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Humorous, adventurous, interesting and amazing stories from readers, our archives and famous adventures from around the world. If you'd like to share one of your own stories, please send an email (with your story attached) to stories@intrepid-optimist.com.
Night Flight Over the Amazon
When I was going to school back in San Angelo, Texas I would have never dreamed that sometime in my future I'd be flying in an old DC-7 loaded with cattle over the Amazon jungle at midnight. It all started in 1973 when the president and acting manager of a Bolivia agriculture cooperative contacted me.
Mexican Sailing Adventure
Log date June 22, 2006: Bear and I have been sailing for over 25 years in lake waters and in the Gulf of Mexico. We have several friends who have been after us to join them in the Caribbean waters and to simply “get out there”.
Champagne, Apple Pie and Elephants
Alan, a friend of mine had a car. I don’t just mean any old car, I mean a Rolls Royce; a white 1936 Rolls Royce Continental roadster. It was built for cruising the deplorable pre WW11, country roads (Germany excluded) of Europe. But it was no longer in Europe. In 1980 Allan had shipped it to Ecuador along with his other worldly goods.
Courage Under Fire
It was getting close to five in the evening when Raju, the forest guard’s son, came and informed us that a villager’s buffalo had been killed by a tiger. Since my friend’s father was looking after the rehabilitation program of the forest department for the villagers, it was his duty to investigate such kills and confirm that it was actually the doing of a tiger.It was not uncommon for villagers to claim that all the cattle that died in the region, whatever the reason for their death may have been, had been killed by tigers.
Elephant challenge
Pankaj and I decided that it would be a good idea to come back to our rest house in Gairal straight after lunch. We’d experienced as much excitement as we could have ever hoped for, the night before. Today we were back by half past three and after relaxing for around ten minutes, made our way down to the rocky bank of the Ramganga river. Our intention was to just relax and soak in all the freshness and tranquility nature could offer us.
Win some - Lose Some!
A former partner of mine had gotten himself into trouble trusting the wrong people and believing the Ecuadorian businessmen to be easy game. Some heavy construction equipment which his company owned was under embargo near Tena, in the eastern jungle area of Ecuador.
Lake cave saga
On the 30th April 1983, I arrived at the Lake Cave kiosk and, as usual was made to feel very welcome by Brian, Liz, and Mark. During the evening, Brian asked me if I would have a look at the drainage system of Lake Cave as the lake had risen about 75 cm in the previous couple of weeks. Brian, Mark and I went down into the cave and, after having a look, I agreed that there was obviously a blockage somewhere. I suggested that we get something long to push up the 23 cm diameter concrete pipe that served as a drain to keep the lake at its natural level.
New York: First Impressions, 1970
It was in 1970. I was on an Air India flight, taxiing down the runway to the terminal of the John F. Kennedy International Airport. I was arriving in America for the first time and I had just US$5.00 to my name.