Yossi is an Israeli adventurer, author, entrepreneur, humanitarian, and motivational speaker - known for his survival story when he was stranded in an uncharted part of the Bolivian Amazon jungle for three weeks in 1981.

Inspired by the book Papillon by Henri Charriere, in 1981 Yossi decided he wanted to find his own adventure. He worked several jobs to save enough money to travel to South America in the hopes of exploring the uninhabited heart of the Amazon Jungle

In Bolivia, Yossi met a mysterious Austrian who claimed to be a geologist. This man offered to take Yossi and his new friends deep into the jungle, with the promise to see the indigenous tribes who lived there undisturbed- an opportunity Yossi and his friends capitalized on.

This quest deep in the Amazon led to the eventual death of 2 out of the 4 people involved. As for Yossi, he spent 3 weeks deep in the jungle, with no food, compass, proper clothing, or really any way of defending himself against the weather, the animals, and harshest of all - the solitude.

His time in the jungle, his rescue, his life after, the book he wrote, and the subsequent movie adaption have all been part of his long journey which I was eager to talk to Yossi about.

Yossi and I discussed:

How he survived those weeks in the jungle, and how hallucinations saved him
The hardest thing for him while in the jungle, and why he thinks that survival is peak performance
A close encounter with a Jaguar, almost drowning, and eating monkeys
The incredible story of how he was eventually saved/rescued
The movie adaptation of Yossi's story, "The Jungle", and seeing Daniel Radcliffe play him
His admiration for Daniel Radcliffe
Why he only sleeps in tents
Yossi's return back to the jungle, and living there for 3 years (close to where he almost died)
How he helps the local indigenous community through ecotourism

And much more...

Yossi Ghinsberg

My Take: When everything is stripped from you and death is staring you in the face, you quickly realize a sobering fact, which is - all you have to rely on in this world - is yourself! While at the moment that can be frightening, in the long run, I imagine that feeling to be a liberating and empowering feeling. Speaking to Yossi and having had an experience myself, I tend to believe this truth more and more.

Support The Podcast

Ch. 49: Kristen Bell| Matt Murray, Writer