East Bay Dinner: "Amazon Adventure"

Thursday, October 28, no-host cocktails/social hour - 6 pm, dinner - 7:00, program - 8:00, Berkeley Yacht Club on the Berkeley Marina, one block north of the west end of University Avenue (ample free parking is available in the Marina parking lots).

Join us for a slide-show journey through the Ecuadorian Amazon and discover why our own Fred Merrick is widely regarded as the Sierra Club's answer to Harrison Ford in "Mosquito Coast". Fred's presentation will emphasize not only the variety and exotic beauty of this landscape, but also the feasibility of visiting and exploring it. You will hear and see how Ecuador maintains a dozen jungle lodges, each situated within a distinctive terrain and surrounded by a distinctive regional wildlife. Also to be highlighted are the indigenous people of these various regions. Pervading this journey are the realities that there are no roads anywhere in the Ecuadorian Amazon and that all travel is by boat. So bring your rain gear - (and once the slide show begins, be sure to not tip the boat.)

Fred Merrick, an experienced hiker and photographer, is a life member of the Sierra Club. He has been exploring and photographing scenic places in North America and exotic places around the world for 40 years. He has done a number of presentations for the Sierra Club's East Bay and San Francisco Dinner committees over the years, and he invariably emphasizes not only the charm of the people visited and the beauty of the places explored, but also all of the practical information and tips that enable would-be explorers to visit these destinations. His basic theme is that if you just keep a few things in mind, these trips are a lot easier to undertake, both physically and administratively, than you might think.

Dinner is $20, which includes tax and tip. To make a reservation, send a check payable to "Sierra Club", including your name and phone number, to:
Jane Barrett
170 Vicente Road
Berkeley, California 94705
(510)845-8055

Attendance is limited to the first 115 reservations received. Reserve early, as these programs do fill up. There is no admittance for program only. Ample free parking is available in several lots. All are welcome. For more information, call (510) 845-8055.