Category: Tales From Green Hell 1978 -1979
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The Day I Walked On Water! Almost!
It hurt! I felt weak of body and befuddled of mind. The next thing I remembered was opening my eyes. I was yet under water, and the momentum of my dive still propelled me towards the far shore. Thankfully, the shock did not drive all wits from my head. I knew I wanted out of…
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In Search Of Nomads
DAWN STEALS SOFTLY into the jungle. Only birds are boisterous at this hour, and all seem to commence the day in a frenzy of loud gossip. A light fog hangs over the Rio Chore, the ghost of the fleeing gloom. I am cold, yet reluctant to leave what little warmth my poncho offers. The ground…
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Winged Monster Along The Trail
Suddenly, the stillness is shattered by terrible blasts of rushing air. I look through incredulous eyes as giant wings climb out of the shadows and swoop down the trail towards us. I look, but do not comprehend. It is too big, too awesome! As its coming closes the gap between us, my heart pounds within…
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Oh, My Aching Head!
With reluctant steps I plod after the Señora. We enter the house. The floor is made from split palm, the walls, bamboo. High overhead, palm fronds climb the rafters making the roof. She places a stool in a corner and indicates for me to sit. Grabbing my shirt by the collar, she peels it down…
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End of Jungle Exile
I ran towards the man directing the train engine in hooking up to the flatbed that held all our stuff. He was waving his flashlight back and forth. He stopped long enough to shake my hand and say something I did not comprehend. I asked him when the train was leaving. He said that night!…
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A Howling in the Night
Instead of rescuing the pup, I dove into my tent seeking what little shelter it afforded. I did not like getting soaked to the skin! Outside, Toughy was howling like someone was beating him with a stick. He did not like the rain, either! I thought it was rather funny, but my mirth was quashed…
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The Godfather
Her husband was a stocky man, pot bellied, and almost bald. He sat in a chair and watched everything that went on at their restaurant. Once in a while he would grunt loudly, or yell something, I wasn’t sure if he was trying to communicate with the cook in the kitchen or with some some…
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The Little Engine that Could but Didn’t
I watched the jungle falling fast away behind us. The cut through the rain forest was like a canyon that trapped most of the steam and smoke from the locomotive’s chimney. For me, the romance of riding the rails behind a steam engine was quickly fading. All that black smoke billowing from the chimney went…
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Perils of the Night
A woman did not come to my tent, for which I was thankful. What did come was a column of ants, a small black variety. I was rudely awakened, hours later. by a burning sensation on my wrist. I turned on my flashlight and found the skin of my carpus was covered with the biting…
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Killin’ Time
We went to the railway office this morning. There, we made arrangements to send our swamp buggy to Santa Cruz on the train. We were told it would go out when a train engine returned to this side of the river. Of course, we could ride with it. One might arrive later today, or next…
Writings By Phil 