Crysle, our jungle guide.

Arriving to view the property we were greeted by the property caretaker and his family. His daughter Crysle volunteered to show us around. In contrast to me being fully prepared with insect spray, strong boots, long sleeve shirt and long jeans to enter the jungle with all its unknown creepy crawlers, Crysle casually led the way wearing only pajamas and was barefoot. She was really at home pointing out which plants could be used for shampoo and as medicine for different types of sickness. She quickly showed us a flock of beautifully colored parrots as they flew overhead. I asked her through a translator to show us her favorite spot and she took us along a small stream which was full of tiny fish to a quite enchanted pool of clean, cool spring water in a clearing that was shaded by the branches of some big trees and she scooped up the water and drank, after which she told us that this was the spot the family got their drinking water. Natural spring water in these parts is considered a blessing so this property was indeed enchanted. Having asked about her schooling she replied that she didn’t go to school anymore because she was bored. She would read the textbook provided by the school in a week which the teacher planned to teach for 3 months so she said she’d rather go hunting in the jungle. However later on her mother said that with even with elementary schooling provided free the family still found it too hard to come up with the money needed for notebooks and pencils. I was to learn this is not an isolated case.