What You Should Know About Living in the Rain Forest - Part 1

What's It Like?
What’s it like to live away from “civilization” in the arms of a beach front tropical rain forest? Here are some scenes from my time there.

Emerald-breasted hummingbirds flit in and out feeding from a tree of red and white tendriled flowers. Butterflies dart and dance among lush green foliage all around you. Their markings are a virtual explosion of colors; iridescent blues and greens, yellows with black designs, spotted oranges, yellows and purples on dark background wings.

Sunsets are spectacular panoramas of reds, pinks, purples, oranges and yellows tinged with patterns in grays, blues and purples. Jehovah God’s paintbrush creates a different scene each evening for your viewing pleasure.

photo: pulling fresh coconuts down from a tree in Jurubida, on Colombia's Pacific Coast

A Refreshing Drink
Would you like a refreshing drink? Along the beach are coconut groves with trees laden down with as many as 20 or more full, ripe coconuts each. Go ahead, take one or two. In a matter of minutes you can peel and open them. A full glass or two of “water” is inside each one. Drink it straight from the coconut. Then split the fruit open to scoop out and enjoy the soft, creamy white meat. It’s healthy, nutritious and all natural. It’s good for you too.

Rains are soft and warm. You can even collect and drink the water. There’s no pollution of any kind. Water from rain forest fed streams is used for drinking after filtration. No chemicals added. No boiling or sterilization required.

Go ahead, walk along the beach. For miles there’s only you, the flora and fauna of an unspoiled earth. The scurrying and antics of the sand crabs will amuse you. Chirping and croaking of brilliant blue-skinned frogs with their starkly contrasting yellow markings will startle and amaze you.

Cast your gaze across the multi-colored waters of the Pacific Ocean. You can see the dolphins playing in the water less than 50 yards from the beach. Go ahead, take a swim. In this part of the world where there are dolphins there are no sharks. The gentle surf is warm and clean. Your swim will refresh you. Fish are abundant in streams and rivers. Put on a mask and snorkel. Stick your face in the water and watch myriads of rainbow-hued fish dart around and between your legs.

Never Go Hungry
Few dangers pose a threat if you are aware of your surroundings and their significance in the eco-system of the tropical rain forest. Know the flora and fauna. Mesh into the flow of nature and wondrous, beautiful experiences will fill your existence. You will never go hungry. Care for your environment and it will sustain you. “Civilization” will gradually lose its luster and pull. Pleasures like these must have filled the Garden of Eden.

To view a video of a live Giant Rhinoceros Beetle as pictured above, go to:
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=iDw5P46VCe4

Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free. For more information on the lucrative, fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign Language, get your copy of his no-cost, full multi-media, hypertext-linked pdf ebook, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know” by sending an e-mail with "free ELT Ebook" in the subject line.