A Note from Doug Phillips

To My Good Friends:

Welcome to this private page for men who are considering becoming team members of the 2010 Amazon Expedition. Please take a moment to read all the information below.

Who Is This Trip For?

This is not a trip for women. This is an expedition for men and with men. For the better part of a week, our team will be living on a boat and in the Rainforest in the heart of Amazonia. We will debate, dialogue, explore, and investigate. We will build relationships like men and emphasize the importance of fathers and sons working together for the glory of God.

Specifically, this is an expedition for the friends of Doug Phillips and Vision Forum Ministries who: A) want to experience a once-in-a-lifetime manly adventure; B) want to learn more about the great battles with environmental pantheism from the epicenter of the fight; C) want to investigate mysteries of the ancient world and observe exotic and strange creatures, evaluating them from a distinctively Creationist perspective; and D) want to bless Vision Forum Ministries by helping us advance our Space Project film.

This trip is not a Marine bootcamp, but nor is it a waltz on the Riviera. It is a refreshingly vigorous, sometimes wet, sometimes sweaty, manly romp into a mysterious and unusual world. There are no air conditioners. There is no room service. The animals are far from tame. They howl, scream, hoot and bite.

The bugs are huge, exotic, beautiful, fascinating, and sometimes downright dangerous. If you paid to see Stephen Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, an unfortunate attempt to revive his famous franchise, then you remember the Amazonian swarming ants—well, they are real, and we will probably encounter them! They are called Eciton, and they appear in swarming armies of hundreds of thousands that sometimes reach a diameter of one hundred feet. That is why you will need to tuck your trousers inside your pants. If you don’t, the Eciton will swarm you and turn their impressive sickle-shaped pincers on your flesh.

Actually, these guys are friendly compared to the Conga Ants—those vicious little beasts are the most enormous ants you have ever seen or contemplated at a whopping two inches in length. Their pinchers are on the front and stingers on the back, just in case you did not take them seriously. If you cut them in half, they continue to come after you, but now as two entities. Then, of course, there is the Tangarana, or Fire Ant Trees—these trees enjoy a symbiotic relationship with the swarming red ants living inside them and possessing incredible stinging powers. Just don’t touch these trees.

I could go on, but I think you get the point! Along with the breathtakingly beautiful birds, pink dolphins, exotic plants and amazing animals, there are plenty of wonderful little beasties for us to encounter including anacondas, toxic ants, pirangas, vampire bats, chiggers, stinging plants, howling monkeys, egg laying botflies, and my personal favorite—the candiru fish (ask me about that one later!)

Of course, half the fun is trekking through this lost world like men and experiencing a unique adventure—as safely as possible. All of this being said, I am looking for men 12 years of age and older to join us. Special exceptions will be made for sons that are a wee bit younger, and full of mettle. But, Dads, you are responsible for making sure your son can maintain a can-do spirit as we explore in sometimes inhospitable conditions. Once in the jungle, there is no turning back.

Presently, the trip ends on January 7, in Cusco, after a day’s expedition to Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Those who need to return home early can skip the advanced trip to the heart of the Inca Empire, and return from Iquitos on the morning of January 6, directly to the United States through Lima. Sorry, but in order to streamline our cost model, we are unable to offer a discount to those who want to pass on the last leg of the trip.

What about Our Wives and Daughters?

If I am able to cover the expenses for this trip and have just a tiny buffer, I may be able to inform you of an opportunity for any of the ladies (wives of our team members) who would like to travel to Peru and join Beall in Cusco for a special adventure for the women and children who were unable to join us in the Amazon. This would include museums, Inca temples, lots of shopping, and a trek with the men to Machu Picchu. If this opportunity materializes, we will let you know. The men would join the girls in Cusco at the conclusion of our journey in the Amazon itself, probably on the 5th or 6th of January.

Price

There are two ways you can help me on this expedition:

The first option is to come with me. The price for coming is $3,500. This includes the cost of the boat, security, logistics, food, lodging, special events and projects on the journey, admission fees, and plane flight from Iquitos to Cusco, the gateway to Machu Picchu. It does not include air fare to and from our entry point or final destination. You will need to book your flights to Peru and back. Our logistics coordinator is happy to walk you through the process of obtaining the most advantageous flights.

Expedition Sponsor: The second approach is to become an Expedition Sponsor. We are especially interested in finding men because it is necessary for us to be able to raise the capital to cover the filming and travel expenses. To become an Expedition Sponsor , go to our online donation page and give to the “Worship the Creator, Not the Creation” fund located on the Vision Forum Ministries Support Page.

Refund/cancellation policy

All fees are 50 percent refundable if written cancellation is received by Peter Bradrick prior to December 13. No refunds on either ticket will be given on or after December 13.

For more information on Joining us on our expedition or becoming a Sponsor, contact Peter Bradrick, our Expedition Logistics Coordinator at peterbradrick@gmail.com.