Monday 19th - Day 25

All up between 5 and 5.30. Porridge for breakfast, made with unfiltered river water. Stuck to the bottom of the pan too. Not a good start to the day, but a dose of local 'jungle' honey helped the medicine go down.

Set off about 8. Have to say that one bit of jungle looks pretty much like any other and, as previously mentioned, disappointing wildlife. None of us were, or are complaining, however, as this was what we came for and I think we all enjoyed the challenge. Having said that, 2 of the macho boys tried to tell the rest that it wasn't a challenge at all! Irritating little bleeders.

I think we should all be really proud of the team, because this WAS difficult. We had previously been told that the river levels were quite high, so we had extended the trek to 4 days, but the level had fallen again, just enough for us to make it in 3 if we pushed hard. This is what we decided to do so we committed ourselves by ignoring the first campsite.

Despite the limited sightings of critters, there were some memorable moments. At one point Emily spotted a snake next to the trail. Mitch confirmed that it was a furdilance snake, one of the most dangerous in Central America. As he moved it to one side we spotted a scorpion. Everyone was so calm. We were all careful, but relaxed at the same time. We were curious rather than scared.

Later, some of the group saw monkeys, but they generally avoided us. Possibly the most thrilling event, though, wasnt a sighting at all really, but we found fresh jaguar tracks in the soft mud. It was using the same trail as us and we all hoped to see the real thing, but it wasnt to be.

Generally, the walking itself was relatively straightforward at this time. The ground was relatively level and the trees provided some shade. The problem, apart from the weight of the packs, was that you didn't know whether to look down for the creepy crawlies and tree roots, or up to ensure you didnt bang your head. If you stumble you have to watch where you grab cos there are bastard palms and give and take palms. The spines of both can be very painful for up to 36 hours.

I said that the heat wasnt so bad, but everything is relative. It was still so sticky that our clothes were soaking wet and the smell was getting worse. We had to trudge through muddy creeks that oozed over our boots and filled them so that we squelched as we walked.

Arrived at our second and last camp. As we had bought supplies for 4 days we decided to pig out and get rid of some weight. We also had marshmallows toasted over the campfire. It all seamed so surreal.

Final wildlife report: saw a spider with a 12inch leg span on our cave wall and the place is alive with tiny frogs. Poor Britney!

Britney's question of the day:

'Why don't mosquitos bite you on your teeth?'