Catalina works to disguise the conspicuous Bushby as a drifter
for his approach to the Darién Gap, the thick jungle between
Colombia and Panama that is home to anacondas, crocs, jaguars,
narcoterrorists, and FARC guerillas. "We dyed my hair and skin
to make me look less like a gringo," he recalls. "But it started
to fade quickly." Bushby floats along the Atrato River for four
days, stuffing empty soda bottles into his vest for buoyancy,
and camouflaging himself under a mat of branches. Boats carrying
paramilitaries pass just feet from his head.