Страница 4 из 8
Malaria is considered another curse of the tropics. This trouble is harder to fight. There are so many types of this disease as well as its pathogens. The fact that malaria is passed on by a bite of an insect is common knowledge and doesn’t speak of its true insidiousness. Australian scientists have found out why it is so hard for a person to develop an immunity to this disease. It turns out that the malaria pathogen sort of plays hide-and-seek with the human immune system. When it infects human cells, it leaves its protein on the surface. However, before the immune system recognises this protein as xenogenic and starts to produce anti-bodies, the genetic system of the malaria pathogen switches to a different mode and starts leaving a different kind of protein on the surface of the newly infected cells. The pathogen’s DNA structure includes no less than 50 such proteins. This allows the pathogens to escape the effect of a person’s immune system for a long time. This is why even today there is no inoculation against malaria. The best time-tested medicines include Lariam, Mefloquine, Doxycycline, Primaquine, Chloroquine and some others (all of which have a rather high degree of side effects and restrictions). Some men make it through by drinking gin. They say quinine, which is in the composition of this drink, can serve as a preventive measure. Undoubtedly, it is not the most correct decision even though it is a “pleasant” one. We took gin with us on the trips not so much to protect ourselves from malaria as to use it as a kind of alcohol solution (for disinfecting wounds, cuts, etc.), a “two-in-one” so to put it. We tried to avoid malaria first of all by using all kinds of repellants, anti-mosquito smoke candles and spirals, and made sure we used anti-mosquito netting.
By the way, you should pay special attention to all the equipment before your expedition begins. Temperature ranges in the jungle (depending on the altitude and season) may go from +10 to +35 degrees Centigrade. The high humidity, which rises to 90% even during the so called ‘dry’ season, requires your clothes to have specific characteristics. Special tracking boots are absolutely essential. Besides, when setting off on a difficult route, especially somewhere where it is only possible to get to by small aircraft, remember that your luggage must be relatively light.
Learning about the appropriate outfit from the hard experience of our previous trips, we chose for ourselves a certain minimum amount of equipment. As a rule, each of our backpacks has two pairs of cotton hiking trousers with a lot of pockets, two long sleeve shirts, a tank top, a windbreaker, a panama hat and a bandana. All the clothes are in light colors as dark ones attract mosquitoes. A woman’s pareu turned out to be quite a versatile piece. You can use this large and thin piece of cloth as a cloak, rag and even a breechcloth. When choosing tall boots for yourself, make sure that they are not water resistant. You read it right! Under conditions where the water will in most cases be over your knees, it is useless to hope that your footwear will remain dry. Let it get wet – but it has to dry out quickly, so the soles must have special draining and ventilation holes. You need tall boots to keep your ankles straight the whole time you will be making your way on slippery logs. In addition, it is good psychological support when you think that they will protect you from snake bites. At least, this is what we counted on. Choose comfortable socks and underwear, better from sportswear shops. It will help you to avoid calluses and rashes during long walks. You must make it a habit while being in the tropics to spray your toes with Miramistin antiseptic and use special zinc powder. Otherwise, the risk of getting a fungus or being infected with soil parasites is very high.
Pay special attention when choosing medications. Before going, you should consult a doctor about how to assemble a first aid kit, considering the current state of your health, intolerance to certain drugs, the ability to give first aid in cases of cardiovascular disease, food poisoning, stomach infections, injuries or acute respiratory diseases.
Choosing food supplies for the whole route and special presents for the locals is another important issue.
Lately, we have started to acquire most of our food supplies in Moscow. Of course, you can buy dry soups, freeze-dried vegetables and instant cereals everywhere these days. However, we prefer home-made products and not because of our strong patriotic feelings. Firstly, these prepared foods will taste like home. They won’t be unexpectedly too spicy, too salty or too sweet. Secondly, a manual in their native language will help men to master cooking without any risk of leaving the team without lunch or at least to explain to the guides what they should cook first. When calculating the amount of food supplies, remember that your guides will be happy to join you and try your pea soup. The natives will most probably also be very happy about the unexpected treat. So take more than enough of food. You will need limited amounts of salt, sugar (or sweetener), coffee, tea, cocoa and powdered milk only to treat yourselves once in a while with the your usual drinks. By the way, you are likely to leave salt as a present to some tribal members. It is a strategic product for them. We often take tobacco and lollypops for the same purpose. It’s good to have a healthy supply of lemons (which are a reliable aid when you are dehydrated or have a saline imbalance) and drinking water. One of the most important rules never to be ignored is to never drink water from unknown water sources even if the locals are sure about drinking it. If you don’t have a choice in that matter, drink only boiled water. A pot and some supplies of solid alcohol will be of some use when you try to start a fire in the humid jungle. Head lights and a multi-functional jackknife will also be very useful as well as water-proof bags (special hermetically sealed bags), where you will put all your things to prevent them from getting wet. This is practically all that could be of any use in the jungle. One tent is actually big enough for everybody, but experience shows that it’s always good to have another one “just in case”. After some time we decided to stop using sleeping bags, sticking only to tourist mats. As for presents, you should choose only those things which are recommended by the local guides. In one of our previous trips, for example, a very expensive Swiss army knife turned out to be absolutely useless even though we had meant to give it to a tribal chief. However, a small frosted key-chain knife with a nail clipper attached to it was a true hit as well as an illustrated magazine, lost and forgotten in one of the pockets of a backpack. The Papuans will be pleased to see cheap toy pe
Chapter Two. Wamena.
WONDERFUL CAVEMEN LIVE THERE
Andrey’s Story
As I have mentioned above, there shouldn’t be any problems getting a pass on your own to visit the closed (belonging to the national park) territories in the further part of Irian Jaya. The pass itself costs a few dollars and is given to travelers upon presenting their passport with an Indonesian visa, two photos and a filled-in application form (which is very simple). We decided to use the help of a local assistant. By the way, we kept using the locals’ help and not due to our own slow speed. In an unexplored area still uninhabited with travel agents (somewhere like Baliem Valley in Irian Jaya, the Banga suburbs in the Central African Republic or Napo river basin in Ecuador), the locals’ active help in solving different matters facing travelers allows them to speed up the process quite significantly and acquire some useful contacts.