00:00So, it turns out that you can't drive between South America and North America.
00:05And there's a simple reason for that.
00:07There are no roads connecting the two continents, not even a rudimentary one.
00:12Technically, you could try your luck crossing on foot, but let me tell you, that would be
00:18a huge, huge mistake.
00:20The region that connects the two continents is called the Darien Gap.
00:25It stretches across southern Panama's Darien province and the northern part of Colombia.
00:30The only land route there is, is a 60-mile jungle trek.
00:34Crossing it can take anywhere from 3 to 10 days.
00:38It depends on weather conditions, how much you're carrying, and, honestly, just pure
00:42luck.
00:44Chance plays a big role here, because this isn't some chill, relaxing nature walk.
00:49It's a harsh, extreme environment, known for being completely isolated and one of the
00:54most dangerous places on Earth.
00:56Still, people seem to forget that and go there anyway.
01:00Every year, the number of people crossing just keeps growing.
01:04In 2014, fewer than 10,000 people crossed the gap.
01:08In 2023, that number increased to 520,000.
01:14You might be wondering, what are so many people doing in the middle of the two American continents,
01:19risking all that danger?
01:21Well, that's because the Darien Gap has become a route for refugees migrating to North America.
01:28But to get there, they face all kinds of dangers, from insect bites and infections to serious
01:34fractures.
01:35We're talking about a no-man's land.
01:38Since there are no police stations, immigrants must also watch out for thieves.
01:43Along the way, they have no choice but to rely on and support each other.
01:48Most people start the crossing with at least a tent or tarp, rain boots, water, and some
01:53food.
01:54But these things get heavy fast, and people normally can't carry enough supplies for
01:59the entire journey.
02:00At some point, people start drinking river water to avoid dehydration.
02:05But the water's full of bacteria and dirt, so it causes intestinal issues.
02:11And if things get serious, there's no medical help there.
02:14To make this whole scenario even worse, the temperatures are brutal, often hitting over
02:1995°F.
02:20Now, a small subset of people who venture through the Darien Gap are hardcore adventurers
02:28and travelers looking for a survival experience in the jungle.
02:32But this region is no place for a relaxing vacation.
02:36A group of tourists who went there in 2023 ended up getting jungle rot, a fungus that
02:42affects the feet.
02:43The situation got so bad that a woman had to be carried out by the group on the last
02:48day because she couldn't walk.
02:51No matter how prepared people are for the Darien Gap, in the end, survival mostly comes
02:57down to luck.
02:58Out there, travelers won't find cities with solid infrastructure, where they can crash
03:03at a hotel and gear up for the next day.
03:07In some spots, they might stumble across basic camps right in the jungle.
03:11These camps might offer wooden platforms for tents, bucket showers, toilets, and even
03:16plates of chicken and rice.
03:18But it all comes at a price.
03:21Wi-Fi, for example, might cost $2 an hour.
03:25And that seems like a pretty good deal, considering there's no cell phone service on the trail.
03:30They pretty much lose all contact with the outside world.
03:33Now, picture a dense rainforest with steep, muddy terrain.
03:38The hiking trail is littered with boulders and tangled with vines, like nature's own
03:43tripwires.
03:44It climbs sharply over a mountain, becoming a serious challenge even for someone in good
03:49physical shape.
03:51The area also gets constant heavy rainfall, which can lead to landslides, flash flooding,
03:57and extremely muddy conditions.
03:59The situation gets so intense that even the T-shirts and faces of those who make the crossing
04:05end up covered in mud.
04:07They'll also have to cross a lot of fast-moving rivers.
04:10A Venezuelan dad who recently went through the area with his two kids said their sneakers
04:16ripped apart on the very first day.
04:18That's how powerful the rivers can be.
04:21And they're deep, too.
04:22Sometimes the water reaches all the way up to their shoulders.
04:26But the dangers in that area aren't recent.
04:29For centuries, the Darien Gap was thought to be impossible to cross.
04:34The first Europeans who ventured into Latin America saw it as kind of a jungle training
04:39school.
04:40They totally knew about its dangers.
04:42But still, many adventurers tried to make the crossing in the years that followed.
04:47In 1854, for example, an expedition disappeared for 49 days in the jungle, battling starvation
04:54and exhaustion.
04:56Then again, in 1870, a group of 100 men set out to cross it.
05:01Even though they were well-prepared and carried cutting-edge equipment for the time, they
05:06still suffered tremendously during the journey.
05:08They had to rely on incredible resilience to survive the challenge.
05:13Over the years, people who ventured in often ended up passing away from hunger, thirst,
05:18and even drowning in rivers.
05:20They also faced the risk of being attacked by dangerous animals like jaguars, white-lipped
05:26peccaries, and the ferdelans – a fast, irritable snake that is one of the most venomous
05:32out there.
05:33The area is also swarming with mosquitoes, which can spread serious health problems.
05:39Leaning against trees to rest can also be risky.
05:42This jungle is full of spiked chunga palm trees, which are covered in long black spines
05:47up to 8 inches long.
05:49Unfortunately for us, these spines are covered in all sorts of bacteria.
05:54Just brush against a chunga, and you could end up with infected wounds.
05:58And yet another danger is getting lost in the dense forest and never finding your way
06:03back to safety.
06:04These days, though, this risk is a lot lower.
06:08Some people have mentioned color-coded markers that help guide travelers and keep them from
06:12going the wrong way.
06:14If they see blue or green fabric tied to trees, it means keep walking.
06:19But if they spot red fabric, that's a sign they're going the wrong way and need to
06:23turn around quickly.
06:25Since there are so many dangers, why not just build a road through the Darien Gap?
06:31While it might seem like a good idea, building a road connecting Panama and Colombia isn't
06:36really that simple.
06:38The Darien Gap has a humid climate, tough terrain, and constant rainfall.
06:43Which means any attempt to build a functional road would be highly challenging and super
06:48expensive.
06:50Even though there have been previous attempts to fill in the gap.
06:53You see, there's a huge road system called the Pan-American Highway, which stretches
06:58all the way from Alaska to the southern tip of Argentina.
07:02Nowadays, this highway hits a roadblock right at the Darien Gap.
07:07But it wasn't supposed to be like this, as the original idea was for the road to go
07:11through there.
07:13Leaders from Latin American countries tried to make this plan happen in the 70s, and then
07:18again in the 90s.
07:20But a lot of people were against it, mainly because they wanted to protect the local communities
07:24and the rainforest.
07:26Since the Darien Gap is mostly untouched by humans, it's one of the most biodiverse
07:32places on the planet.
07:33It's believed that one in five species are endemic to the region, meaning they only
07:38exist in that specific area.
07:40Like the Darien pocket gopher and the slaty slender mouse opossum, a road would've really
07:46damaged the ecosystem in the area.
07:48So the plans were scrapped.
07:50Eventually, an alternative was created to travel by sea.
07:54At least two companies started a ferry service connecting the two countries.
07:58However, the business wasn't profitable, and they ended up shutting down.
08:04Not long ago, Panama decided to close the Darien Gap route.
08:08Now they're sealed off with barbed wire fencing.
08:11It might just be a matter of time before other routes are created.
08:15But if you're an adventurer looking to visit South America, it's probably not best to
08:20wait for that.
08:21Traveling by plane to Colombia will always be a much safer option.
08:26That's it for today!
08:27So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your
08:31friends!
08:32Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright Side!
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