Technically, we didn’t make this remarkable Amazonia paddle. I wish we had, but it would have taken a long, long time. And we had a plane to catch.

On request, a man in the neighbouring village from where we were staying in the Amazon, kindly and graciously made it for us.

Amazonia paddles are traditionally made from the buttress roots of remo casp (literally paddle wood). 6am, Adolfo woke up and hiked into the jungle with his chainsaw, chopped down a paddle tree, dragged it home, and for a good chunk of the day, used his machete to carve out this beautiful paddle for us.

We’ll be sanding it and varnishing it back home, before formally acquainting her with the Great Lakes of Canada.