Will to Live: Dispatches from the Edge of Survival Read Free

tribes, and offered to take Yossi along with him.
    Enchanted by Karl’s stories and thirsting for a taste of untamed adventure, Yossi—along with two other mochileros (backpackers) he had met in La Paz—agreed to join the Austrian, who described himself as a born survivor of sorts: gold miner, jaguar hunter, jungle master.
    And while Yossi may have had pure intentions, he was sorely lacking in many aspects of wilderness travel, particularly when it came to planning and preparation. He was young, carefree, and looking for adventure. So when he, Kevin Gale (a burly American, legendary among travelers for his strength and endurance), Marcus Stamm (a sensitive Swiss man), and Karl met to discuss the trip at length, Yossi ignored the hard-line details and practicalities and instead focused on the romance the trip promised.
    It was an ill-fated decision, because there was a lot about Karl that should have raised red flags with Yossi: Karl often changed his story about his experience in the jungle. He first offered to lead the expedition for free, then turned around and charged the mochileros a hefty guide’s fee. He threatened to cancel the trip because of an obligation to a mysterious uncle who supposedly owned a ranch in another part of the country. But Yossi’s connection to Karl was based on Yossi’s spirit of adventure, not analytical thought. So he didn’t ask enough questions.
    Yossi certainly isn’t the first person to be guilty of this mistake. Many would-be adventurers consider planning and preparation to be an annoying waste of time, and one that only serves to get in the way of “fun.” A carefree attitude may be fun in some circumstances, but the Amazon jungle is not the place to play it by ear. The experienced traveler knows that you can be prepared and still have fun and adventure. Had Yossi and his newly found friends recognized this, perhaps tragedy might not have occurred.
    With a few free days before he headed into the jungle, Yossi set about informing people of his plans. He left a note with the Israeli embassy, sent a message to a local friend’s family, and mailed a lengthy letter to his brother Moishele in Israel, detailing what little he knew about the upcoming adventure.
    It was the right thing to do. Telling three people of your plans is the best way to make sure someone will take notice if you don’t return. Most travelers, even the most thoughtful ones, tell only one person. This can be adequate, if that person is very close to you and is responsible. Otherwise, it makes sense to tell as many people as possible. But above all, the best strategy is to establish a firm drop-dead date for your return. If you have not gotten in touch with your contacts by this date, they must take swift and decisive action (of a sort that you and they have clearly predetermined) and either come looking for you or send out a search team.
    Yossi left many of his belongings behind in La Paz, including his wristwatch. Again, his motivation was pure, as he thought he’d have no need to keep track of time or schedules in the jungle, but ultimately, it was a bad move. Yossi didn’t count on being in a survival situation, where he could have used the watch to determine travel time, or even use it as a survival tool, but there was no practical reason for him to leave it behind.
    The four men boarded a flight over the Andes to the village of Apolo, where their trek would begin. Karl’s plan was to hike from Apolo to the neighboring village of Asriamas, then through the jungle to their final destination, the village of Riberalta.
    It wasn’t long before Karl got the chance to demonstrate his expertise. Their first night out of Apolo, he impressed his compadres by improvising a shelter from bamboo and nylon sheeting (even though they had a tent) and carpeting it with a bed of leaves. Karl clearly knew how to handle himself in the jungle, but he was no leader. He was a ruffian and a drifter, one whose inability to keep the