On the Road

李東

Traveling to Learn; Learning to Travel

When Mike and Susan began their journey through South America， they wanted to learn. To them， South America was a large continent full of adventure. On the map， the continent looked wide at the equator and narrow close to the Earths southern pole in Antarctica. They had seen pictures， read books and magazine， studied the Internet， and talked to friends. They were impressed by the basic geography of the continent： the Andes Mountain Range， the Amazon River Basin， the Patagonia area of Argentina and Chile， and the altiplano① of Bolivia and Peru. They were curious about the different cultures and attitudes of the people in the regions. But what would they really learn on their journey？ They were not sure， but they knew they would extend their horizons and knowledge.

Their dream was to explore the huge continent of South America by car. They planned their trip carefully. They did not focus on their itinerary②—where they would go every day. They thought the itinerary would happen naturally as they traveled. Instead， they focused on what they needed to make the trip. First they bought a good， strong car. They chose a four-wheel-drive sport-utility vehicle. This car needed to be strong and reliable to go long distances on any kind of road. Then， deciding on the equipment to carry in the car was a real challenge. They needed to be prepared for any situation.

Some of the equipment that they chose was unique for long-distance travelers： a laptop computer， a global positioning system（GPS）， a printer， and a satellite telephone communication system. These were electronic devices to help them communicate on the trip. The satellite telephone communication system gave them the ability to communicate from almost any location. The computer enabled them to communicate by e-mail and to use CD encyclopedias for information. The GPS， by receiving signals from satellites around the Earth， gave them their exact position on a map at any time. And with the computer and the printer， they could print whatever they needed on paper. Mike and Susan felt confident that they could communicate with family， friends， and business contacts. With the GPS and maps，they would not get lost.

Besides all this technical equipment， Mike and Susan took many extra car parts and clothing for all kinds of conditions. They took camping gear such as a tent， sleeping bags， portable cooking equipment， and freeze-dried food. They had flashinglights， candles， insect repellent， water-purification systems， and medi-cines. They tried to pack efficiently so the car would not be too heavy or look too full. They also had safety rules they tried to follow. They decided not to travel at night， not to pick up strangers， and not to drive in bad weather or if they were tired. As traveling companions， they made a promise to each other to meet and talk to as many people as they could and to make each day a new adventure.

They began their road journey in Brazil， the largest country in Latin America. Brazil has approximately half the land and population of South America. Rio de Janeiro was the starting point. Rio is a vibrant③ city sitting between the Carioca Mountains and the South Atlantic Ocean. This modern， busy city is famous for white sand beaches， steep rock mountains， and green Atlantic rain forests. They left Rio at the end of October and drove into the interior of Brazil. Their destination was a large wildlife area in the state of Matto Grosso do Sul， near the city of Camjpo Grande. This area is called the Pantanal. The Pantanal was a three-day drive west from Rio through the state of Sao Paulo.

The Pantanal

The pantanal is the largest and densest④ wildlife area outside of Africa. Heavy rains flood this large， flat area for six months of the year. These rains create high waters. As it rains，the many rivers slowly move south into the Paraguay River. Every year， the high water brings a new full cycle of life to the swamp， or wetlands. Small snails and shrimp grow in the water， providing food for the fish. The fish then multiply and grow quickly， providing food for the alligators. The tall grasses are food for grazing animals such as capybara and deer. Finally， thousands of birds eat the fish， fruit， and insects. Birds such as black toucans with large yellow bills， bright green parakeets and parrots， and pairs of large blue macaws fly across the sky. Here in the Pantanal， birds that walk in shallow water are particularly plentiful. Herons， ibises， egrets， and pink spoonbill flamencos walk slowly through the water， looking for food. Birds called kingfishers catch small fish， and black cormorants dry their wings in the sun. The plentiful food cycle makes this area very dense for wildlife.

While Mike and Susan were in the Pantanal， they stayed in a small hut， or house， built on poles right next to a lake. It was the dry season， so the water was low. The ponds， or pools of water， were full of jumping fish and alligators. In fact， alligators came right under their hut at night， looking for food. All day the birds called to one another. They sang， screeched， cried， and chirped⑤. And all night insects buzzed， and frogs croaked. Mike and Susan had never experienced an environment so full of natural life. Each day they hiked， and each day they saw more wildlife. They glimpsed tortoises， coati， hawks， piranha， howler monkeys， and hundreds of alligators. The abundance of wildlife and the interactions of living things deeply impressed Mike and Susan. In the five short days they spent in the Pantanal， they had learned new respect for living things.

They then drove south about five hours to a small town called Bonito. Bonito means “pretty” in Portuguese. The town of Bonito is actually not pretty， but the area around it is beautiful. The area sits on top of layers of rocks. Several rivers begin here from natural springs. The spring water pushes up through the rock layers to the rivers. The water in the rivers near the town is as clear as a glass of drinking water. The rivers are crystal clear.

True or False.

1. Mike and Susan explored South America by motorcycle.

2. They planned their journey carefully.

3. They took a computer with them.

4. They had a hard time communicating with family and friends while they were on the road.

5. They began their trip in Rio de Janeiro.

6. They saw many animals and birds in the Pantanal.

7. The town of Bonito is very pretty.

[（Key ? p. 37）]

注：① antiplano 高原

② itinerary 旅程

③ vibrant 生機勃勃的

④ densest 稠密的

⑤ chirp 鳥叫蟲鳴