JUL 22 2014 BY JULIA 

Continued from Xplorer Journal: Navigating the Impenetrable Darien Gap.

As our expedition team finished breakfast, Vidal, a leader in the Tucuti community invited us to visit the town’s school and observe the children at study in its classrooms. I was an English teacher in South Korea for a term, and Tucuti reminded me very much of the small town where I was located. I jumped at the offer and stepped in with his brisk pace.

Tucuti Primary School, Darien, Panama by Julia at XplorMor

We arrived at a building with architecture that I recognized: simple cinder block construction painted white, with the bottom half and roof edge, blue. I knew we were at a Panamanian School. The C.E.B.G. Inocencio Quintanar Blanco, is the main primary school for Tucuti. According to Vidal, the youngest students use the classrooms in the morning, and then the older students come in the afternoon as there are not enough classrooms to accommodate both at the same time. The other problem is the desks; only the small children fit on the seats, so the older must push them out-of-the-way and have class while sitting on the floor. Do they complain? No. They are happy to have their books and a school with teachers to explain the subjects.

Panamanian Students at School by Julia at XplorMor

I toured each classroom, surprising the students with my unexpected entrance. They responded similarly to the Korean children I taught, fascinated to see a tall white blond-haired girl. Their stares varying from excited to scared, made me smile. I speak some Spanish, so was able to introduce myself and communicate enough to put them all at ease. And, they were able to respond in English with a few phrases such as “hello, how are you?”, “I’m fine” and “goodbye, nice to see you.” They also eagerly gathered around their teachers for me to photograph them. What a wonderful experience… I believe they thought so too.

Discussing the Day’s Expedition Plan by Julia at XplorMor

I rejoined the others, and was back to the business at hand: the Darien Archaeological & Terrain Research Expedition. We reviewed the day’s goals and headed to collect our gear from Vidal’s home. Tucuti is a gateway into the Darien Gap, so here we would say goodbye to civilization and enter the perilous jungle to continue our search for the mysterious Yarre Mongara and to document unchartered territory.

Packing Up and Heading Out of Tucuti into Darien Jungle by Julia

At Vidal’s house we repacked and organized our gear to be as condensed and light-weight as possible. My backpack was at its 42 liter capacity. The porters thankfully carried our food along with their gear, otherwise with water and my camera I would have felt overloaded. I debated on gear choices during the weeks before departure, especially camera equipment which tends to be heavy. In the end, I opted to take a workhorse: my Nikon D7000 and Nikkor lens 18-200mm, in a small over the shoulder, easy-access bag. No tripod and no wide-angle, though if I was to go again, I would carry the extra lens and possibly a telephoto to capture the wildlife.

Outdoor Bath House and Laundry in Tucuti by Julia

We took turns using the primitive corrugated metal washroom shed in the backyard before taking our leave into the jungle. From here out, it would be biodegradable toilet tissue and a shovel, and streams for bathing. The joys of exploration.

Headed into the Perilous Darien Jungle, Panama by Julia at XplorMor

We said our goodbyes to Vidal and SENAFRONT, and began our long jungle trek to Playa de Muerto. The expedition continues in the dense forest as we head to Quebrada Guina, known simply as “Wina”…

Watch our Darien Gap Expedition slide show, and read more about Panama’s Darien Province.