The Darien Gap is a place of legend. The only break in the
Pan-American Highway, which runs from Alaska to the tip of South
America, it is an almost impregnable strip of swamp, jungle, and
cloud forest between the land masses of North and South America.
Stories of abduction and murder there are rife and in recent years
more people have successfully climbed Everest or trekked to the
South Pole than have crossed the Darien Gap.
In 2000, Tom Hart Dyke, a young botanist, set off to Central
America with one thing in mind: orchids. He knew that in order to
find the rare and beautiful species he so fervently admired, he
would have to visit some of the most inhospitable places on earth.
Unbeknownst to Tom, another young explorer, Paul Winder, was
backpacking through the area at the same time. Though he sometimes
worked freelance in the City of London, Paul was a fearless and
intrepid traveler, happier scaling volcanoes than lounging on
beaches. In every bar and cafe along his route, rumors abounded of
the Darien Gap - and the more he heard, the greater became his
desire to make the journey. Pure chance brought Paul and Tom
together in northern Mexico; they formed an instant bond and their
fate was sealed.
Ignoring a final succinct warning from the Lonely Planet Guide -
"Don't even think about it!" - Tom and Paul set off into the
Darien. Tom in search of orchids, Paul in search of adventure. They
would find plenty of each. For six days, they made good progress.
Then, just hours away from Colombia, the dream ended and the horror
began. Paul and Tom were ambushed by FARC guerillas, who were to
hold them hostage for the next nine months. From that day on, their
survival was a matter ofextraordinary endurance, incredible
ingenuity - and not a little good luck . . .
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