It is great to hear from people who have spent time in the Andes and the Amazon Basin.

The big picture in this case, might be the things that people do when they are in love to please their new partners. Many of us have probably ruined relationships by pushing our partners to do things they really were not that interested in. I wouldn't bring this up except for the severity of the trip that is planned.

When I was single, I always took new partners car camping after awhile to see what kind of a person I was dealing with. I took my current lady partner down the Missouri R in Montana 151 miles in a cedar and canvas canoe on the Lewis and Clark Trail, and we are toghether after 13 years. It was later that I learned she cannot swim a stroke.