Aeta Negrito jungle trek in the Philippines

I was lying on my bamboo bed in the cool of the early morning jungle dawn. I had wrapped myself in a damp bed sheet that I was using as a blanket, and using my pack as a pillow. The uncomfortable humidity and my wet clothing were all combining to make a comfy sleep impossible.

It had been raining all night, and I was, shivering in my damp clothes and blanket.

 I’m not sure of the time, but it was barely light when I saw my good friend Tata Kasoy enter the hut and make a "pire"(fire) for "Kopi"(coffee) and to cook a few bananas for breakfast.

The previous morning My Adventure buddy Jungle Wil and I had met our Good friends Miguel and Tata  at the trail head near Pamulaklakin, after exchanging gifts and sharing a meal of coffee, sardines and rice cooked in bamboo, I realized that I had forgotten my Bolo knife in Cebu so I traded my mini mag flash light and 6 batteries to the lead forest ranger for an extra bolo of his, it is a cool looking knife and the sheath is made from PVC plastic heated and cut to shape then held together with screws.

It is a cool looking knife and a good trade. I tied it on my belt , and we hit the trail.

We hiked for several hours deep into the Aeta territory; we entered the territory of Antonio the younger brother of Tata . I had no idea we had entered his land but suddenly Tata spied a faint trail leading off to the right and said "dis trail my broder" we followed it for a long while then tata began to shout in Aeta to his brother that we were in his territory.

After a search of about 10 minutes we managed to locate Antonio, he just materialized from the trees wearing black clothing and sporting the longest bolo relative to his size I had ever seen. We were invited to his Jungle camp for More "Kopi" and BBQd bananas.

Antonio’s camp consisted of a hut made of a bamboo frame covered by plastic and was basically 2 platforms with a star fire in the center. I like it and felt comfortable there and would have enjoyed sleeping there for the evening if Tata  and Miguel had not made other plans.

After swapping news with Antonio and having a bit to eat we packed up and headed out, due to the amount of rain over the past few days it was important to head up the trail and make a river crossing before it was too strong to do so. Our Aeta friends said "big water come"(heavy rain) several times so heeding their advice, we shouldered our packs moved out at a fast pace up the trail.

The small stature of our Aeta friends belies their speed and agility in the forest, both Jungle wil and I keep in shape with regular running and mountain biking, but on the jungle trail we had a difficult time keeping up with our guides. They walk fast but do not miss a single thing like useful plants, animal tracks, or signs of non Aeta in the forest. There is a major problem with Illegal Logging on Aeta lands and these guys mount regular patrols into the jungle to protect their property.

We seemed to climb and climb as we headed deeper into the jungle I cannot recall a single level trail, it was difficult going due to the mud and heavy rain, upon reaching the river we made the crossing without problems but it was evident that the water strength was building and it would soon be impossible to cross.

After a hike of several more hours we reached an area of the Aeta territory that was pretty far back in the woods, it was only about 4 pm but it was nearly dark under the jungle canopy. We set about constructing a jungle shelter and covered it with some blue tarps we had brought along.

Tata Kasoy and Miguel strung their Duyen (Hammocks as we call them) and set up their rain tarps made from grain sacks sewn together. It was great to see the clever use of available materials and it is interesting to note that Miguel and Tata always wear the Head lamps we gave them even when it is not dark. I asked them about this practice and was told it is so they are always ready.

It is a good thing they had the head lamps because by the time we made camp, built a fire and settled in for the evening it was full dark even though it was only about 5 pm. We had a good evening, chatting and singing(oldies and filipino songs) away the hours, dining on corned beef, boiled bananas, bamboo rice, "kopi" and Emperador brandy.

Jungle Wil and I had brought along a spice kit that contained tobasco, rock salt, garlic, and sugar. It was a big his as well as the Hands of tobacco we brought along, Miguel rolled cigarettes and smoked away the hours while Tata liked to chew. I chewed a bit of tobacco myself while sipping brandy.

It was an excellent to be back in the forest again with my 3 friends enjoying their company. We were drinking and singing while sitting around a small circle of light in a remote forest; it is a scene that has been played out a billion or more times throughout the history of mankind Im sure.

Being there at that time in that location with my 3 good friends is a memory I will always cherish and I am looking forward to being able to return to the jungle for more adventures.


See you on the trail!

Tomahawk - Scout out!

Bamboo shoots - Tomahawks 2nd favorite jungle food

Bamboo shoots are my 2nd favorite Jungle edible. Why? because like bananas they are easy to identify, and simple to prepare. Just about every country in Asia used Bamboo shoots in one form or another. I have listed below a few regional uses.

In certain parts of Japan, China and Taiwan, the giant timber bamboo Bambusa oldhamii is harvested in spring or early summer. The bamboo has a very acrid flavor and should be sliced thin and boiled in a large volume of water several times. The sliced bamboo is edible after boiling. B. oldhamii is more widely known as a noninvasive landscaping bamboo.

Pickled bamboo, used as a condiment, may also be made from the pith of the young shoots.
South Asia

In Nepal, they are used in dishes which have been well known in Nepal for centuries. A popular dish is tama (fermented bamboo shoot), with potato and beans. An old popular song in Nepali mentions tama as "my mother loves vegetable of recipe containing potato, beans, and tama". Some varieties of bamboo shoots commonly grown in the Sikkim Himalayas of India are Dendrocalamus hamiltonii, Dendrocalamus sikkimensis and Bambusa tulda locally known as choya bans, bhalu bans and karati bans, respectively are edible when young. These bamboo shoots are collected, defoliated and boiled in water with turmeric powder for 10–15 minutes to remove the bitter taste of the bamboo after which the tama is ready for consumption. Tama is commonly sold in the local markets during the months of June to September when young bamboo shoots sprout.

In Assam, India, bamboo shoots are part of the traditional cuisine. It is called khorisa and bah gaj in Assamese. The bamboo shoots are used as a special dish during the monsoons (due to seasonal availability) Malnad region (Western Ghats) Karnataka, India. It is commonly known as kanile in the local language. It is usually sliced and soaked in water for two to three days, where the water is drained and replenished with fresh water each day to extricate and remove toxins. It is also used as a pickle. It is consumed as a delicacy by all communities in the region.

In the Diyun region of Arunachal Pradesh, the Chakma people call it bashchuri. The fermented version is called medukkeye, which is often served fried with pork. The bamboo shoots can also be fermented and stored with vinegar.

In Jharkhand, India, they are used in curries, and commonly used as a pickle.

In Nagaland (India), bamboo shoots are both cooked and eaten as a fresh food item or fermented for a variety of culinary uses. Fermented bamboo shoot is commonly known as bas tenga. Cooking pork with a generous portion of fermented bamboo shoot is very popular in Naga cuisine.

In Manipur (India), it is known as u-soi. It is also fermented and preserved which is called soibum. It is used in a wide variety of dishes – among which are iromba, ooti and kangshu ar eto
Southeast Asia

In Indonesia, they are sliced thinly to be boiled with coconut milk and spices to make gulai rebung. Other recipes using bamboo shoots are sayur lodeh (mixed vegetables in coconut milk) and lun pia (sometimes written lumpia: fried wrapped bamboo shoots with vegetables). The shoots of some species contain cyanide that must be leached or boiled out before they can be eaten safely. Slicing the bamboo shoots thinly assists in this leaching.

In Philippine cuisine, the shoots are called commonly called labóng (others call it rabong or rabung). The two most popular dishes for this are ginataáng labóng (shoots in coconut milk and chilies) and dinengdeng na labóng (shoots in fish bagoóng and stew of string beans, saluyot, and tinapa). Bamboo shoots are also preserved as atchara, traditional sweet pickles that are often made from papaya.
In Thai cuisine bamboo shoots are called no mai. It can be used in stir-fries, soups such as tom kha kai, curries such as kaeng tai pla, as well as Thai salads. Some dishes ask for fresh bamboo shoots, others for pickled bamboo shoots (no mai dong).

In Vietnamese cuisine, shredded bamboo shoots are used alone or with other vegetable in many stir-fried vegetable dishes. It may also be used as the sole vegetable ingredient in pork chop soup.

In Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh, bamboo shoots are traditional food of the indigenous Jumma people. The preparation of their dishes consist of few steps. At first bamboo shoots are collected from bamboo forest then defoliated and boiled in water. Afterwards the bamboo shoot is prepared with with shrimp paste, chilly and garlic paste and salt.

Enjoy!  Tomahawl - Scouts Out!

Basic Survival skills

SURVIVAL BASICS:
Covering the 4 essentials of wilderness survival
1. shelter
2. water
3. fire
4 .food

SHELTER:
When lost in the wilderness there are four things you will need to survive. when you find yourself lost in the wilderness areas of the world the first thing you need to do is stay calm, dont wander around in a panic and get your self more lost. sit down, think things over, inventory your equipment and make a plan.
the 1st thing you will need to do is make a shelter, it is the #1 most important element in survival. a shelter will protect you from the elements like snow, wind, rain, heat etc. and also will help protect you from possible predators, and keep you off of the ground depending on the type of shelter you build.
If you have a tent or bivvy shelter in your gear that is perfect, but chances are you will be out with little or no gear so there are several shelter options you can choose from depending on your location.
you can look for natural shelters like rock over hangs and fallen trees etc. other options include a squirrel type shelter made of sticks and leaves, a lean to made from sticks and loose bark. remember to insulate yourself from the ground also by covering the floor of your shelter with grass , leaves, ferns or other types of soft vegetation.

WATER:
water is the 2nd priority you need to take care of in a survival situation. you can go for 3 days without water, in most jungle or temperate climates water can be found fairly easily, you will need to purify it most times and that can be done by boiling it if you do not have purification tabs in your personal survival kit.
water just needs to come to a rolling boil to make it drinkable, no need to boil it 5 mins. there are also vines in the forest which will yield water if you cut them correctly. Thistle plants will also give you a refreshing bit of moisture, just scrape off the spikes and chew the stems for the moisture then spit out the pulp.
It is a fantasy that cactus will provide water, in fact most cacti are toxic to a certain extent. avoid trying to extract moisture from cactus, it is a waste of time and energy.
you can also look for water that has collected in rock deperssions and in the hollows of trees.
If in the desert look for the green indicator plants in washes and dry river beds, these patches of green will be easy to spot in the desert. if in a dry river bed look for the lowest area in the bend of the river bed and dig down until you find moist sand/dirt, dig a little deeper and see if it beging to fill with water. if you get lucky and find water in the river bed you can soak it up with a piece of cloth like a bandanna or a sock then ring it out into your mouth.
another way to get water is to walk through a dew wet field of grass and collect the water in your clothing then wring it out into a container.

FIRE:
there are numerous ways to make a fire in the outdoors, chances are you will have a lighter or matches on you when out in the woods if not, you can make a fire fairly easily with the bow and drill method of fire making
A B&D set consists of 5 components;
1. Tinder bundle - can be made out of any combustible materials that have been softened, I like to use cotton wood cambium or juniper bark. Other materials I have made into tinder bundles include milk weed and dog bane fibers, grass, aspen cambium etc. there are countless things to be found in the outdoors that will work.
You can also add extra combustibles to your tinder bundle if you cannot find enough of one type of material, things like thistle or cattail down, birch bark, and pine pitch are excellent fillers.
2. spindle(or Drill) - the spindle for your personal should be about as big around as your thumb and as long as your hand and should be made from a wood that can be easily dented with your thumb nail. Good types of wood in North America are Alder, cedar/juniper, sycamore, cotton wood, or willow.
3. fire board - the board is made from the same material as the spindle and needs to be about 2 fingers wide, 1 finger thick , and about as long as your foot.
4. Bow - your bow can be made of any type of wood you like but it needs to be from arm pit to finger tip in length. some folks like a flexible bow with an acute bow in it but I prefer a straighter stiffer bow with no flex.
5. socket, (bearing block, top rock etc) sockets can be made from deer antler, Cow bone, various hard woods or stone.

FOOD:
going without food is uncomfortable but a human can go without food for 3 weeks of more depending on their metabolism. in a short term (say 72 hour) survival situation you can easily go without eating.
it would be better to concentrate on improving your , finding water of making a fire then to waste energy on food.
buy Edibles can easily be found in the summer if you know where to look.
everything that walks, swims, flies or crawls can be eaten. if you have fishing gear in your personal survival kit you can set out trot lines or try bank fishing. scout along the streams and look for other animals like cray fish (craw daddys), or fresh water mussels.
snakes, birds, rabbits, marmots, squirrels etc. can be killed with a simple stick or club. you can throw it at the desired animal in a spinning motion to make a quick kill. The aborigines of Australia use the boomerang to the same effect. Southwestern native Americans use a rabbit stick in a similar fashion as the boomerang.

PERSONAL SURVIVAL KIT:
your PSK will depend on where you live and the type of wilderness environment you venture into. when putting your kit together remember the 4 essential of survival and go from there. your kit should be small enough to fit easily into a pocket or belt pouch. some useful items in a kit should include;
Shelter: space blanket(or 2)
Water: metal cup for boiling water and water purification tabs (aqua tabs)
Fire: Lighter (or 2),or matches in a water proof container, other options include a metal match (ferrocium rod), candle, small tinder bundle of natural fibers, trioxane fuel tabs, fire ribbon or other types of commercially available tinder.
Food: hard candies are a good choice, bullion cubes, power bars or chocolate bars, instant soup mix, coffee, tea, sugar packets, salt packets etc.
some 1st aid items like extra strength pain killers, band aids and a few bandages with adhesive tape are a good idea.
A signal mirror, small sewing kit, fishing gear, and a whistle are also excellent choices for a personal kit
invest in a good knife like a Swiss army knife(SAK) that has 2 cutting blades and a saw on it, avoid the heavy and difficult to use multi tools. You will find that the saw on the SAK is the best tool you can have for shelter building.

See you on the trail. Tomahawk - Scouts Out!

Bananas - Tomahawks Jungle food of choice

One of my favorite survival foods in the tropics is Bananas. I also like the flower cooked into a stir fry of made into a salad. I have picked bananas in the wild when exploring the Philippines, Cambodia, Burma and Thailand as well as the state of Chiapas in Mexico.

I have eaten bananas boiled, fried, roasted, uncooked, and made into cakes and cookies.

There are several types found all around the world but my favorite is the small red Banana, they seem to be the sweetest of all the types.

Once, while bumming around Mindenao in the Philippines I was in the market and spied a small boy carrying a large bunch or the little red variety, I wanted six or so to eat right away. I handed the boy 2 American dollars which is about 100 pesos. He handed me the bunch of reds, snatched the 2 bucks from me, and took running like he was scalded.

I guess the 2 bucks was a lot of money to him.

Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red. In popular culture and commerce, "banana" usually refers to soft, sweet "dessert" bananas. By contrast, Musa cultivars with firmer, starchier fruit are called plantains. Many varieties of bananas are perennial. Refer to the Musa article for a list of the varieties of bananas and plantains.

They are native to tropical Southeast Asia, and are likely to have been first domesticated in Papua New Guinea. Today, they are cultivated throughout the tropics. They are grown in at least 107 countries, primarily for their fruit, and to a lesser extent to make fiber and as ornamental plants.

Although fruit of wild species have large, hard seeds, virtually all culinary bananas have only tiny seeds. Bananas are classified either as dessert bananas (meaning they are yellow and fully ripe when eaten) or as green cooking bananas.

Almost all export bananas are of the dessert types; however, only about 10–15% of production is for export. The United States and European Union are the dominant importers.

The banana plant is the largest herbaceous flowering plant. Plants are normally tall and fairly sturdy and are often mistaken for trees, but their main or upright stem is actually a pseudostem that grows 6 to 7.6 metres (20 to 24.9 ft) tall, growing from a corm. Each pseudostem can produce a single bunch of bananas. After fruiting, the pseudostem dies.
Leaves are spirally arranged and may grow 2.7 metres (8.9 ft) long and 60 cm (2.0 ft) wide.They are easily torn by the wind, resulting in the familiar frond look.

Banana fruit grow in hanging clusters, with up to 20 fruit to a tier (called a hand). The assemblage of hanging clusters is known as a bunch, comprising 3–20 tiers, or commercially as a "banana stem", and can weigh from 30–50 kilograms (66–110 lb). In common usage, bunch applies to part of a tier containing 3-10 adjacent fruits. Individual fruits average 125 grams (0.28 lb), of which approximately 75% is water and 25% dry matter. Each individual fruit (commonly known as a banana or 'finger') has a protective outer layer (a peel or skin) with an edible inner portion. The fruit typically has numerous long, thin strings (called phloem bundles), which run lengthwise between the skin and inner part. The inner part of the common yellow dessert variety splits easily lengthwise into three strips.

Each stem normally produces a single, sterile, male banana flower, also known as the banana heart—though more can be produced; a single plant in the Philippines has five.

Banana hearts are used as a vegetable in Southeast Asia, steamed, in salads, or eaten raw. The female flowers appear further up the stem, and produce the actual fruit without fertilization. The fruit has been described as a "leathery berry".In cultivated varieties, the seeds are diminished nearly to non-existence; their remnants are tiny black specks in the interior of the fruit. The ovary is inferior to the flower; because of stiff stems and the positioning of the ovary and flower, bananas grow pointing up, not hanging down.

Bananas are the staple starch of many tropical populations. Depending upon cultivar and ripeness, the flesh can vary in taste from starchy to sweet, and texture from firm to mushy. Both skin and inner part can be eaten raw or cooked. Bananas' flavor is due, amongst other chemicals, to isoamyl acetate which is one of the main constituents of banana oil.

During the ripening process, bananas produce a plant hormone called ethylene, which indirectly affects the flavor. Among other things, ethylene stimulates the formation of amylase, an enzyme that breaks down starch into sugar, influencing the taste of bananas. The greener, less ripe bananas contain higher levels of starch and, consequently, have a "starchier" taste. On the other hand, yellow bananas taste sweeter due to higher sugar concentrations. Furthermore, ethylene signals the production of pectinase, an enzyme which breaks down the pectin between the cells of the banana, causing the banana to soften as it ripens.

Bananas are eaten deep fried, baked in their skin in a split bamboo, or steamed in glutinous rice wrapped in a banana leaf. Bananas can be made into jam. Banana pancakes are popular amongst backpackers and other travelers in South Asia and Southeast Asia. This has elicited the expression Banana Pancake Trail for those places in Asia that cater to this group of travelers. Banana chips are a snack produced from sliced dehydrated or fried banana or plantain, which have a dark brown color and an intense banana taste. Dried bananas are also ground to make banana flour. Extracting juice is difficult, because when a banana is compressed, it simply turns to pulp. Bananas fried with batter is a popular dessert in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. A similar dish is known in the United States as banana fritters.

Plantains are used in various stews and curries or cooked, baked or mashed in much the same way as potatoes.

The flower;
The flower of the banana plant is used in South Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine, either raw or steamed with dips or cooked in soups and curries. The flower's flavor resembles that of artichoke. As with artichokes, both the fleshy part of the petals and the heart are edible.

Banana leaves are large, flexible, and waterproof. They are often used as ecologically friendly disposable food containers or as "plates" in South Asia and several Southeast Asian countries.

Steamed with dishes they impart a subtle sweet flavor. They often serve as a wrapping for grilling food. The leaves contain the juices, protects food from burning and adds a subtle flavor.
 

Tomahawk - Scouts Out!

"Old Butch" my favorite blade

I was sitting around yesterday afternoon, sippin’ a Whiskey and soda, with my Green river knife “Ol’ Butch” hanging around my neck. the sun was warm on my chest, I began to notice a slight tainted fat smell…..I soon discovered the source of the Ambiance as the handle on my Green river Knife.

Unsheathing the blade, I took a long sniff of the handle, and was flooded with memories of past expeditions, wilderness adventures, countries, people,war zones, horses and Mules, skinned deer, elk and moose – the list goes on.

This knife has been with me for 23 years. I bought it in a junk shop in Moab, Utah back in 1989 for the ridiculous price of $6.00. Later on I made a sheath for it from some raw hide salvaged from a dead horse I discovered while on a trip in the Utah desert. The handle has always been used as the socket for hundreds of my friction fires(Bow & Drill).

My knife has been to 87 countries, and 6 war zones on 5 continents – “Ol’ Butch is a comforting friend and a constant companion to me and will continue to be Just that for many years to come.

The other day I picked up 2 more American made blades . One is a Green river "Bear tooth" style blade I need to make a handle and a sheath for. and the other is an Old Hickory "Buffalo skinner" . Both are a welcome addition to my knife "Family".

I have to kinda chuckle at the knife kooks I read about online that ask silly questions like “How do I force a patina on my new Mora?” – First of all – throw away the Mora, Get a Green River and USE IT. Get off of your computers,get out on the woods, deserts, jungles and mountains. Split some wood, cut some meat(and a finger or two),build some fires, defend yourself, and simply USE the Knife!

Tomahawk - Scouts out!

Unbroken - the Louis Zamperini story

I heard there was another ww2 POW movie out. Until the other day I didnt know it was about Louie Zamperini. I remember reading about him as a kid. When I was running track and cross country in High school, he was always an inspiration. This movie is worth the watch.


Tomahawk - Scouts Out!

Cafe' Du Monde' coffee

I was walking around the town of Sierra Vista Arizona today looking for butane lighter fuel/ I wandered into a Vietnamese owned .99 cent store. I wandered around the store looking for the fuel and stumbled on an entire shelf of Cafe' Du Monde' coffee. About a million years ago my oldest brother took me on a tour of New Orleans and specifically Cafe' Du Monde' for javva and donughts. It is a good memory. I enjoy this coffee very much and the history of the cafe'.

http://www.cafedumonde.com/history

See you on the trail!

Tomahawk - Scouts Out!

History(Via Wikipedia)

The French brought coffee with them to the United States as they began to settle along the Mississippi. The French developed the chicory style of coffee during the civil war used at Café du Monde. Chicory adds an almost chocolate flavor to the Café au Lait. Along with this taste, the Acadians from Nova Scotia brought about other French customs, such as the beignet, to Louisiana in the 17th century. Unlike most doughnuts, beignets are squared pieces of dough with no hole in the middle, fried and most often covered with powdered sugar. Sometimes they can be seen served with fruit, jam, maple syrup or even savory items. At Café du Monde, they are served traditionally, with a thick covering of powdered sugar in orders of three.
The menu at Café du Monde is simple, as it only includes dark roasted coffee and chicory, beignets, white and chocolate milk, and fresh squeezed orange juice. The coffee is served black or au lait. According the Café du Monde’s VP, Burton E. Benrud, Jr., the beignets remain the only food item on the French Market menu and Café du Monde is committed to “keeping things the way they’ve always been: recipes have gone relatively unchanged.”
Café du Monde is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except for Christmas Day and days when "the occasional hurricane passes too close to New Orleans", and is patronized by both locals and visitors.
Post-Katrina
Due to Hurricane Katrina, the shop closed at midnight on August 27, 2005. Although it suffered only minor damage, it remained closed for nearly two months. Owners took advantage of the low traffic time afterwards to refurbish the eating areas and kitchens. Six weeks after hurricane Katrina, Café du Monde began promoting its re-opening through Beuerman Miller Fitzgerald as a sign that the city’s recovery had begun. Over one hundred media outlets, including ABC’s Good Morning America, reported directly on the event. The opening of Café du Monde post-Katrina gave the city of New Orleans the boost they needed following the natural disaster. The French Quarter location reopened on October 19, 2005, to national media attention