Alone, 2,465 Miles in a Bath Tub! By Mike Collis 
Rob Dowling an intrepid 45 year old Irishman from Dublin set off on May 8th, 2006 on an adventure of a lifetime. Rob intends to navigate the mighty Amazon River from Iquitos to the Atlantic Ocean in a bathtub! A distance of nearly 2,500 miles. If Rob completes this fantastic journey he will have raised thousands of dollars in sponsorships for children's charities both here in Peru and in Ireland. The 5 foot 6 inch standard fiberglass bathtub is supported by 6 X 30 gallon steel drums and is propelled by a 15 h.p. outboard motor. Aboard the flimsy craft Rob has all his equipment and supplies along with GPS and satellite telephone communication. Rob said, "I know I have only a 60% chance of reaching the ocean, but if it was easy I wouldn't want to do it. The hardest part will be the loneliness and the most dangerous part will be the giant whirlpools that await me downstream."  Rob expects the voyage to take about 2 months. The Editor and staff of the Iquitos Times wish Rob "Good luck, God Speed and a Safe Journey". Rob will be in contact with us and we will have regular updates of his progress on our website at Iquitos Times and on his website at Amazon Quest. |