Who is the River: Getting Lost and Found in the Amazon and Other Places

The ostensible goal was to find pyramids reputed to be deep in the jungle of northwest Brazil; it was reason enough to make the trip for American adventurer Zalis and his sidekick Tano, who had plenty of experience in offbeat travel. With an elderly German guide, Kurt Gluck, they went from Manaus to Barcelos by passenger ship; there they transferred to Gluck's skiff and headed upstream on the Rio Negro. They got lost among the numerous tributaries, but kept on until shortage of food and fuel forced them to return. Zalis's lively account of this casual journey is interspersed with reminiscences of his long friendship with Tano and a colorful portrait of the counterculture during the early '70s. This is a travel story whose appeal largely derives from its offbeat protagonists. February