Free Uncle John’s Facts to Annoy Your Teacher Bathroom Reader for Kids Only! by Bathroom Readers’ Institute Page A
Authors: Bathroom Readers’ Institute
be alone on the ocean for at least two months, so he knew he needed to take care of his basic needs. He planned to tow a small boat behind him, containing a sleeping chamber (it was actually a coffin without a lid), navigation devices, some food, and three water-purifying machines to make the salty seawater drinkable. He also packed his flute, which he would play to calm his nerves during any storms he encountered.
SEA CRUISE
On April 2, 1988, Bricka set out from the Canary Islands, off the northern coast of Africa. His destination: the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, about 3,500 miles away. He wanted to make the trip in 60 days, which meant he’d have to “walk” more than 50 miles a day in his fiberglass boat shoes.
Standing upright, rowing and towing his small boat, Bricka made good time. He glided across the water like a skier does on snow, and also tied a kite to his back that harnessed the power of the wind to move him forward. As fish and plankton swam or drifted by, Bricka scooped them up and ate them raw.
January 16—National Nothing Day—was first observed (or not) in 1973.
SOMETHING’S FISHY
Still, the trip wasn’t easy. Two of the three water desalinators broke, and the remaining one couldn’t purify enough water to meet his needs. So Bricka drank a quart of seawater each day—a dangerous decision that can lead to severe dehydration. He had also underestimated the amount of fish he’d be able to catch, and most days, he didn’t get enough to eat. His weight dropped from 160 pounds to 110 pounds.
But he kept going, and on May 31, 1988, he finally made it. A Japanese boat picked him up off the coast of Trinidad—an island about 300 miles south of his intended destination of Guadeloupe. This meant Bricka had actually walked across more ocean than he’d meant to.
TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW
Rémy Bricka had successfully “walked” across 3,502 miles of ocean in just 60 days, a feat that earned him a spot in Guinness World Records. He recovered fully and returned to France, where—thanks to his new celebrity status—his one-man band act drew larger crowds for the next few months.
More than 10 years went by, and nobody dared to try to beat his astounding accomplishment until Bricka decided to do it himself . In April 2000, he set out to cross the Pacific Ocean on his fiberglass boat shoes. He left Los Angeles, hoping to arrive in Sydney, Australia, five months later, just in time for the Summer Olympics. This trip would be a lot harder—the Pacific Ocean is much bigger than the Atlantic. The distance from Los Angeles to Sydney: 7,500 miles.
The world’s best-selling musical instrument is the harmonica.
COMING UP SHORT
This time, though, Bricka was better prepared. His boat carried $100,000 worth of equipment, including a satellite phone, a GPS tracking device, and freeze-dried meals. He got a corporate sponsor—Stoeffler, a French food supplier—to pay for it all. The company even donated an 11-pound tub of sauerkraut.
But once again, nothing went smoothly. In August, his phone broke, and he ran out of food (including the sauerkraut). Then a storm blew in, causing 50-foot swells that roughed up him and his boat. Fortunately, he had a backup handheld text messaging device. So Bricka wrote to his wife back in Paris: “Come pick me up now, or I’ll have to hitchhike.”
Ten days later, an American tuna boat found him 500 miles south of Hawaii. He’d been out 153 days and covered 4,847 miles. He hadn’t made it all the way to Australia, but it was still a longer journey than his Atlantic Ocean trip.
So what motivates someone to walk across the ocean? “Our time on Earth goes by very quickly,” Bricka says. “In eternity, our time is one second. So in this second, I will use this time to realize my dream.”
Popular pizza toppings in Japan: Eel and squid.
THE KING’S MENU
Elvis Presley made great music, but his food preferences were a little odd. Imagine what your teachers would say if
SEA CRUISE
On April 2, 1988, Bricka set out from the Canary Islands, off the northern coast of Africa. His destination: the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, about 3,500 miles away. He wanted to make the trip in 60 days, which meant he’d have to “walk” more than 50 miles a day in his fiberglass boat shoes.
Standing upright, rowing and towing his small boat, Bricka made good time. He glided across the water like a skier does on snow, and also tied a kite to his back that harnessed the power of the wind to move him forward. As fish and plankton swam or drifted by, Bricka scooped them up and ate them raw.
January 16—National Nothing Day—was first observed (or not) in 1973.
SOMETHING’S FISHY
Still, the trip wasn’t easy. Two of the three water desalinators broke, and the remaining one couldn’t purify enough water to meet his needs. So Bricka drank a quart of seawater each day—a dangerous decision that can lead to severe dehydration. He had also underestimated the amount of fish he’d be able to catch, and most days, he didn’t get enough to eat. His weight dropped from 160 pounds to 110 pounds.
But he kept going, and on May 31, 1988, he finally made it. A Japanese boat picked him up off the coast of Trinidad—an island about 300 miles south of his intended destination of Guadeloupe. This meant Bricka had actually walked across more ocean than he’d meant to.
TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW
Rémy Bricka had successfully “walked” across 3,502 miles of ocean in just 60 days, a feat that earned him a spot in Guinness World Records. He recovered fully and returned to France, where—thanks to his new celebrity status—his one-man band act drew larger crowds for the next few months.
More than 10 years went by, and nobody dared to try to beat his astounding accomplishment until Bricka decided to do it himself . In April 2000, he set out to cross the Pacific Ocean on his fiberglass boat shoes. He left Los Angeles, hoping to arrive in Sydney, Australia, five months later, just in time for the Summer Olympics. This trip would be a lot harder—the Pacific Ocean is much bigger than the Atlantic. The distance from Los Angeles to Sydney: 7,500 miles.
The world’s best-selling musical instrument is the harmonica.
COMING UP SHORT
This time, though, Bricka was better prepared. His boat carried $100,000 worth of equipment, including a satellite phone, a GPS tracking device, and freeze-dried meals. He got a corporate sponsor—Stoeffler, a French food supplier—to pay for it all. The company even donated an 11-pound tub of sauerkraut.
But once again, nothing went smoothly. In August, his phone broke, and he ran out of food (including the sauerkraut). Then a storm blew in, causing 50-foot swells that roughed up him and his boat. Fortunately, he had a backup handheld text messaging device. So Bricka wrote to his wife back in Paris: “Come pick me up now, or I’ll have to hitchhike.”
Ten days later, an American tuna boat found him 500 miles south of Hawaii. He’d been out 153 days and covered 4,847 miles. He hadn’t made it all the way to Australia, but it was still a longer journey than his Atlantic Ocean trip.
So what motivates someone to walk across the ocean? “Our time on Earth goes by very quickly,” Bricka says. “In eternity, our time is one second. So in this second, I will use this time to realize my dream.”
Popular pizza toppings in Japan: Eel and squid.
THE KING’S MENU
Elvis Presley made great music, but his food preferences were a little odd. Imagine what your teachers would say if
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