Intro

Day 201 arrived, a peculiar landmark in this long journey that has taken so many forms. Today, the bicycle was parked, a distant memory almost, as I delved deeper into the Yawa Jee Reserve. My usual rhythm of pedalling was replaced by the slow, deliberate pace of jungle life, and I began the day with a quiet curiosity about what new lessons the forest held.

Ride Overview

Today’s journey measured not in kilometres, but in the depth of our immersion within a small radius of our jungle shelter. The official distance registered as a mere 0.22 km, reflecting movement largely on foot for specific tasks, a stark contrast to the vast stretches of road I’m accustomed to. The sky was partly cloudy, offering a welcome reprieve from relentless sun, as we navigated the dense, overgrown jungle tracks, often cutting our way through with machetes. The surface was a soft, damp carpet of earth and decaying leaves, punctuated by roots and the occasional muddy patch.

Highlights

The morning began with the comforting ritual of breakfast in our simple shelter. In one pot, rice, lentils, and potatoes bubbled together, while oats simmered into a rich colada in another. David, ever resourceful, fashioned a sturdy table from fallen sticks and branches, transforming our basic camp into a more functional space. There was a quiet satisfaction in this communal preparation, a grounded start to the day.

Our primary task was to construct a trap for ratite, using only materials gathered from the forest floor. David, my guide, patiently demonstrated the intricate mechanics. As we worked, his sharp eyes spotted a small, brownish frog, a fleeting glimpse of the jungle’s hidden life. I was truly fascinated by the ingenious simplicity of the trap: a fence of palm leaves and sticks, with small ‘windows’ concealing a natural spring mechanism – a flexible branch loaded with a loop that would tighten around the prey’s foot, pulling it airborne. It was a masterclass in survival engineering.

As dusk settled, David, Charip, and I ventured out for night fishing. The air grew thick with the sounds of the jungle as we cast our lines. We managed to catch one hefty Cangrejo and four smaller local fish, a welcome addition to our larder. On our return to the shelter, a slender, meter-long snake slithered across our path, its brown scales almost disappearing into the dappled light – a thrilling, momentary encounter that left me feeling more connected to this wild place than ever. Back at camp around 9 p.m., the fish was cooked in instant chicken broth, yuka and the crab boiled, and plátano roasted by the fire, a fitting end to a day of purposeful activity.

Lowlights

The evening’s tranquility was eventually broken by rain, which began subtly during our fishing expedition. While the dense canopy initially absorbed much of it, the downpour intensified as we made our way back to the shelter. By the time we were preparing dinner, it was a heavy, persistent rain. Our shelter, offering only a roof but no walls, meant that the water aggregating on the roof cascaded down, and the resulting spray began to dampen our leaf beds. We had to quickly rearrange them, pushing them further under the driest parts of the overhang, a small but undeniable inconvenience that reminded us of our vulnerability to the elements.

Overnight

I spent the night in our open-sided jungle shelter, a basic but essential refuge in the heart of the Yawa Jee Reserve. It wasn’t a place of luxury, but of fundamental necessity and protection. Despite the dampness from the rain, it offered a roof over my head and a dry patch of ground, a stark reminder of how little one truly needs when immersed in nature. It felt like a true home in the wild, a place where the sounds of the jungle were my lullaby.

Reflection

This day, so different from the long stretches of road I usually traverse, confirmed the profound value of slowing down and truly seeing the world around me. It wasn’t about covering ground, but about understanding it, about learning the rhythm of a different existence. Building the trap and fishing weren’t just activities; they were lessons in resourcefulness and observation, skills that feel deeply primal and satisfying. I leave this day with a quiet optimism, a renewed sense that even far from the familiar path, there is always something rich and vital to learn, to experience, and to carry forward.

Route summary

• Date: 06.02.2026 10:00
• Distance: 0.22 km
• Elevation gain: 0 m
• Elevation loss: 0 m
• Duration: 0 min
• Average Speed: 0 km/h