▁Des ert ▁with ▁my ▁three ▁cam els ▁– ▁led ▁by ▁the ▁hero ic ▁old ▁cam el ▁Nelson . ▁I ' d ▁been ▁alone ▁more ▁or ▁less ▁for ▁six ▁weeks . ▁I ▁was ▁so ▁proud ▁of ▁my ▁cam els , ▁who ▁had ▁become ▁more ▁like ▁professional ▁colle agues ▁than ▁working ▁animals . ▁Nelson ▁h ated ▁sand ▁d unes ▁– ▁and ▁the ▁sea , ▁and ▁ele ph ants , ▁and ▁women ! ▁Grad ually ▁he ▁over c ame ▁his ▁fear s ▁and ▁helped ▁get ▁me ▁safely ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁desert ." ▁ ▁In ▁The ▁Edge ▁of ▁Blue ▁Heaven , ▁Allen ▁crossed ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁miles ▁of ▁the ▁G obi ▁desert ▁alone . ▁ ▁His ▁attempted ▁crossing ▁of ▁the ▁Ber ing ▁Stra its ▁coinc ided ▁with ▁the ▁worst ▁winter ▁in ▁living ▁memory . ▁ ▁During ▁his ▁stay ▁with ▁the ▁M ent aw ai ▁of ▁Si ber ut , ▁Indones ia , ▁Allen ▁was ▁offered ▁and ▁received ▁a ▁t atto o ▁on ▁his ▁right ▁leg . ▁A ▁bl unt ▁safety ▁pin ▁is ▁used ▁for ▁the ▁decor ative ▁t atto o ing , ▁which ▁the ▁M ent aw ai ▁believe ▁to ▁reflect ▁the ▁beauty ▁of ▁the ▁spirits ▁around ▁and ▁within ▁them . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Ar ctic , ▁he ▁lost ▁his ▁dog ▁team . ▁This ▁would ▁have ▁meant ▁certain ▁death ▁if ▁he ▁had ▁not ▁found ▁them ▁after ▁only ▁one ▁night , ▁which ▁he ▁had ▁spent ▁shelter ing ▁in ▁a ▁snow ▁hole . ▁ ▁His ▁expedition ▁to ▁Ch uk ot ka ▁was ▁provided ▁with ▁log ist ical