Tips for future World Racers on clearing the jungle with a machete:
1. 1. Know all allergies and potential allergens and reactions of your teammates (and, if working with another team that month, their team members also).
2. 2. Bring Benadryl, allergy medication, ibuprofen or Tylenol, and anti-itch cream. You will use it on the race and will often not have access to a pharmacy when staying in little towns.
3. 3. Bring medical tape. You can put it on your hands ahead of wielding a machete to protect from getting blisters. If you already have blisters, you can also put it on to protect those from becoming worse. Be careful when taking it off though. Also, bring duct tape. We have found that duct tape works for blisters as well as a variety of other uses.
Tarantuala Hiding in the Brush Julio, one of the youth, with a scorpion that has the stinger detached
4.
Be careful which logs you move or try to cut up. Fire ant attacks are commonplace so move fast if you see them because they will swarm you. If you feel a bite, you will need to either move or kill any ant(s) off you because the ant(s) will continue to bite until you do (hint: typically there are more than one). Use anti-itch cream on bites if needed (see #2). Two scorpions, two tarantulas, and two snakes have been found so far.5. 5. Wear the clothing (pants, long-sleeved shirt, socks, and tennis shoes or boots) recommended by your contact (bring an outfit you do not mind destroying). This limits where potential insects/spiders/snakes/thorns can do any damage to you. We have all (especially Lindsay) found there are advantages to limiting exposure to these potentials.
Lindsay clearing the field
6. Leave your I-Pod at your place of lodging. Lindsay (on my team) was listening to her I-Pod when trying to clear the field around a tree. However, she did not hear the bees buzzing around their hive. She chopped down the area with the hive and stirred up the anger in the bees.
Imagine Winnie-the-Pooh (and other cartoons) where the bees form an arrow chasing down the perpetrator of the wrongdoing. That is basically what happened to poor Lindsay.
After/while being attacked, she ran up the hill to where Rebecca and I were clearing wood. She told us that she was stung multiple times and said that she needed to take a shower. I asked her if it was by ants (see #4 above). She said no that she was stung by bees.
As she was starting to walk back to the house, Rebecca saw that there were still bees on her clothes. Rebecca began beating Lindsay with a stick. Actually, Rebecca was gently detaching the bees from Lindsay’s clothing but I wanted to make sure you were paying attention.
7. 7. If possible, have a nurse and/or EMT on your team!!! Rebecca was able to extract all the bees/stingers from Lindsay’s clothing/legs/hand.
8. 8. If stung, watch for allergens and reactions. If stung multiple times, take Benadryl for swelling if needed (see #2). If deathly allergic, use their Epi-Pen (a prescription medication) instead (use on outer thigh), write down the time you gave the medicine, and take them to the hospital.
