightiest of all forests. I shared unforgettable times with exceptional people, some of whom became the best of friends. I served a purpose that was bigger than I, and together with a few others, I made a small difference. I feel fortunate, blessed, and grateful for that experience.

The nomadic life that I had adopted kept me constantly on the move. For a while, I settled in California until I was approached by an international