Working on the Kalu Yala property is not easy – you sweat all day, don’t have running water and are dependent on our Directors that they provide all necessary tools and know-how you need for work.
But I am actually not talking about these circumstances when I mean working in the middle of the jungle is hard – I talk about nice little things like sun, rain and wind. Have you ever tried writing a more or less scientific paper while chilling in a crazy creek somewhere in the tropical jungle? I’m guessing no, and so you cannot understand me easily when I try to explain you that it is some hard work! [singlepic id=6526 w=320 h=240 float=left]
I don’t care so much about the sun, although it moves all day and so you have to move yourself almost every hour, nor about these little, light rainfalls which get you frightened because you don’t want your notebook to become wet and your hard work from the last few days is gone – no, I talk about the nice breezes (aka tropical winds) which are the most hazardous risk for your paperwork! They suddenly appear, some stronger, some feebler – but they are always a big danger for your hand written tasks, because they can blow away some pages or maybe your whole notebook, and consequently your whole work of a few days in just a second!
Hence, I learned following things during our third stint in Kalu Yala: 1. Never let your notebook lying unsheltered – maybe some rain will catch it, 2. Keep an eye on your things when you put them in the shade of the community area – other people are the second most dangerous fear for your notebook after weather! 3. Never ever ever (!) leave your notebook somewhere without a paper weight – may it be your water bottle, which I think is the best option but a bit unpractical when you want to drink something while you are taking a break from writing, or another “heavy” jungle item like your iPod and, 4. Books are as sensitive as notebooks when you talk about rough jungle wind, after the first time you lost a piece of paper – or a couple in worst case – of one of our “jungle books” you will never ever keep a book without a paper weight outside.
As I told you in the beginning, doing business work in the jungle with primitive tools is hard work – but you will appreciate more the civilized world anywhere far away from our nice little valley… 