Finally, after months of work, the canoe was ready. It was the most attractive canoe I'd ever seen. It was big enough to carry many men, so there was more than enough room for me and my things. If I managed to get the boat into the water, it would have been the strangest voyage a man ever made: one man alone in a huge boat, not knowing which country he was going to. I soon realized, however, how stupid my plan was. The canoe was about two hundred and eighty meters from the water and although this was only a short distance to walk, it was impossible to pull the canoe that far.