Hiking through a pharmacy

The next morning we left a little after eight for a hike through the jungle. We took the canoe to the beginning of a trail and then hiked the trail for a couple of hours. Krishna, machete in hand, described many of the plants we saw and their uses. A lot of the trees in the jungle provide spices for cooking or ingredients for perfumes or medicine. We saw cinnamon and clove plants whose bark smells like the spices. We saw a tree whose bark had a refreshing citrusy aroma used for making perfumes. We so the Milk of Magnesia tree whose sap is sometimes used by the natives to feed orphaned babies and that can be processed into Milk of Magnesia that you get at the local drug store (although that one is probably synthesized). The Vicks' Vapor Rub tree has a sap that smells just like the ointment and is used for the same ailments. There was also a tree that produces tar (smelling exactly like asphalt) when heated and that the locals would strip of its bark, set afire and then collect the tar to seal boats and roofing. We also saw mahogany trees, small and large.

Walking through the jungle was not too strenuous. It was wet and humid but not too hot. We were also sheltered from the rain. Regardless whether it poured or there was sun shine, on the jungle floor you have an occasional drip coming from the canopy of trees. While were were walking and trying not to trip over some liana or root, Krishna and Caraca made tiaras, crowns, stars and grass hoppers out of leaves that they had chopped off some palms.