Brian: Mona's lagoons are white sand, blue water, but slip outside those and its a long trip on swift currents to Costa Rica if the sharks don't carry you off. There are more biting insects and stinging plants than anywhere but Australia. The island is a cliff and cave system, and the climbing is tough in tropical heat, with NO water on the island. Get lost, and thirst is a real problem. About one person dies on the island each year from one thing or another. The caves open up through the high surfaces without warning: step into one of those holes and its a 10-20 yard trip down and broken bones. There is no real lifeline, its 50 miles off of the mainland. There is a small detachment of armed rangers who are a bit hostile, and the island is a busy waypoint for armed smugglers of cocaine and humans from south america. The cliffs are a 200 yard drop straight into the ocean. There is a centipede that will kill a dog with its bite, and one of those put our 6'4" minister, Scott Van Arendonk, on his back for a couple of days. The thorns are longer, stronger, and at every level more than anywhere I've been. They lance through any boot. Falls and split heads were frequent, and our surgeon, Dr. Demoya, sewed up our troops a few times and brought medicine that we needed. So it's this weight of so many things to watch for, all the time, without much backup. To get pigs and goats, you climb. To climb, you get hot, tired, and thirsty fast. And you carry 3 gallons of water (24 pounds alone) or risk the consequences. Truly, the Tiwi islands in Australia were more dangerous with Brown Snakes, Red spiders, green ants, buffalo, and salt water crocodiles, but there were camp guides there. On Mona, you're on your own. :-) - Jay
www.campbellsquest.com
Topic: Isla Mona, PR (Read 1236 times)
