Darien Gap is even scarier in real life

One of my students (from Venezuela) made this trip when she was 12 and she told me ALL the things. Based on what she described, I would take my chances with the shapeshifting forest deities. The most terrifying thing one can encounter on this trip are people. Merciless people who take advantage of the traveler’s extreme vulnerability, desperation, and exhaustion. I will never forget the awful stories she told me. Gracias a Dios ella esta bien hoy, y nadie le hizo daño en la jungla, pero no puedo decir el mismo sobre otras niñas quienes ella encontró en la travesía. Thank you for educating us about this.