| DURING FEB 1 - APR 08, 2007 MARTIN STREL SWAM 5,268 KMS (3274 MILES) OF THE AMAZON RIVER! HE DEDICATED THE SWIM TO THE PROTECTION OF THE RAINFOREST. |
Sat, February 17 2007
Iquitos
Martin has arrived in the biggest city in the world that isn’t connected to anywhere by road: the famous jungle capital of Iquitos.
Iquitos was famous as a prosperous hub during the rubber boom, but later suffered as the seeds were smuggled out of the area and rubber farms were set up overseas. Martin covered 64 km on Friday, stopping early to attend a ceremony in his honor by the Peruvian Navy.
Today, he got a late start from Iquitos as the Cielito Lindo needed to be serviced and resupplied. The river has nearly tripled in size since Atalaya, resulting in difficult navigation through mazes of islands. Wind and waves provide a new obstacle to swimming on the bigger water. Martin swam out of the port of Iquitos with two foot waves breaking into his face, finishing the day 63 km downstream.
>>Matthew Mohlke
