Imagine being recounted the tales of a mythical city of gold and a Boiling River in the deep and dark forests of Peru. This is exactly how Andrés Ruzo’s young mind was fired with imagination when his grandfather told such tales. Such was their impact of these stories on this young boy that it remained with him, even when he stepped into adulthood and became a geothermal scientist.
Anyone would have rejected these stories as a figment of the imagination, like the experts, with whom Ruzo spoke about the existence of such a river, did. According to them, such rivers only existed in the vicinity of volcanoes and Amazon rainforests have no volcanoes.
But, the thought stuck with Ruzo and he waited to complete his PhD project on geothermal energy potential in Peru. As a geothermal scientist, he took upon himself to discover the Boiling River. Ruzo got the much-needed boost by ‘National Geographic Young Explorers’ grant for this venture, and was also greatly encouraged by his mother and aunt, who claimed to have swum in it!
The Discovery
In 2011, Ruzo ventured into the Amazon rainforest with his aunt and managed to reach the river. The river lies in the middle of a low forest in central Peruvian Amazon.
