Hiking in the Jungle
This happened last week. (We're a little behind but have agreed to each do one previous adventure. So here's mine.)
In the Lacondon jungle, Ben and I went on a hike to see some waterfalls and a lake. We went with a guide named José, who wore black rubber boots and carried a machete. These were, we later realized, good clues about just what was coming our way.
We started by walking a shaded path, José stopping to point out trees or animal footprints from time to time. We saw the tracks of wild pigs, deer, and even a jaguar. The kinds of colorful plants, flowers, and fungi are too many to keep track of. There were irridescent insects and bugs that made a noise like a circular saw at a construction project just out of sight. Seriously. Except you are in the middle of the jungle and there can't possibly be any power tools anywhere in the area.
After a while we needed to cross some small streams, and José kindly used his machete to point out the best places to get your footing. (Remember he is wearing rubber boots here.) My hiking boots were doing pretty well with only a little water at one ankle. We kept going until we came to a river. There was a log jutting part way out, and we dutifully followed our guide and his faithful dog, El Tigre, onto the log for a scenic overlook of the river.
Except it was not a scenic overlook. We were going to cross the other half of the river by stepping on a serious of tree branches that were lodged underwater. Imagine bracing your foot between two crossing branches under the surface. Imagine the water is flowing briskly. Imagine you are thigh deep in the middle of the river, wondering what you are doing there trying to balance on these sticks that cannot possibly be stable, and also realizing just how ridiculous your earlier efforts to keep your feet dry were. Now you've got the idea.
On the other side, José just dumped out his boots and led on, occasionally doing a little trail maintenance with his machete. It was worth it however, because when we got to the waterfall, it was not just a waterfall. It was an entire hillside of waterfalls. We were literally walking up and across cascade after cascade. Every direction-up, down, right, left, forward, behind- was clear spring water spilling over small limestone ridges. Ben got to swim a little (Ladies, don't get too excited... he is taken!), and José showed us some of the river wildlife. Past that further was a lake full of fish who aren't wary of people. No one fishes there because it is too remote. It was peaceful and beautiful, and a nice break before the three hour trek back the way we came, our feet making a squish-squish sound all the way.
In the Lacondon jungle, Ben and I went on a hike to see some waterfalls and a lake. We went with a guide named José, who wore black rubber boots and carried a machete. These were, we later realized, good clues about just what was coming our way.
We started by walking a shaded path, José stopping to point out trees or animal footprints from time to time. We saw the tracks of wild pigs, deer, and even a jaguar. The kinds of colorful plants, flowers, and fungi are too many to keep track of. There were irridescent insects and bugs that made a noise like a circular saw at a construction project just out of sight. Seriously. Except you are in the middle of the jungle and there can't possibly be any power tools anywhere in the area.
After a while we needed to cross some small streams, and José kindly used his machete to point out the best places to get your footing. (Remember he is wearing rubber boots here.) My hiking boots were doing pretty well with only a little water at one ankle. We kept going until we came to a river. There was a log jutting part way out, and we dutifully followed our guide and his faithful dog, El Tigre, onto the log for a scenic overlook of the river.
Except it was not a scenic overlook. We were going to cross the other half of the river by stepping on a serious of tree branches that were lodged underwater. Imagine bracing your foot between two crossing branches under the surface. Imagine the water is flowing briskly. Imagine you are thigh deep in the middle of the river, wondering what you are doing there trying to balance on these sticks that cannot possibly be stable, and also realizing just how ridiculous your earlier efforts to keep your feet dry were. Now you've got the idea.
On the other side, José just dumped out his boots and led on, occasionally doing a little trail maintenance with his machete. It was worth it however, because when we got to the waterfall, it was not just a waterfall. It was an entire hillside of waterfalls. We were literally walking up and across cascade after cascade. Every direction-up, down, right, left, forward, behind- was clear spring water spilling over small limestone ridges. Ben got to swim a little (Ladies, don't get too excited... he is taken!), and José showed us some of the river wildlife. Past that further was a lake full of fish who aren't wary of people. No one fishes there because it is too remote. It was peaceful and beautiful, and a nice break before the three hour trek back the way we came, our feet making a squish-squish sound all the way.
posted by Laura at 5:40 PM
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