AUG 11 2014 BY BRYAN
Continued from Preparing for the Darien Gap in Panama…
My jungle adventure begins this Friday, March 1st. I have been preparing for the Darien Gap in Panama. I finished my battery of vaccinations. The Typhoid was by far the most impressive, and I do not mean that in a good way. My doctor has informed me (again) that the only vaccination I have not received to date is Japanese Encephalitis, which should not be a problem on this trip. Thursday I begin a course of Malaria pills.
In honor of my trip I have recently starting reading Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic by David Quammen. It is a good read, especially if you have an interest in things like SARS, HIV, Ebola, and other Zoonosis (disease spread from animal to human), or the “Next Big One” (NBO for short).
I am about 90% packed. My pack at 32 lbs. is considerably lighter than I would have expected. Thinking on this, I am not sure why, as I tend to travel “light”.
A recent conversation with a doctor friend, who used to offer services in a very rural part of Haiti, suggested that I be careful what I drink, as in the local available H2O. More specifically, he said I need not drink any water that has not been “treated”. During this conversation I began to think of ancient Rome and their solution: wine. I am not sure that I can carry a 14 day supply of wine, so I will opt for filters, water purification tablets, and antibiotics (already prescribed and purchased).
Our Darien Research & Archaeological Expedition team has been gradually checking in via email:
“T”, our expedition leader, is former British Military, spent time in Afghanistan and is a very experienced trekker.
“S” is a British Military doctor and experienced trekker in Costa Rica and New Zealand.
“R” is a Central/South American jungle trekking expert.
“T-2” is also an experienced trekker, mostly in the deserts of the Sudan, and former British Military.
“J” is from California, experienced in trekking in the U.S., including Mount Whitney and Denali, and the mountains of Korea, but is new to jungles.
“E” (pronounced Owen) is Irish, a Hercules pilot in the RAF, and has experience in deserts.
“M” is from Brighton and has much experience in Thailand and Cambodia.
One or two other members have not checked in (via my email) as of this post.
In addition there are a number of local indigenous tribal members that will go with us. And me. I have mixed my time up a bit between temperate broad-leaf forests of the eastern USA, the Amazon region of Bolivia, deserts… and the beaches of Florida. Let’s go trek!
