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Francisco and myself at the bus corral in Santa Elena, pre-departure. |
| Francisco and our loyal mule. El es chiquito, pero fuerte! |
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Francisco drawing water from the only wet spring we encountered in eight days. |
| Camp on outskirts of the great Maya city of El Tintal. |
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Francisco working the machete, making camp at El Tintal. |
| Camp in the mighty Maya city-state of El Mirador, 22 hour trek from the nearest civilization. Watched the stars that night from beneath the mosquito net you see on the right. |
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Rise and shine in El Mirador. Francisco tortillando. (Tortillar is a verb meaning to make tortillas.) |
| These gigantic trees support the jungle canopy. Occasionally, a parasitic vine will take hold high in its upper reaches and grow down to the jungle floor. The tree will support the parasite for many years, until they grow large together, appearing strong and unified. It is an illusion. The vine will ultimately destroy its host felling both to the jungle floor, where they will be refolded into the delicate jungle cycle of decay and birth. This tree probably has 5 10 years left. |
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