15 Feb--Meeting Jungle Jim

Wed, 15 Feb .... i got up once during the night to check on Valentine; she had crawled or wobbled out of her box, and was on the floor. i moved her back to her box with towel and tried to get her to drink some water; but she wasn't interested. in the morning she was in her box and seemed quite happy. she wanted lots of attention, which i gladly provided. the Vet gave me some canned cat food to give her in the morning. she liked it and ate about 1/3 ... then more attention i could now see how skinny she really was, now that those babies are gone ... :( here's her surgery incision, with her shaved belly ... then it was time for my breakfast. i found a pretty nice grainy 'nutty' bread here. so that's peanut butter and bananas on my bread ... i visited with her a little more, then needed to take her back to her 'home'. the English speaking man was there, Augustus, is very nice, we talked for quite awhile. he is leaving tomorrow for California until April. i told him that there was a Vet here that would provide free service for animals, if he ever needed anything. he didn't know that. i said, please, tell everyone you know. this seemed to be the case in Pana too. the service is available, and for free .... the problem seems to be getting the concept out to the locals. ...it's so different here! it's frustrating. it's an island, there should come a point where the animal population was under control.... maybe someday :( brokenhearted i left ... just kidding ... she'll be fine. the lady i had talked to briefly the other day at the Whale Shark place said that i could just come over and speak directly with Jungle Jim. so i found him in his office with the hyperbaric chamber. that is what you have to get into if you get the 'bends' when you are diving. my plan is to never find out exactly what it does. but i found out today, that unfortunately, they use that chamber quite often here. it seems that alcohol and diving don't mix very well. he said that Utila is a "Party Island with a Diving Problem" anyway Jungle Jim is a character as you might well imagine with a name like that. a few days ago he got bit by a Brown Recluse Spider, and last night got stung by a Scorpion. i hope he lives out in the jungle somewhere and not anywhere around my hotel! we talked for awhile. he wanted to know what i wanted to do. it sounds like i can do as much as i want with them ... they have no one, and would be happy if i just took over the whole project! they usually have a biologist research-type person directing the project, but they have had a rough couple of years keeping one on staff. it's unfortunate that no one returned my emails, and i committed to going to Roatan the first part of March .... so that doesn't give me much time here to make any kind of an impact ... so i'm just going to do a little bit and try not to get too involved .... so, i have a job! .... and the best part is that it is literally right next door to where i'm staying! i've never lived so close to my 'job'. well, that's not really the BEST part... the BEST part is that i'll be organizing and coordinating the Whale Shark Encounter trips. and, our first one is this Friday! maybe i'll really get to see a Whale Shark this year! i spent 4 hrs this afternoon going through their files and folders trying to find out what was done in the past, with release forms, payment, and procedures. after Jungle Jim, i'm meet John and i think we'll be working together, at least for a while. i'll meet him again tomorrow morning at 8:30 ... i hope i can be done by noon so i can have the afternooon to snorkel. i haven't been snorkeling YET !!!!! i was going to go yesterday, but then i spent the day with Valentine ... then i was going to go today, but .... i stopped into the store to visit Valentine on my walk home; but she was no where to be seen ... probably recouperating. i showered and went to Main Street for dinner. at the end of last year, we went to Main Street for dinner .... i was bummed... we had the best meal of anywhere here. sorry i didn't know about it until then ... so now ... i tried it again ... it is very good. tuna fillet with a jalapeno cream sauce w/mashed potatoes, rice, and a good salad.