greetings from the jungle

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since almost two month i´m now in the central american jungle and today is my first internet since arriving-- not sure if it´s of interest to anyone but this is my only way to keep in touch with my favourite forum... .
unfortunately i´m too stupid to attach pics- i hope to learn one day how and post some as well!

my base is as small farm in the jungle, close to a dirt road and maybe 3km from the nearest village, but neither internet nor phone on the farm.
it´s a completely new experience for me after 3years in asia and 11 in total in OZ,NZ and korea and japan but so far i like it!
(strangely my luggage weighted 3kg less on the stopover in madrid than on my start in seoul and without anything missing). i got greeted by canetoads on the doorstep when i arrived but here is their natural habitat! the only other amphibians i saw so far are two species of poison dart frogs but plenty of geckos and lizards. several daytime sightings of raccoons, one possible sighting of a coati, plenty of howling monkeys to hear but so far they keep out of sight. a turtle which has hinges on it´s belly shell and ´´closing the door´´ after retreating head and tail, tasty big landcrabs but as a result of banana spraying and pollution some years ago only little fish in the river in front of the farm...
tiny ants ate the rubber switch cover on two of my head torches (=10y.o. petzl + el cheapo)-- gladly my new fenix hl 23 is o.k. but i´m nervous!

machetes are sold in the village shop and NOT carrying one gives you strange looks from the locals (not even the cops bother)-- so i carry one, too! (and use it in the jungle on my afternoon walks)

footwear is an issue== my desert bots are (of course) not up to the task and the hybrid sandals (=with rubber toe cap) i bought locally would be brilliant if "teva" would not use cheap syntethic fabric for the upper which falls apart after one week! i got them refundet today, though... if anyone can recommend another, better product?!
so far only afternoon walks for me but i hope to do overnighters soon, too! (need to find a proper hammock for that! my research suggest an ENO grand trunk double)
 

Rabbit leg

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Nov 9, 2016
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If you are in the jungle then watch out for the fer-de-lance. Rubber Wellington boots seemed to be the most popular footwear. Snakeproof-ish and they don't rot. I couldn't find any big enough for me.
What is wrong with the locally made hammocks? Great souvenirs when you return.
If you need any advice on the Darien just ask. But it was a long time ago and probably a lot has changed.
 
currently i´m in costa rica, but soon off for a few days to panama (=visa run) before heading back. internet only when i go to town every few weeks and it´s AWFULLY slow- so i hope i´m forgiven for delays in replies (and typos...)
only a few non-venomous snakes so far but i keep my eyes open! on monday night i realized it´s more than a scratch from a palm spike on my right wrist- according to one of my two main local contact persons (who only speaks spanish) it´s a " dorsalo" which took ""home"" in my body--- a type of blow fly larvae..... :yikes: i removed it tuesday morning by soaking a piece of paper with plantain sap and stick it on to choke the parasite before removing it with tweezers and killing it....

we also had a typhoon dumping lots of rain on us before a freak rain overnight flooded a low corner of the farm....
i also saw my first american wild monkeys (have to confirm species yet...) last week

the palladium boots look interesting to me-- i hope i can find a source somewhere (=DEFINITELY NOT in this ******** town....)-- as they´re leather-free(=leather requires lots of care in humid climate and i never had a leather boot where the leather was -- despite lots of TLC -- breaking soon or sooner behind the toe cap area...). i presume the only reason the locals wear wellies are because they´re cheap and not even the termites eat them once you wear them in with your first load of sweat: foot rot i´m coming!

NOTHING wrong with locally made hammocks if i can find one made from nylon with in-built mozzie net! (i know there tons of instructions on the net but currently i lack the internet time for research so any hints reg. design and material thickness(=to avois mozzies biting through) are welcome!)

darien sounds great but has to wait until i have more knowledge (and detailed infos)....
 

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