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University of Chester(切斯特大学)
所在地区:英格兰所在城市:ChesterTIMES排名:52
一键免费快速申请文章正文综述详细专业照片新闻校友录已获Offer学生资料Ian Fraser, Head of Biology, reports on the expedition which he led to the Amazon this summer:Ian Fraser, Head of Biology, reports on the expedition which he led to the Amazon this summer:
On the first of July this summer, an intrepid team from Winchester College set off on a daunting expedition to the Brazil Amazonas.
The team comprised ten Wykehamists, an expedition leader from World Challenge and myself. The boys had spent the preceding 18 months raising funds for the trip and preparing themselves for the challenge.
We flew initially to Rio and then onto Manaus. From there we rented a two-tier river boat, which we were to live on for much of the following 4 weeks. As we chugged up the Rio Solimoes (which becomes the Amazon when it joins the Rio Negro at Manaus) we made regular trips by canoe into the Igapo – the flooded forest – to learn more about the jungle environment.
For around 10 days we moored by a village where we completed the project phase of our expedition, helping to repair the village hall and building garbage bins. All the wood for the construction came from a single felled tree. The boys worked hard, played lots of soccer with the locals and ate well on board the boat.
This all changed when we set off on the trekking phase. We spent a total of five days in the jungle, where the boys learnt to set traps, avoid dangers and develop camp craft skills. By the final night they were clearing areas of forest, and using the materials to build kitchen shelters, cooking fires, tables and jetties. They slept in hammocks under the starry skies, waking to the sound of howler monkeys in the canopy.
Considering the number of snakes, spiders, wasps, ants and hornets we encountered, and the razor sharpness of the machetes we were obliged to wield, we were very fortunate to suffer no serious illnesses or injuries. It was an extraordinary experience, and we all left the Amazon after four gruelling weeks feeling elated, inspired and humbled. There will certainly be further major expeditions like this in the future.
