A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.

Well I think everything is as set as it is going to get for the jungle part of the trip. I will leave my apartment on the 26th and start the white water part of my adventure on the Aprurimac. The specifics of the lower white water part is still uncertain. As for the jungle, Cho and I have agreed that we will then meet and he believes we will be on the first boat July 1st.  A great way to start my birthday month :)  I think I might have Internet access on the 29th for a few hours and then after that who knows.  I never did locate anyone who wanted to share the adventure but that is ok.

Cho said the water is low (this is not the rainy season) so we will have to do some type of travel at the headwaters from the highlands to get to the right boat.  I am also not sure about what type of boat we will be using either at first, to the "right boat", or down river.  It would be cool to be in a long wood canoe type boat but then I think of my butt and back and virtually no ability to move around - so I am sure it would not be too fun after a few days, but I really do not know the boat type so I will not start pouting just yet. lol. I know it will be tough even under the best of conditions but if I wanted comfort and typical tourist tours I would have booked a cruise out of Iquitos :)    

Another good development is that I think Cho had second thoughts of just us going through the "red zone."  Cho has located a person who has the ability and trust of the various "locals" in this area of the Ene to get us permission to pass through.  This person has to be traveling with us in this region, but the expense is worth it.  We expect him to be with us for 3 or 4 days.  This is the area I have wanted to see most because tourist and others are simply not welcomed, discouraged from going into this area, or just prevented from entering due to the remoteness, indigenous people who do not want contact with the outside world, and of course the drug cartels and coca plantations.  Another interesting part is that the Peru government is trying to put in a series of hydroelectric dams in this area - funded by Brazil. Extremely controversial and everything I have seen says the locals are completely against it.  I read where even in the planning stages, a few government workers were killed.  So the natural beauty of this area may not be around for long.  I do hope I am not mistaken for a gringo spy!

So at this point on the Edge, I feel like I have been able to minimize some of the risks and feel good about being able to make this journey! :) No agenda or claim to fame, just the ability to see and do something most people will never do. I wonder if Charles and Robert would think this qualifies as being close to unequivocal?

Adelante!