native . ▁He ▁has ▁never ▁been ▁attacked ▁by ▁a ▁wild ▁animal . ▁ ▁On ▁his ▁first ▁journey , ▁he ▁was ▁attacked ▁by ▁gold ▁min ers ▁and ▁was ▁left ▁without ▁food ▁or ▁poss essions . ▁Event ually , ▁Allen ▁chose ▁to ▁eat ▁his ▁own ▁dog . ▁ ▁Allen ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁non - tri be ▁member ▁to ▁have ▁under g one ▁a ▁six - week ▁N ya ura ▁init iation ▁ceremony ▁on ▁the ▁Sep ik , ▁Pap ua ▁New ▁Guinea . ▁It ▁was ▁designed ▁to ▁make ▁boys ▁into ▁men ▁" as ▁strong ▁as ▁a ▁cro cod ile ". ▁He ▁has ▁cro cod ile ▁mark ings ▁on ▁his ▁back ▁and ▁ch est ▁from ▁the ▁sacred ▁ceremony . ▁ ▁Allen ▁fund ed ▁his ▁crossing ▁of ▁the ▁Amazon ▁Bas in ▁by ▁working ▁in ▁a ▁w are house . ▁His ▁eight - month ▁ 3 , 6 0 0 - mile ▁crossing ▁was ▁accomplished ▁without ▁the ▁aid ▁of ▁a ▁map ▁or ▁comp ass . ▁ ▁In ▁Colombia , ▁he ▁escaped ▁from ▁what ▁he ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁armed ▁drug ▁bar ons . ▁They ▁tried ▁to ▁purs ue ▁him , ▁using ▁the ▁but t ▁of ▁a ▁rif le ▁to ▁p addle . ▁On ▁the ▁same ▁trip , ▁his ▁gu ides ▁abandoned ▁him , ▁taking ▁his ▁supplies ▁with ▁them . ▁ ▁In ▁The ▁S ke leton ▁Coast , ▁Allen ▁had ▁to ▁train ▁three ▁cam els ▁to ▁help ▁him ▁cross ▁the ▁desert . ▁This ▁was ▁to ▁become ▁his ▁favour ite ▁travel ▁memory , ▁" E mer ging ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁Nam ib