Film one nearly done
- 28 Nov 07, 03:24 PM
Posted from: Ashaninka Village near Catunga.
Thank God. It feels like we've arrived somewhere safe at last. We're in a tiny Ashaninka village four hours downriver and it is quite beautiful.
Getting a helping hand
- 28 Nov 07, 01:17 PM
Steve and Matt receive plenty of help from the local children whilst filming in an Ashaninka community.
Party Problems
- 27 Nov 07, 03:23 PM
Posted from: Catunga.
We're having to leave the Ashaninka at this village in Catunga because there's a big celebration going on in the village, which means a lot of outsiders are present. These outsiders don't want the Ashaninka showing us areas of land over which there is conflict, and they've said that if they do there'll be trouble, so obviously we have to leave as the last thing we want is to endanger our hosts.
Amazon United F.C.
- 27 Nov 07, 03:12 PM
Posted from: Catunga.
Catunga is a weird place. Two years ago a local logger built a road through the forest and roads change things quickly around here. In return for the right to log the forest around Catunga, he built them wooden houses, probably made out of their own wood.
An Unannounced Arrival
- 26 Nov 07, 03:02 PM
Posted from: Catunga.
This is one of the most dangerous places we鈥檒l visit on this journey, a place entirely beyond the rule of law but if we are to follow the course of the Amazon River, from source to sea, then we have to come this way. We stood on the beach with our pile of boxes and giggled nervously.
The Ashaninka in the Red Zone
- 25 Nov 07, 02:58 PM
Posted from: Catunga.
We鈥檝e had a very strange day, even by our very high standards. We鈥檙e in a small settlement called Catungo, in the Apurimac Valley in Peru. We鈥檙e in what is known as the RED ZONE, a place deemed so dangerous and difficult that the local law enforcement agencies have given up on it.
Blowing up the Bossa
- 23 Nov 07, 02:10 PM
Posted from: Palma Pampa.
We had a great day today, out with the drug police blowing up coca labs. We should have got a really exciting sequence for the film.
Police Raid on Cocaine Lab
- 23 Nov 07, 01:20 PM
Posted from: Palma Pampa
Today we have gained access to film the flip side of the cocaine story in Peru, the fight against the trade in cocaine by the police and army forces, who are in turn supported with US funding.
A traumatic time
- 23 Nov 07, 11:56 AM
This trip has been an incredible experience that we've been privileged to have but, with the ups always come the downs, and there have been one or two of those on this shoot, most notably the scare we had with Matt Brandon, the Producer/Director. Matt and I have known each other since we were 13, we went to school together, he was the best man at my wedding, and he is godfather to my daughter Sofia.
A lucky escape
- 23 Nov 07, 11:37 AM
This is going to be very short for obvious reasons. On Sunday (11th I'm told) we went out of the hacienda to film some simple shots of the area. I was feeling rougher and rougher with my head pounding to the point where I just couldn't move. Everyone had their fair share of sickness, so I presumed that it was my turn.
Cocaine Badlands
- 22 Nov 07, 11:31 AM
Posted from: Miraflores / Lima.
It's strange to be back in Peru so soon. I wasn't expecting to be here again for a while, but have come out to take over from Producer/Director Matt Brandon who fell seriously ill just over a week ago. I saw him at the clinic yesterday and he seems to be recovering really well.
An illegal coca base lab
- 13 Nov 07, 04:46 PM
Posted from: Louisiana.
Today we went to a coca base lab, which is where coca leaves are turned into cocaine base. It鈥檚 a highly illegal activity and the Peruvian Military and the American Drugs Enforcement Agency both run armed raids from helicopter and vehicles to find people doing this type of work.
Panic in the Jungle
- 13 Nov 07, 01:10 PM
Posted from: Louisiana
12:30 pm: Covered in sweat from the heavy work the workers take a break and are joined by some other members of the family who have brought them food. No kidding, this was by far the best food on the whole journey so far, made up of some very tasty rice and spicy fish which they very generously share with us.
The Coca Pit
- 13 Nov 07, 11:53 AM
Posted from: Louisiana
7.20 am: We walk 10 minutes up through the woods and come to a small clearing with a wooden house. A very poor-looking mum and dad with six scraggly young children greet us. They look somewhat puzzled by our motives and the driver quickly reassures them so it鈥檚 happy hand shakes all round.
A Surreptitious Journey
- 13 Nov 07, 11:35 AM
Posted from: Louisiana
5.00am: There is a beautiful sunrise and the mist crosses the mountains as Bruce, Luis and myself meet early. We await the possible go-ahead of a filming opportunity with illegal cocaine paste manufacturers. After lots of pacing and phone calls from Luis he finally gives us the thumbs-up. We load a lightweight shooting kit and jump into an unassuming car with local San Francisco number plates.
Matt B taken seriously ill
- 11 Nov 07, 11:10 AM
Posted from: The Amazon production office, Cardiff
Producer/director Matt B is taken seriously ill in Peru. Steve Robinson explains what happened
Coca debates
- 10 Nov 07, 04:45 PM
Bruce has a tricky time harvesting coca leaves with Antonio鈥檚 family.
Mealtime and a Machete
- 10 Nov 07, 04:18 PM
Posted from: San Francisco area.
Almu has gone down with dehydration or a tummy bug and is lying on the floor in the dirt next to the tripod. We are looking a sorry sort of bunch in contrast to the young coca-collecting kids, who carry on in the stifling heat without one complaint.
Coca Harvest
- 10 Nov 07, 04:16 PM
Posted from: San Francisco area.
We arrived back at the hacienda and I鈥檓 now feeling nauseous and dizzy. I take some re-hydration salts as I鈥檓 probably suffering from dehydration and crash in my tent. I鈥檓 sick most of the night and having not slept I鈥檓 still dressed when we leave at 4am in order to travel and film Bruce waking up with the family back at Antonio鈥檚 hut.
Time out
- 9 Nov 07, 04:21 PM
Posted from: Louisiana.
The trip so far has been incredible - the source of the Amazon, Rodolfo and his family, an epic trek, white-water rafting, and a lot more - but I'd be lying if I said that we didn't all enjoy a couple of nights in a hotel in Ayacucho and choosing food from a menu.
Magic Hour with the Coca Growers
- 9 Nov 07, 02:38 PM
Posted from: Louisiana / San Fransisco
At about 4pm we all meet up and take a 30-minute drive to join up with a family of coca growers. It has been difficult for Luis to find a family who are happy for us to film them, as they are very aware that the growing of coca is controversial and they do not wish to get into trouble with their community.
Cloud Coca Land
- 9 Nov 07, 02:37 PM
Posted from: near Louisiana.
We wake early and Matt B, Zubin and I head off in the soft morning light to shoot some establishing shots of the area. We shoot these on the large HD camera with some great shots of the lush green, mountainous landscape. In particular we pick off shots of the many fields growing coca leaves as these will then cut well into to the scenes that we will later shoot.
The Shining Path
- 9 Nov 07, 02:28 PM
Posted from: Louisiana.
Our journey down here to Louisiana was interesting because there was a load of strikes going on in the area. One was the cocalero strike, which was a strike held by the coca growers because they feel they are unfairly treated and yesterday there was a trade union strike from all the workers of the area.
U Can鈥檛 Touch This
- 8 Nov 07, 02:20 PM
Posted from: Louisiana
Luis, our multitalented fixer-translator-local producer, has pre-warned us that we should do our utmost to arrive at our destination before dark. This is because the region we are heading for is the primary cocaine producing area of Peru and is pretty much lawless.
Journey to the other San Francisco
- 8 Nov 07, 02:18 PM
Posted from: En route to San Francisco
We leave early to hopefully avoid the roadblocks of the strike in a strict three-car convoy and within minutes each vehicle has been separated from the others. Today will be another long day with a 14-hour drive ahead of us. With no sign of barricades we escape the city for another day of careering around hairpin bends with epic drops.
On the Bandit Trail
- 6 Nov 07, 02:13 PM
Posted from: Ayacucho.
John, our fixer, is in our vehicle and says that the road ahead is notorious for bandits holding vehicles up at gunpoint. He says there are two roads to Ayacucho and to keep safe we should not take the left fork ahead as that鈥檚 where the bandits hide ready for an ambush. We take the right fork - hopefully the bandits don鈥檛 try this road for once!
Bone shaking all the way to Ayacucho
- 6 Nov 07, 02:11 PM
Posted from: en route to Ayacucho.
So we鈥檝e got the all clear to make our journey into the Red Zone, which means that today will involve another two hour journey in a bumpy vehicle. Today is not Zubin's day as, highly inconveniently, he has the runs - not the best on a long drive like this.
Tooth Ache
- 5 Nov 07, 03:01 PM
Posted from: Abancay.
Today the rapids seemed to get even bigger. After lunch we reached one of the biggest, a grade 5+ called 'Tooth Ache', named after a large rock at the bottom that resembled a tooth. This was by far the most dangerous rapid to be tackled so a good recce was carried out first. Our head guide had the perfect spot for me to film from, on a small ledge of rock right opposite the tooth and straight above a mad torrent of foaming water.
A White Water Philosophy
- 5 Nov 07, 11:28 AM
Posted from: Abancay
Today was by far the biggest day on the Apurimac! Before today we'd been having fun rafting down grade 3 and 4 rapids - my first experience of rafting and I loved it! The crew were alternately rafting and filming and everyone was just getting the hang of manipulating the boats and enjoying themselves.
The Rapid with no Name
- 4 Nov 07, 03:00 PM
Posted from:Tocador.
After an early start and long drive we met up with our white water rafting guides and set out to explore one of the high Peruvian tributaries of the Amazon. This leg is going to be particularly difficult when working with the camera equipment as we need to capture great shots of white water rafting yet not destroy our cameras at the same time.
Preparing for rafting
- 3 Nov 07, 03:48 PM
Posted from:Cusco
We are now back in Cusco for a rest day before we begin our descent, tomorrow we leave at 4.30 to start two days of white water rafting on our way to Ayacucho. I'm very excited about this.
Amazon team enter the Red Zone
- 2 Nov 07, 02:58 PM
Posted from:Machu Puente
In a few days time our journey will take us into the coca growing and cocaine trafficking area of Peru known as the 'Red Zone'. This region is pretty much a no-go area, even to the Peruvian army. This means that a mix of local militia police, members of the Ashaninka community and the drug traffickers control the area.
Kayaking and the Day Of The Dead
- 2 Nov 07, 02:58 PM
Posted from:Machu Puente
Today Bruce hit the water for the first time. He was joined by Eric - a local Olympic canoeist for the Peruvian team. He guided Bruce by canoe through the spectacular Tres Canyones while we shot some wide shots as they paddled past Inca ruins. The light out here has a lovely golden warmth so is a gift to shoot in.
Man Overboard!
- 2 Nov 07, 10:48 AM
Posted from:Machu Puente
Today started rather inauspiciously as I jumped into my canoe at the place where I left it last night and capsized after about half a minute on the water! I hadn't put my back-rest in properly, which was a little embarrassing, particularly because my confidence in the water had been so high yesterday, but I guess it's important to get a reminder that I'm not unsinkable!
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About Amazon
Bruce Parry, presenter of the 大象传媒's Tribe, travelled the length of the Amazon to film a major new series for 大象传媒 Two, shown in autumn 2008. You can relive his journey online through exclusive blogs, video and much more.
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