Sunday, November 8, 2009

Is it Safe to Visit the Darien Gap? A Short Answer.




There is a long answer to that question. In the next post, I will try to tackle that and share some of the perspective I gained from the year and a half I spent in Panama's Darien Province.


The shorter version is that there are many factors that can make the visit more or less dangerous. Many of these would be in your control - Whether you take a guide; Who that guide is; What areas you visit; Your style and communication skills; How long you remain in Darien, and in each individual community. As well, there are many factors that are outside a traveller's control. Some of it is simply being in the wrong place at the wrong moment; meeting the wrong individual; or natural factors such as severe river flooding, encounters with snakes, scorpions, jaguars, and other animal residents of a jungle.


But the shortest answer, is that I strongly believe that it is possible, and worthwhile, to make a trip into Darien. This can be done by foot, canoe, motorized boat, cargo ship, airplane or sailboat.


In upcoming posts, I'll try to outline some thoughts concerning a few situations to avoid. But mostly I'll try to offer a few suggestions as to how to make a trip into the Darien Gap - one in which you can come away having seen and learned something of value.

1 comment:

  1. Here is an eye witness account of crossing the Darien Gap: Crossing the Darién Gap (2013).

    That documentary was filmed on March 2013.

    Happy travels!

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