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the canyon, and neither will we. Even before that canyon there are other treacherous passes, and you have to know how to control the raft, how to stop it when necessary. The risk is tremendous otherwise – we could get swept into the canyon. If that happens, we've had it. Just the thought of it scares the shit out of me. We have pulled over twice today, but both times it was only by dumb luck that we managed to stop the raft.'

'What do you mean, Karl, we can't go through the canyon?' I asked. 'You said that you've already rafted the length of the Tuichi more than once.'

'I never said that. I've gone down the Tuichi many times to a point a little farther on, to property belonging to Don Matías, the Swiss. From there I went by foot to Curiplaya, which is on the other side of the canyon. I've rafted from Curiplaya on down to Rurrenabaque many times too. It's smooth, easy going from there, but no one has ever gone through the mal paso.'

'Then how are we going to go on?' Marcus wanted to know.

'That's the point. We have to get as close to the opening to the canyon as we can and stop. There we'll take the raft apart. Two of us will bypass the canyon on foot, while the other two wait. At an agreed-upon time the two who stay behind will set the logs of the raft adrift in the current. Beyond the canyon, at Curiplaya, the river widens, and the current is very mild. The two who've gone ahead will swim into the river to