Two explore coast by kayak

Normally the Triple J dock at the Court House Wharf is full of people waiting to go to the cayes aboard a water taxi. But today News Five met two visitors who brought their own transportation. And if you thought the vessels used in La Ruta Maya River Challenge were small, try traveling the world in a kayak.

Jean Philippe Soule and Luke Shullenberger are English teachers who met in Japan three and a half years ago. They decided to see the world together and are spending the next two years on a Central American Sea Kayak Expedition that will take them into the thick jungles of the rainforest. The men say they are studying and documenting the life of the indigenous people and their environment.

Jean Philippe Soule, Expedition Leader

“I know that it is disappearing because people in Western countries are destroying it by their daily consumption and most people are not aware of it so I was thinking that maybe we could do something. It’s going back to what I like: living in the rain forest, being with nature and not only do it this time for myself but bring it to the people.”

The men, who kayaked from the United States to Baja, California and then traveled by road through Mexico to Belize, stopped in Belize City to stock up on provisions before heading to Placencia.

Luke Shullenberger

“We end up doing a lot of dried foods, lots of pasta, rice, dried beans, tea, sugar, that kind of stuff. Hopefully we will supplement it with protein, with fish we will catch along the way. And in the jungle who knows what we will be eating – maybe worms. And in the jungle you know sometimes you end up eating insects, you hunt, you eat roots; you learn from the indigenous people what they do.”

Although their water journey entails some risk, the pair says so far they have not run into any problems.

“No dangerous sharks or anything like that, no really bad weather. We had a couple days with some big waves and nasty wind but nothing that I would say was life threatening.”

The men, who are heading for Panama, say they do not expect to arrive at their destination until the year two thousand since they will spend time staying with the people along their route.

If you would like to follow Soule and Shullenberger’s progress you can do so on the Internet. Their website address is www.caske2000.org.