Alaska Gold Rush Diary

Chapter 71 The Situation of the Tropical Rainforest

After chatting for a while, Zhang Jianing, who had finished tidying up the kitchen and dining room, came over with a plate of fruit.

"Are you really planning to go to the South American rainforest to pan for gold? From what you just said, it sounds like it's incredibly terrifying and dangerous."

She had overheard their conversation and, thinking of Zhou Xin's description of the primeval forest, she couldn't help but feel worried.

"Although there is indeed some danger, as long as we are well prepared and deal with it properly, the problem will not be too big." Zhou Xin seemed confident.

Zhang Jianing was still a little worried: "I still know a few people there. Although they're not exactly friends, they should be able to offer some help if needed."

Zhou Xin nodded: "We might need your help then, since Edward and I don't know much about that area."

"That's right, I've only been to Brazil in South America, and I'm not familiar with that place at all."

"Therefore, we must do some research and at least have a basic understanding of that area," Zhou Xin thought to himself.

"Are you planning to leave directly from Miami?"

"Yes, I had originally planned to go back to Alaska, but I thought that would waste too much time."

"When are you planning to leave?" Zhang Jianing asked the question she was most concerned about, because it concerned how much longer they could spend together.

Zhou Xin thought for a moment and said, "Probably in four or five days, at the latest after New Year's Day, we'll set off."

Zhang Jianing breathed a sigh of relief. She had thought Zhou Xin would leave Miami soon, but now it seemed they could at least spend a few more days together.

"That's perfect, my vacation also extends to New Year's Day, so I can help you prepare during this time," she said happily.

"Thank you, it's actually not too bad. We'll definitely have to go there to buy supplies."

The most important thing now is to gain a thorough understanding of the area, and then finalize the itinerary and gold-mining locations.

Edward asked, somewhat surprised, "Haven't you decided on our destination yet?"

Zhou Xin said helplessly, "I'm not very familiar with that area either, how can I make a decision so quickly? Besides, do you know how big the primeval forests of South America are?"

The primary forests of South America, especially the Amazon rainforest, the world's largest tropical rainforest, span multiple countries and cover an area of ​​more than 700 million square kilometers.

For those who have ventured into the Amazon rainforest, they all share the same impression: it's a place where survival is extremely difficult.

It is said that many deadly dangers lurk in the jungles and streams there.

Crocodiles, venomous snakes, poisonous insects, piranhas, jaguars, cougars, drug dealers, and most terrifyingly, cannibal tribes.

Of course, this "nine out of ten chances of survival" refers to a situation where one enters the place unprepared and by mistake.

Aside from the unknown situation and the mysterious, terrifying cannibalistic tribe, other dangers can be prepared for and prevented in advance.

Crocodiles almost always live in streams and swamps, so you're unlikely to encounter one if you stay as far away as possible.

Zhou Xin and Edward had already experienced this in Western Australia, and they had ample experience in preventing it.

Venomous insects such as spiders and scorpions can be protected by wearing special protective clothing.

As for piranhas, they only sound scary. Although they have a lot of teeth and an amazing bite force, they only attack the places that smell blood.

As long as you don't fall into the river injured and lose your ability to move, you can avoid being attacked by them by leaving the water.

The scene of someone falling into the water and being immediately devoured down to the bones only exists in movies.

Even the most ferocious red piranha is not that terrifying.

Although jaguars and pumas are very dangerous, they are already endangered species with very few individuals, making encounters unlikely.

The Amazon rainforest's hot and humid climate is ideal for growing poppies, which is why many drug traffickers choose to secretly cultivate land there.

However, the areas where they establish poppy plantations are relatively fixed, and compared to the vast area of ​​the rainforest, the area they occupy is actually very small.

If you do some research beforehand, you should be able to avoid these areas. Moreover, even without deliberately avoiding them, the probability of encountering them in such a vast rainforest is extremely small.

There's even less to worry about cannibal tribes, since they seem to exist only in legends so far.

Even if they do exist, they probably wouldn't just capture, kill, and eat any person they see.

If that were the case, modern civilization would have wiped them out long ago.

Based on his knowledge of the South American rainforest, Zhou Xin explained to the two men, especially Edward.

After his analysis, the two of them were indeed much more relieved.

Therefore, the most important thing right now is to have a full understanding of the situation there and to choose a gold mining location.

The South American rainforest spans eight countries: Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, and Suriname.

Which country to go to is also a question that needs to be carefully considered.

Zhou Xin preferred to go to Guyana or Suriname because these two countries are small and rich in gold, so there might be a greater chance of a gold harvest there.

Moreover, based on his previous understanding, it was relatively easier to complete the gold mining-related procedures in these two countries.

The biggest problem is that he has very limited knowledge of these two countries.

Going to such a completely unfamiliar place to pan for gold involves enormous risks.

This risk comes not only from the natural environment, but also from the local people.

Gold is something that holds enough appeal for anyone in the world.

To obtain it, there will certainly be some people willing to take risks.

Going there to pan for gold, if you don't find any gold, you'll at most lose some money.

But if you find gold and it gets targeted by someone with ill intentions, the loss might not be as simple as just finding gold.

The lesson from Australia is still fresh in my mind. Luckily, there were only three people there, and only one gun.

You won't always be so lucky; a slight misstep could cost you your life far from home.

I must continue to practice American Iaijutsu to develop a certain level of self-defense ability.

In response to this danger stemming from human nature, he also considered a solution: hiring local mercenaries for protection.

Of course, the premise is to ensure that the mercenaries you hire are trustworthy enough; otherwise, you'll be inviting trouble.

Zhou Xin pondered all the possible problems he might encounter, and for a moment he felt a bit overwhelmed.

Going to the South American rainforest to pan for gold is indeed much more dangerous than going to Alaska or Western Australia.

The situation is more complicated and the environment is more severe.

However, he believed that fortune favors the bold, and that he would surely reap even greater rewards there.

He then asked Zhang Jianing for paper and pen and listed all the things he had just considered in the form of a checklist.

He began to discuss with the two of them, item by item, the corresponding preparation measures and the solutions that could be taken if problems were encountered.

It's always good to pool our wisdom.

The three engaged in a lively discussion, with Zhou Xin occasionally jotting down the results on a piece of paper.

He wanted to make sure everything was as ready as possible before setting off.