These days no one challenges us,' he said. 'And because there is no challenge, there is no reason to work hard. And with no reason to work hard, we have all become lazy.

The rain of Madre de Dios is similar to that of the Amazon, but there is a petrifying aspect to it, as if it seeks to wound rather than to nurture.

The forest did not tolerate frailty of body or mind. Show your weakness, and it would consume you without hesitation.

Once in a very long time you come across a book that is far, far more than the ink, the glue and the paper, a book that seeps into your blood.

Through bitter experience I have learned that it is best to promise little and then to reward hard work with generosity.

I was no longer troubled when he pulled out a machete in a crowded bar, tried to pick up schoolgirls, or threatened to scalp us, then rip off our heads and scoop out our brains.

One senses that, in these conditions, no amount of wet-wiping could bring true hygiene.