Sarawak is a Malaysian State on the island of Borneo – home to lost tribes and as yet undiscovered flora and fauna. Besides the Sarawak River, the Baram River, along with the Lupar and the Saribas, are the only way to penetrate the hot and hostile jungles. The Iban tribes, while modernizing, still live mostly in traditional villages.
ArcticTropic currently features 3 Malaysian destinations, with room for many more. Click HERE to visit the Malaysian page directly.
2008 saw several trips to the Far South. Above, a forest road in Southern Chile. In March.
Surf in Pichelemu, Chile. March.
Western Argentina highway – March.
Mexico – June.
El Popo Volcano – Mexico , June.
Pie de la Cuesta , Mexico – June.
Pie de la Cuesta , Mexico – June.
Jalapão, Tocantins,Brazil – August.
Jalapão, Tocantins,Brazil – August.
Rafting, Rio Novo ,Brazil – September.
Night forest fire,Jalapão, Tocantins,Brazil – September.
São Paulo,Brazil – September.
Andes crossing – Chile to Argentina – November.
Mendoza, Argentina – November.
Springtime – Mendoza, Argentina – November.
Cafayate, Argentina – November.
Salta, Argentina – November.
Buenos Aires, Argentina – November.
2009 plans include Asia and the Middle East.
Our final day – with the biggest rapids – Class 4! We hike around Cachoeira Velha about 100 feet high and even walk behind it.
The final rapids are like a roller coaster – it is hard to stay in the boat.
Massimo – the Brazilian Kayak Champion – goes over the Class 4 in his kayak.
After a relaxing swim we board the 4 Elementos truck for the 8 hour ride back to civilization – in Palmas.
At night – back online for the first time in a week – I have heard no news since then – so it is interesting to read about hurricanes in the US, as well as the surprising Republican choice for Vice President.
The next morning we are off to the ATTA/ABETA Summit in São Paulo. Details soon, after everyone has a chance to read about the adventures.
The morning of September 1st dawns like every other – clear and cool. While daytime temperatures soar to near 38 – 100 F , it is about 14 C – 57 F in the early morning.
We pack up – everything . This is “leave no trace” camping. Even the bonfire is built over a screen in the sand – in the morning the ashes are thrown in the river. Other than footprints , that will be blown away by the wind within an hour – no one would know that a camp of tents and cooking /eating areas was there only hours before.
The rapids today are more frequent and more powerful – up to class 3.
We set up camp at a beautiful river beach – but forest fires flare up throughout the night. Some of the crew puts out the fires with sticks.
Dinner was delicious – pasta followed by flambé, with champagne and red wine.
We saw no people other than our crew the entire day.
This morning the Korubo truck takes us to join a new expedition, with Quatro Elementos – for a three-day rafting trip down the Rio Novo. In that time we will cover only 60 kilometers, but it will be action packed. Two nights will be spent camping on riverside beaches.
Qautro Elementos is another very professional adventure travel company. It is owned and operated by Massimo Desiati – one time kayaking champion of Brazil . Check out the website HERE.
About 10 AM we set off down the river. These kids were having a Sunday morning swim – they came from a nearby settlement of 150 people.
We are given safety instruction – helmets, preservers and shoes must be on at all times unless otherwise indicated.
The first day featured a small amount of rapids up to Class 2. Other times it was calm enough swim or drift in the fast moving water alongside the raft.
The cargo raft is transporting the very computer I am now blogging on – an ancient G4 iBook that will soon be replaced. Dry bags are used to protect valuables – but that’s no help if they are swept away downstream.
Late afternoon we pitch camp. At night we dine at a farmers house about a kilometer away from the camp. Everything is made of local ingredients, except for the meat since there is no cattle grazing in the area.
This morning we climb Mirante da Serra – a tabletop mountain that is about 300 meters high. The landscape here, and all over Jalapão is very reminiscent of parts of West Africa – hundreds of millions of years ago it was all one land.
This is explained by the theory of continental drift – and the very obvious fact that the continents of South America and Brazil fit together like pieces of a puzzle. To read more on Continental Drift – CLICK HERE.
We then walked across the Serra – dry scrub with interesting plants – here we see latex dripping from a tree.
At the other end of the Serra, about 5 km from the climbing trail – there were incredible rock formations, similar to those in Arizona and Utah.
Wasp Nest.
State of Bahia in the distance.
The rest of the day was spent swimming and lounging at the base camp.
Special thanks go to Alexander Kazantsev of Otkrytie Travels in Moscow, for providing many great photographs in these posts. Many of the rafting photos are courtesy of the trip provider – Quatro Elementos.
The sun comes up about 6: 30. A wakeup swim in the river is followed by a light breakfast. We are off for kayaking in the Rio Novo.
We go over some class one rapids. Overall it is an easy trip with only a few tipping over. The Korubo truck brings us back to camp.
In the late afternoon we drive to the giant sand dunes in Jalapão National Park.
One of the great things about the Korubo truck is riding on top of it – a great way to observe and take photos.
We stay on the dunes until sunset.
In the camp one must be on the lookout for snakes.
Cats guard the perimeter – they are faster than the cobras !
Last night I arrived in São Paulo, after a week in the Jalapão desert wilderness. As there was no phone or internet access, it was impossible to keep up a daily blog. The next few days, while I attend the Adventure Travel World Summit, I will post as often as possible to tell the whole story.
Below are a few pictures. The rafting/Kayaking photos and video in this post are courtesy of Alexander Kazantsev of Otkrytie Travels in Moscow, Russia.
Giant Sand Dunes !
Kayaking the Rio Novo.
Mesas & Buttes in the Desert.
Treacherous Roads !
Safari and Rafting Expedition In Brazil’s Northern Deserts
EMBRATUR – the Brazilian Government Tourism Authority and ABETA – Brazilian Adventure Travel Trade Association have invited ArcticTropic to participate in an 8-day exploration of the Jalapão region in the remote Tocantins River Valley of Northeastern Brazil.
The purpose of the trip is to promote a newly opened adventure travel region of Brazil. Few foreigners other than explorers or scientists have visited the region.
ArcticTropic Blog will have daily updates – except when traversing the rivers. Due to the nature of the journey – constant submersion in roiling rapids -, electronic equipment cannot be taken. Waterproof cameras will be used in these situations.
We will depart Miami next Monday night – first flying all the way down to São Paulo, then back North to Brasilia, then further North to Palmas, the capital of Tocantins State. From there – the adventure begins.
